techniques mentioned above, a first Indo-European project was initiated in 1996 for
studying the effects of Indian relaxation techniques like pranayama, meditation,
etc., in comparison with Western relaxation techniques like autogenic training.
Many of the results obtained so far in this project have been presented at several
international conferences and published in their proceedings. As a consequence, we
now can constate that the Indian techniques of relaxation like yoga and meditation
are very effective in generating low-frequency rhythms in the skin perfusion as
monitored by the optical sensors. According to medical experts, these
low-frequency rhythms have a very important influence on the human physiology
and have potential therapeutic implications. We are now in the process of quantifying these rhythms under normal and controlled conditions with the help of data
obtained from many subjects. We hope that these measurements will scientifically
validate the efficacy of the ancient Indian relaxation techniques like yoga and
meditation.
The succeeding chapters, in full or part, describe the results of the research
works carried out by the respective authors. Most of these results have been published by the authors themselves in different scientific forums. The aim of bringing
all these results together under one unifying umbrella of this book is to provide an
overall glimpse of the commonality in the techniques used for different and very
much differing medical applications. Moreover, the value of some chapters should
be seen in the historical context to understand the broad experimental and appreciate the innate clinical relevance of photoplethysmography. However, it should
also be noted here that some chapters provide new results or extend the previously
proven PPG applications to new, mesmerizing measurements. The authors hope
that the next generation of scientists/engineers will carry this work forward in the
years to come so that the general public, both in the east and in the west, will benefit
from these practices in their lives.
Mandavilli Mukunda Rao
Jagadeesh Kumar V.
Vladimir Blazek
Steffen Leonhardt
x
Introduction
studying the effects of Indian relaxation techniques like pranayama, meditation,
etc., in comparison with Western relaxation techniques like autogenic training.
Many of the results obtained so far in this project have been presented at several
international conferences and published in their proceedings. As a consequence, we
now can constate that the Indian techniques of relaxation like yoga and meditation
are very effective in generating low-frequency rhythms in the skin perfusion as
monitored by the optical sensors. According to medical experts, these
low-frequency rhythms have a very important influence on the human physiology
and have potential therapeutic implications. We are now in the process of quantifying these rhythms under normal and controlled conditions with the help of data
obtained from many subjects. We hope that these measurements will scientifically
validate the efficacy of the ancient Indian relaxation techniques like yoga and
meditation.
The succeeding chapters, in full or part, describe the results of the research
works carried out by the respective authors. Most of these results have been published by the authors themselves in different scientific forums. The aim of bringing
all these results together under one unifying umbrella of this book is to provide an
overall glimpse of the commonality in the techniques used for different and very
much differing medical applications. Moreover, the value of some chapters should
be seen in the historical context to understand the broad experimental and appreciate the innate clinical relevance of photoplethysmography. However, it should
also be noted here that some chapters provide new results or extend the previously
proven PPG applications to new, mesmerizing measurements. The authors hope
that the next generation of scientists/engineers will carry this work forward in the
years to come so that the general public, both in the east and in the west, will benefit
from these practices in their lives.
Mandavilli Mukunda Rao
Jagadeesh Kumar V.
Vladimir Blazek
Steffen Leonhardt
x
Introduction