In the first instance of a country adopting a meditation partner for the Olympic Games, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) announced today that it has entered into a partnership with Dhyana, the start-up behind the smart ring that measures the quality of meditation.
The IOA has acquired smart Dhyana rings and Dhyana’s health management services for the entire Indian contingent headed for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and is working together to prioritise mental wellness and improve focus of the players amidst the ongoing Covid pandemic.
Developed by Indian badminton legend Pullela Gopichand and Oxford University alumnus and biomedical technology entrepreneur, Bhairav Shankar, the smart Dhyana ring is capable of measuring your 'mindful minutes' – or the amount of time you are actually focusing while in a meditation session. It does this by continuously tracking your Heart Rate Variability (HRV), or the gap in between two consecutive heartbeats, which is further broken down into the three fundamentals of every meditation session – the quality of breathing, focus and relaxation.
Dhyana rings have been used by Pullela Gopichand to help his students achieve their 'mindfulness goals' – which range from improving focus, productivity to overall mental health.
"The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games is going to be extremely challenging owing to the exceptional circumstances it is being held in. I have always relied on the benefits of meditation throughout my entire career – both as a player and as a coach, and am confident that data-driven meditation with the help of Dhyana will greatly benefit the Indian contingent to prepare better and help them unlock their full potential," said Gopichand, Director of Dhyana and Chief Coach of the Indian badminton team.
In 2018, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) summit in Lausanne was in consensus about ensuring mental wellness in sports. In India, with a rich history of meditation, the IOA has not only recognised the importance of mental wellness, but is drawing from its cultural roots to address it with technology. Dhyana, which is made in India, hence becomes the first official meditation device to be used at the Olympics.
"With Dhyana's support, we will provide each member of the team with the wearable meditation device which is capable of providing crucial biofeedback during meditation. Data-driven and measured meditation can help athletes in ensuring that they meditate properly for a certain amount of time every day, thereby easing stress and improving their focus and concentration," said Rajeev Mehta, Secretary General, IOA.
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