Augmenting motor learning during yoga practice

Summary

Yoga trains the brain to synchronise and build awareness of specific muscles for safe engagement, similar to rehabilitation processes where neural pathways are strengthened to restore function. It also serves as a valuable model for studying proprioception, motor skill acquisition, and expertise development.

Project aims

By integrating muscle recordings (surface electromyography (EMG) sensors) in realtime with biofeedback, our project aims to develop a technology to improve motor learning to engage specific muscle patterns, prevent injuries, and support muscle rehabilitation.

We will use empirical testing to guide the parameters of biofeedback to achieve best motor training, by combining knowledge from cognitive and perceptual learning paradigms.

We will iterate training with machine leaning to optimise learning between the technology and the human. This approach addresses key needs in musculoskeletal health while advancing our understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying motor control and expertise.

Finally, partnering with yoga professionals, we will test the system’s efficacy in augmenting learning during yoga practice.

Ultimately, this project aims to improve both physical and mental health by making yoga practice safer and more effective.

Contact details

Professor Tamar Makin - tamar-makin@mrc-cbu.cam.ac.uk

Opportunities

This project is open to applicants who want to do a:

• PhD