YOGA: The Perfect Morning Ritual For A Positive Mindset.

Exploring interaction design through my daily yoga routine.

PHASE I-Observation

-JOURNEY MAP-

A guide to discovering the performance & personal felt experiences within my daily yoga routine.

-ADVANCED POSES/STRETCHES- (Just to get an idea)

Phase II-Expand/Contract

How Can I Change This Journey?

Brainstorming/Generating Ideas-IDEATION

Introducing the Nudges..

Overall GOAL of the nudges: To IMPROVE my daily yoga routine by creating a more firm schedule within my stretches. Here’s how:

1. First a will change my music. I will no longer put on “whatever I’m feeling” and choose different songs & playlists each day. Now, I will curate a playlist specifically for my yoga routine that I wil stick to each day. These songs will serve as a structure to build my routine around, forming a piece to the counts and beats.
2. I will nudge my basic stretches to conform to the music and I will create a specific pattern/routine following the beat. (Ex. I will stretch my right arm for 8 counts, then stretch my left arm for 8 counts, and so on..)
3. I will do the same for my advanced stretches. This will allow me to have a strict routine, going from one stretch to another, while following the music.
4. I will then nudge my “sudden break outs of dance”. Rather than allowing myself to flow and do whatever I feel at any given moment, I will discipline myself. I will keep the dance, as I do quite enjoy the act of doing it, however I will alter it so that it is at the end of my yoga routine, and will no longer be improv. It will have a set number of counts that go with each movement and will become a strict dance routine that will be perfected throughout this process.
5. I will nudge my breaks so that they also conform to the routine as a whole. This will now become a period of 16 counts (to the music), where I may rest and drink water before returning to the routine.
6. Another note, I will no longer redo stretches as I see fit and as I feel like it. I will build this routine so that it includes all stretches and poses that I need, all with direct counts.

OBJECTIVES//THE CONCEPT:

• This will allow me to master and wrap my head around what I am doing, so I can focus on perfecting the act rather than going on tangents as I have previously done.
• These changes will allow me to build muscle memory, create a strict yet fun routine, and overall have a solid “piece” made as if it were a performance.
• This will allow me to have decisions made before each attempt, so I will no longer need to make decisions as I perform this task. (Gets rid of indecisiveness and no longer wasting time.)
• Create a timely routine that can be better implemented into my daily schedule.

TEST: I wish to test if this will improve my yoga routine by getting rid of all improv moments, thus making a more clear schedule that I can better implement into my day (starting & ending the yoga routine at roughly the same time everyday) and creating a routine that I can wrap my head around, building muscle memory, and therefore not requiring myself to make things up as I go. The last thing that I wish to test is if these changes will improve the quality of the positive mindset that I achieve once finished.

BRINGING IT TO LIFE

Playlist Curation:

*For this, I will use Apple Music. The songs and services are not owned by me.*

Creating a routine to counts that match the playlist:

-BASICS-

• right arm stretched across, 8 counts
• left arm, 8 counts
• right arm behind back, 4 counts
• left arm, 4 counts
• touch toes, 8 counts
• legs shoulder-width apart, touch floor, 8 counts
• On floor, butterfly, 8 counts
• pulse butterfly, 4 counts
• pike, 8 counts
• right leg, stretch and touch head to floor, 8 counts
• left leg, same thing, 8 counts
• right leg, add arms, 8 counts
• left leg, add arms, 8 counts
• childspose, 8 counts
• cobra, 8 counts
• right leg behind stretch, 8 counts
• left leg behind stretch, 8 counts

-ADVANCED-

• backbend, hold 8 counts
• bridge, hold 8 counts
• walk hands up to feet(king pigeon pose)hold 8 counts
• right leg in back, floor scorpion, 8 counts
• left leg in back, floor scorpion, 8 counts
• both legs in back(bow), 8 counts
• headstand, hold 4–8 counts
• right side plank, 4 counts
• left side plank, 4 counts
• scorpion, hold 4 counts

What did I learn after testing this nudge?

