During my own teaching activity, I’ve received many requests from my students to compose for them their individual training program. I know, that practically all working instructors are addressed with similar requests. At that, as a rule, such programs are pictured as rows of simple Asanas and Vinyasas or as lists of exercises’ names on Sanskrit and on Mother tongue.

However, incomprehension of the drawn picture or absence of knowledge concerning names and technique of exercises, often can cause many additional questions from practicing people. That is why recently, many experienced instructors, in order to make the task of answering numerous similar questions easier, make video records of their lessons with commentaries.

            It could be a problem-solving, but such video records are not variants of individual training program and, as a rule, are intended only to demonstrate personal teacher’s example or available to all practices, which are nothing different from group classes, since they’re not individual. That is why distribution of such records with claim that they are giving beginner possibility to practice independently, is wrong in its essence. Such video records are not individual programs for practicing people.

            The only difference is that in this case, a group expands, consisting of everybody who has bought a record. A person practices at convenient for him time and can repeat such class at any time. At that, such records are still not individual. Maybe that is why within last years many responsible teachers aimed at giving their students best results, are more and more speaking about practice individualization and propose different methods towards this end.

            In course of this tendency 3 years ago I have started in Kyiv “Universal Yoga 3D” – project on creation of universal video program, “virtual trainer”, meant individually for each person. This project has been produced under my guidance with participation of 3 professional computer workers: Viacheslav Virych, Alexandr Filatov and Maksym Popil’. Within last year, after tragic event with Viacheslav Virych, his place has been taken by Yaroslav Tokarev.

            The project “Universal Yoga 3D” has been started with the aim to solve the problem of individual program creation for everybody, once and forever. In such a way overcoming imperfection of training information transmission in graphical form as incomprehensible pictures or lists of visually limited names.

            As a result was created 3-dimension video program - Universal Yoga 3D, working on any PC computer (look on the color input). It is a video-animation of practicing person, which can be viewed from any side (3-dimention space), enlarged or miniaturized, moved to any place on the screen. At that, such virtual trainer is able to fulfill ANY training dynamic succession in accordance with user’s request (for detailed description – look below). It means that user composes training program from pictures or exercises’ names and receives it in the form of animation video – virtual trainer demonstrating dynamic or static Yoga practice with all technical nuances. At that, user can view such demonstrating trainer from any side (so as if he would go round him and watch him from any side).

            Ultimate goal of this project is creation of universal internet portal, giving teachers possibility to compose and improve in course of development individual training video program for their students on planetary distance. In addition, for all visitor of this portal – chance to exchange training video information between each other.

            “Universal Yoga 3D” makes possible overcoming speed limitations during transmission of video data through internet. At that, not large in volume files are transmitted, but only digital codes of body position in space, which needs minimal resources of speed and memory. And it’s not fantastic of indefinite future, but reality of the present. “Universal Yoga 3D” is already created and today the work on adding new Asanas and Vinyasas is in process.

            In course of creation of the book: “Yoga: Tradition of Unification” I studied and described universal algorithm of Asanas connection between each other with help of special dynamic movements – Vinyasas. This investigation has been done for the first time in the world and without it, creation of “Universal Yoga 3D” would be technically impossible.

            Because for the work of the program it is absolutely necessary to have the principle of logical connection of static forms by means of the most appropriate from practical point of view movements in accordance with the rhythm of breath. As a result, “Universal Yoga 3D” is able to connect any of chosen Asanas automatically, with help of the shortest or longer Vinyasas, in accordance with user’s choice, in such a way turning absolutely different static Asanas into completely sequenced flow of dynamic video.

            Universal Yoga 3D gives possibility to build individual training programs as for instructors for their student, so for the students themselves. And there’s no more need to draw or write anything. Student receives video succession as individual program, which he can also adopt at his own decision to his various states and aims at different days.

            There’s also possibility to use “Universal Yoga 3D” as program for teaching instructors all possible variants of practice. The process of understanding what this program is consists of and what can be changed in it is already a process of studding component parts, which altogether compose Yoga practice.

            It is necessary to lay special emphasis on the fact that the name “Universal Yoga 3D” doesn’t mean following Universal Yoga Style (which is in its essence not Yoga style, but the science of Yoga). This program in its essence is universal and can imitate sequences of all existing Yoga styles.

            The limitation today is yet temporarily not wide enough introduced in the program spectrum of exercises. But it is constantly being enlarged and will continuously be enlarging. We’re eager to include all possible variants of Yoga exercises, following wishes of users in future. The work on creation of simplified automatic mechanism of brining into the program new exercises by users themselves is in progress.

            Also in future, all users, possessing “Universal Yoga 3D” will be able to receive codes of new exercises, created by us additionally Asanas and Vinyasas, which can be inserted into the program on one’s own, in such way - enlarging the spectrum of exercises.

            Video records of alive people somewhere at beautiful place on the nature are really beautiful and romantic. As for me I like such records very much. But they have disappointing limitation – it is impossible to use them as guidance for individual practice. They are only examples of individual practice of those who demonstrates it. Recorded by video camera successions cannot be slowed down or fastened to necessary individual speed in Vinyasas. Moreover, fixation time in Asanas cannot be changed either, if it is necessary for personal needs. Recorded on video exercises cannot be canceled or placed vice versa within succession. There are too many other “impossible” in comparison to “Universal Yoga 3D” possibilities.

            Video animation of not alive video on described program is not so beautiful and romantic in comparison to alive video, but from the point of view of transmission of practical fulfillment and technique it does not yield to alive video records and vice versa – it possesses so many advantages that it is just not comparable with video records in respect to its capabilities.

