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Breathing your way to health and attaining a perfect yoga posture is extremely satisfying. Now imagine doing this not with the help of a human instructor but with AI-supported clothing. Yes, yoga, the ancient discipline of aligning the mind, body, and spirit, is witnessing technology-led disruption, and attracting the interest of innovation enthusiasts, smart-clothing manufacturers, and tech leaders.
IIT Hyderabad (India) recently hosted the Yoga Tech Conclave 2023 to explore the challenges and possibilities of integrating yoga with technology. The conclave saw the collaboration between leading tech researchers and yoga institutions. Such initiatives show the long-term impact of AI and ML on yogic practices, proving that it is not just a Western fad. Smart mats that use Deep Learning and AI to instruct users and Computer Vision aided assistance apps are paving the way for tech-enabled yoga.
How Yoga blends with Technology
Looking deeper into the basic texture of technology and yoga, we can find several similarities. Let’s explore some of them here:
- Systematic approach – Both yoga and technology follow a particular methodology, systemic thinking, and process. From breathing techniques to maintaining body postures and targeting pain points to treating diseases, yoga has a disciplinary approach. With tech, everything is process based. There cannot be random actions in software development, transformation projects, or Cloud migrations.
- Business growth – Both technology and yoga have immense potential for business and investments. With the rise in lifestyle-related health problems, there is scope for solutions and products based on yoga. Just as companies are increasing the spending on technology to increase efficiency and reduce costs, they are also investing in the well-being of employees and conducting yoga sessions.
- Agility – Agility is at the core of yoga and digitization. The goal of technology is to help businesses and products be agile, scalable, and strong. Yoga also aims to bring agility to the body and mental strength.
- Global connect – Technology connects people and businesses seamlessly, without boundaries of geography, time zones, language, or culture. Yoga is now universally acknowledged as a practice that helps in healing and gaining holistic health.
- Ever-evolving – Technology is always growing with new versions and platforms, making it simpler for people to understand and adopt, for instance, wider accessibility of tech with low-code/no-code. Yoga is also changing with the times. Power yoga, Aerial yoga, and Aqua yoga are the newer variations that are immensely popular.
- Social benefits – Yoga embodies traditional methods of treatment and is an effective tool to create a healthier society. Similarly, by implementing innovative ways to address accessibility issues, technology will result in an equitable future.
Use of Technology to learn Yoga Techniques
People across the world use AI assistance to achieve the best results from yoga sessions. Wearable gadgets and smart fabric that enable real-time tracking are widely adopted. A fashion-tech company has created yoga pants, infused with machine learning and Bluetooth technology. These help users correct their posture through real-time voice-enabled and haptic feedback and support preferences for activity levels, thus creating a personalized yoga experience.
Post-pandemic, there has been a significant shift towards adopting different forms of yoga, as it boosts immunity and helps to relieve stress. Leading IT consulting and software development companies are creating more yoga-friendly solutions and products. The amalgamation of technology and the traditional science of yoga will be a win-win for businesses and users. Yoga mats with sensors, interactive applications for smartphones, and watches that track the breathing rate are some products that are offering ample benefits.
With sensors, AI, augmented reality, IoT, and machine learning finding their way into the world of yoga training and practice, the possibilities are endless.