Obedient Virtual
Trainer
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.
System requirements
Operation System: Windows XP
Hard Disk Space: not lesser than 400 Mb of free space
Memory: 512 MByte RAM (or greater)
Processor: Pentium III or AMD Athlon 1.2 GHz (or higher)
Video: 64MB NVIDIA GeForce3 or ATI Radeon 8500 (or better OpenGL Compatible graphic card)