            For example, viewer has no possibility to watch demonstrating exercise from other side, if there’re some details which are not noticeable or incomprehensible under recorded angle. But video program makes it possible to view exercises from any side and under any angle, by this transmitting all technical nuances much more perfectly and thoroughly.

            So that if there’s a real person practices before you, and you have possibility to walk round him and watch every detail of practice, making pause as long as you need at any place of this practice.

            There are many other advantages of “Universal Yoga 3D”, eliminating disadvantages of simple video records, allowing to understand that the future is with such programs.

            Of course, nobody will stop producing video lessons of alive people, but for individual programs much more effective will become using video programs, specially designed for individual specialties and possessing great possibilities of information transmission.

            It is not a secret that within yoga circles there are those, who avoid technique and modern technologies. Many yogis do not watch TV at all and do not use computers. This is a result of conscious choice to avoid contacts with technique or personal antipathy to everything what is connected with it (and in childhood with everything what is connected with math or physics). They are numerous and it is normal for them. That is why if the reader relates himself to such category, he can stop reading this article at this point, satisfied himself with general information about the idea of “Universal Yoga 3D”, described before. Therefore, creators of this program hope that condemnation of those yogis who are not afraid of computers and use them for information interchange will not appear.

 

 

All those, who are interested in this program, we invite to continue reading further and getting acquainted with “Universal Yoga 3D” work peculiarities.

            Described below functions will be indicated by means of digits, which correspond to digits on color input of this journal with picture of program’s control board.

            Thus, after the program has been loaded into computer and opened - we get on the screen a picture, introduced on color input left above. Here we have a possibility to go over: to practical exercises (1); to set the quality of video picture resolution in accordance with speed possibilities of one’s own computer (2); get acquainted with general information about the program (3); or exit the program (4).

            In case of choice (1) a window of video lesson creation is opening (it is introduced on the color input below). In its upper left corner we can see a window (21), in which graphical pictures and names of Asanas and Vinyasas are introduced. Buttons “A” and “V” let us enter into the lists of Asanas and Vinyasas.

            At the same time in the middle left window (28) appears textual description of Asana or Vinyasa, which has been chosen and extracted in the window (21).

            By means of arrow (11) Asanas or Vinyasas can be moved from the window (21) into the widow of a class being created (12) or removed from the window (12) to the window (21). Thus, in the window (12) one can on his own compose any training succession of Asanas and Vinyasas, placed in the window (21).

            There’s a possibility to remove temporally from created in the window (12) training succession any of exercises compiling it by means of pressing daggers (13) before exercise being removed or to add it again into class by means of second stroke on the dagger’s window (13). At the same time in the middle right window (29) appears textual description of chosen and marked exercise in the window of the lesson, which is in the process of creation (12).

            For better understanding of the exercises, introduced in the list (21) there’s possibility to watch them in left corner below (15). For this, after choice and color mark of any of the exercises in window (21), one should press button “Play” (14). At this, in the down left corner (15) will appear static form of marked Asana or dynamic video of marked Vinyasa. There’s also a possibility to stop active video in the window (15) by means of pressing (14).

            In the window (16) it possible to set a number of continuous dynamic repetitions of one and the same Vinyasa, marked in the being created video lesson in the window (12).

            By means of buttons “Move up” and ”Move down” (18) any of marked exercises in created lesson (12) can be moved in the list up or down. These exercises remain in training succession, but they can be moved to other position within this succession.

            By means of button (19), window (12) can be cleared from all earlier brought into it exercises. 

            In the window (27) one can give training succession special name or current number and press button “Save” (24). In such a way, new lesson can be saved in the list of lessons in the right corner below under given name.

            By means of button (25) any of earlier created and marked in the right corner below lessons can be transported into the window (12) for its further modification or its startover as video class.

            With help of button (26) one can remove any of marked in the right lower window lessons.

Slider (20) changes the speed of movements of video trainer, which are synchronized with breath. After choice of the speed, by means of pressing button (22), one can see below this button time, needed for total lesson, if it is carried out with given speed. By this one can plan time of training succession and speed, necessary for the class to fit required time.

By pressing button (30) one can come back from the window of composing succession to the main page, placed on the color input in the left upper corner. Button (31) starts training succession. At this, a window, placed on the color input in the right upper corner is opening. Here is located virtual teacher in the form of golden monk, placed in the centre of the surface of the moon Yantra in virtual cosmic space.

With help of buttons “Play” and “Stop” (32) one can start or stop training succession.

Buttons “+” and “-” (5) are performing the function of “Zoom”. It means that it is possible accordingly to draw near or move away the figure and the surface of Yantra simultaneously.

Button “Target” (6) fulfills the function of moving the figure together with Yantra up, down, to the right and to the left. It is done by means of arrows, placed in the middle at the bottom of this window. Button “Camera” (7) activates the function of moving a viewer round the figure, which is fulfilled by means of arrows placed in the middle at the bottom of this icon either. In such way, we receive a possibility to watch figure of virtual trainer from any side and under any angle – from above, from below, from right side, from left side or from behind. These functions can be fulfilled the same as before video lesson so during current video class.

In course of video lesson in left upper corner of the screen, appear the names of Asanas, which are being fulfilled (8), and time of these Asanas’ fixation in seconds (9). These names can be turned on and off by means of button (22) on the page of training program creation, placed at the bottom of color input.

Button  “Close Exercise” fulfills exit from the window of training video program with coming back to above described page of video lesson creation, placed at the bottom of color input.

 

As it can be seen from the description, the program is easy in control and gives possibility to create any training successions, independently and just introducing into them necessary corrections and adopting them under changing needs of practicing person.