This is Thanksgiving Break. I'm finally home after taking Cardiology, Respiratory, Renal, Clinical Foundations of Medicine, Psychiatry and Neurology. It has been a very busy and intense year so far. I finished our Neurology final Sunday night and Monday afternoon I flew into Newark airport. Home is extremely relaxing with the exception of my dogs barking.

As part of Neurology, we learned about the "special senses," which are hearing and vision. Then today, I saw this really unique idea:

http://www.washington.edu/news/2013/10/17/yoga-accessible-for-the-blind-with-new-microsoft-kinect-based-program/

A computer science and engineering graduate student at University of Washington created a program that can help visually impaired participants perform yoga. The technology uses Microsoft Kinect to determine how you are moving and gives you feedback as to how you should reposition yourself. The goal is to open up yoga and other forms of exercise to people who have not previously been able to see instructors in classes and videos.

Michigan emphasizes the patient experience as we are learning about diseases. We often have presentations from patients who have been living with a diagnosis that has recently been covered in lecture. Nevertheless, I had never considered  how visual impairment would prevent a person from participating in physical activity. It is extremely exciting to see that computer science and engineering to expand exercise to a population that has not been able to access traditional forms of exercise instruction.