I am now able to do my routine quicker, allowing me to have more time in the mornings. As of now, I am still working on building my muscle memory to get it down without hesitation. However, in the future I know that I will be able to do this routine without hesitation and will remember it without any mishaps. Shaping this routine to counts and music was the best thing I could do.

Phase III-Transform

Research: The background and purpose of yoga

Pre-classical: Yoga is said to have 1st stemmed from India (5,000+ years ago). The Vedas were a series of text including songs, mantras, & rituals used by the Vedic priests. Civilizations in India took ideas from the Vedas & formed the practice of sacrificing the ego through self-knowledge, action, & wisdom.

Classical: At this age, yoga was comprised of numerous beliefs that often contradicted each other. Yoga practice became more systematic, introducing Raja yoga, which provided steps & stages to achieve enlightenment.

Post-classical: In this age, people did yoga because they felt it would rejuvenate the body & prolong life. They rejected the teachings of the Vedas and embraced the physical body in terms of achieving enlightenment. “Tetra yoga” was introduced to cleanse the body and the mind, cutting the knots that bind us to our physical existence. People began to explore the physical-spiritual connection around body-centered practices.

Modern: “Hatha yoga” was introduced around the world as many yoga masters began to travel west and open schools. Aiming towards an ease into meditation, “Hatha yoga” was meant to prepare the body for stillness, allowing the mind to remain calm. “Hatha yoga” is still used today and is known for the yoga of balance.

Sources: https://www.yogabasics.com/learn/history-of-yoga/

KEY WORDS to describe the meaning & purpose of yoga through the ages:

Enlightenment, meditation, body, self, mind, balance, rejuvenating.

I found an interesting pattern within yoga practices over the years and why people did yoga. There were many ideas and beliefs that bounced around. Some people did yoga specifically for enlightenment-some chose to do it as a way to keep the body healthy, focusing on only the physical attributes-some chose to use this practice as a way to explore spiritual connections, etc. I find it interesting that the western idea of yoga is a balance between the two, revolving around the purpose of both physical & spiritual connections.

Personally, I do yoga for both the body and the mind. I do it to stay healthy, flexible, and “in shape”, however, my main focus is towards self-reflection, achieving a wanted mindset, and meditation.

Ways to transform the practice of yoga//brainstorming ideas:

I used the idea that yoga changed drastically over time to spark interest in this new concept.

Storyboard: Depicted below is a dystopian societal concept following this plot line- Government officials from across the globe are having a private meeting to discuss their agendas and progress. During this meeting, someone brings up the practice of yoga and how many people are using it to get to their “higher self”. Around the world, many are developing new found knowledge about the reality they live in. It wont be long until they find out the secrets that have been kept from them. To combat this, the government begins plotting on how they can keep their agenda running smoothly, without interference -at all costs. Soon, the government announces that they have banned the practice of yoga world wide. Yoga practicers begin to rebel against this new law and form a secret society, enabling them to continue their practices and continue gaining knowledge.

CONCLUSION:

Through this process, I made a multitude of discoveries. I made discoveries within myself, reflecting on why I do yoga, the purpose it holds in my life, & how the nudges were able to change my morning routine for the better. I was able to shape my daily yoga ritual into a solid routine that fits a structure, rather than it mostly being improv. By doing this, I was able to have a clearer head, allowing me to focus more and get a more efficient routine, rather than having to think ahead and improv what I would do next.

Through this process, I was also able to take some key information about yoga itself. Seeing how yoga has changed over the years, in the act & in the purpose, has led to new discoveries and patterns. I was able to learn valuable information and make relations within my own reasons & practices.

Lastly, I was able to partake in the process of interaction design. Through doing so, I was able to lay my actions out into a design format, create visible changes, test them, and curate a new series of actions into a performance designed by me.