Hola Jennifer;
Thanks for bringing your example to the list. I hope that these type of
healing sessions are taken seriously by people working on digital
networks. I had heard stories in Mexico of people who after 3 years of
working at the maquiladoras, repeating the same action over and over,
can not work any more because the damage to the muscles and the nerve
system is very deep.
Raul
On Saturday, April 30, 2005, at 03:18 PM, Jennifer Hofmann wrote:
> Hello everyone. My name is Jennifer Hofmann, and I make my living by
> teaching people how they can be effective in the virtual classroom
> (live online; synchronous; etc.) I've written several books on the
> subject of best practices in that environment. (My website is
> http://www.insynctraining.com)
>
> Raul's comment about introducing yoga as part of his multimedia course
> prompted me to write. I have long recognized how physically difficult
> it is to learn online. The physical intensity of sitting in one spot
> and trying to concentrate can become very uncomfortable. To help
> balance this, we have started to incorporate "virtual yoga" into any of
> our live online sessions over 60 minutes in length. We show a slide
> with with a picture of the move, explain why this particular move can
> help them to concentrate and focus, and then we allow them to practice
> for a short period of time. (Some people don't like to hear the word
> YOGA, so we've begun to call these physical intermissions.)
>
> I am interested in writing a short 'booklet' on this way of mixing
> virtual learning with the physical body - but haven't picked up that
> project yet. The audience would be anyone who needs to learn at their
> computer desktops, and the content would include short, non intrusive
> physical activities, ergonomic advice, tips for minimizing eyestrain,
> etc.
>
> Any collaborators out there?
>
> Thank you.
>
> Jennifer
>
> Sue Thomas wrote:
>
> Hi Raul and everyone
>
> I was very interested in Raul's comment:
>
>
>
> Two years ago I taught Multimedia at a college in California and I was
> criticized because I introduce Yoga as part of my class. Well, those of
> us who has experienced the systematic disruption of our body by
> technology know that ergonomics is a key issue in the technological
> driven world. To learn how to take care of your body in relation to the
> destructive aspect of the machine is an important knowledge we need to
> acquired in order to avoid self-destruction.
>
>
>
> I absolutely agree with this. I am very interested in the relationship
> between body and machine in many ways. My first novel 'Correspondence'
> (1992) was about a woman slowly and painfully transforming herself
> into a
> cyborg, and I have followed that interest in several directions.
>
> Last year at trAce's Incubation conference
> http://trace.ntu.ac.uk/incubation/ I ran a workshop which invited
> people to
> use dolls, parts of computers and natural materials to make small
> maquettes
> of themselves in relation to their machines. It was a rather mad event
> and
> I'm not sure whether it worked or not - see the bizarre photos at
> http://travelsinvirtuality.typepad.com/photos/incubation3/ ! (some of
> the
> participants are on this list, although whether they will own up to
> playing
> with leaves and circuit boards is another question!) In fact, my
> original
> plan had been to take them through a series of physical exercises
> before we
> made the models but when it came to it, I was too shy to ask them to do
> that. Does anyone else run any kind of mixed body/technology workshop?
> I'd
> love to try it with a leader who has more experience than I had!
>
> In pursuit of the connected body I have also visited Esalen
> http://www.esalen.org twice in the last 12 months, where I can explore
> body/mind issues without mobile phones and computers (they have recently
> made internet access available there but I have not even imagined using
> it)
>
> Yesterday I read an article in Resurgence http://www.resurgence.org
> about
> biomimicry - ways in which, rather than inventing new ways to do things
> all
> the time, we can learn from the ways nature has often solved engineering
> questions and apply that learning to our own designs. (See also
> http://www.bioneers.org) This tied in with the practice of chi gung
> which is
> often described as 'stand still like a tree'.
>
> So yes Raul, I think your introduction of yoga makes a lot of sense,
> and I'd
> encourage you to keep trying to apply it.
>
> Best
>
> Sue
>
>
>
>
>
> --
>
> sigfile
>
> Jennifer Hofmann, Certified Synchronous Training Professional(CSTP)
> InSync Training, LLC
> Phone: 203-468-8322
> Toll Free: 866-4INSYNC
> FAX: 775-522-2740
> http://www.insynctraining.com
> --
> Available Now Through Pfeiffer-
> The Synchronous Trainer's Survival Guide : Facilitating Successful Live
> and Online Courses, Meetings, and Events
>
> Live and Online!: Tips, Techniques and Ready-to-Use Activities for the
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