Pointers for Online presentations

 

        Online presentations are the accepted norm  for meetings and academic presentations after the COVID pandemic . We might use online mode of presentation for paper presentations during webinars, as invited speakers or during online meetings. It is very important to note  certain points which  have to be kept in mind during an online presentation.

1. The speaker has to be clearly audible and visible. Being audible is an important part of an online presentation. The listeners will be less forgiving if the presenter is not audible.

2. Check your internet connectivity: a stable internet connection is a must during a presentation.There should be no compromise on that. There are times when the speaker is not heard / or there is a disruption of the voice due to a unstable internet connection. This causes a disruption of the meeting and the agendas which had to be addressed will not be dealt with completely, leading to the failure of the meeting.

3. Check the microphone and the camera: during the online presentation we need to be heard and also seen. Sound has to be checked before the start of the meeting itself.switch on the front facing camera.

4. It is a very common question that where should the   speaker  see while presenting online. We are used to physical presentations. So, we know where the gaze should be during such  presentations. If an audience is uncomfortable, we know to shift our gaze too.  In online mode of presentation, the speaker should look at the camera lens while speaking. Of course the speaker's eyes should not be fixed at the camera lens. The eyes can dart off for some time like in a physical presentation .It is easy for the speaker's eye to wander off. But this should be controlled.

5. The presenter should sit at the centre of the screen. There should be a distance of 4 finger width from the top of head to the top of computer screen. The background can be blurred and the level of the eyes should be at the level of the camera. The presenter should sit upright and closer to the computer screen so that he is clearly visible at the center of the screen. 

6. The room should be well lit. It is important to be seen as it is to be heard during an online presentation.

Significance of Astasthana pareeksha in Balroga

Patient examination plays a vital role in diagnosing the illness.The precursor to treating a patient, is taking a detailed history of the illness followed by examination of the patient. Examination of a patient opens  a window to diagnosing the disease and hence aids in treatment.

     Brihatrayis( acharya charak, sushrut and vaghbhata)have  mentioned the dasavidha pareeksha of atura( patient) . This includes the examination of prakriti, vikruti, Sara, samhanana, ahara Satmya, Bala,dushya, desha, kala and anala.

Whereas acharya yogaratnakar has mentioned astavidha pareeksha. This pareeksha involves the examination of Nadi( pulse) jihva( tongue) mala( stool) mutra( urine) akriti ( general appearance) drik ( eyes) shabda( voice) and sparsha( touch). 

Nadi pareeksha involves the examining the Nadi for dosha dominance. This in turn helps us to know the vitiation of the dosha in the body. Various diseases such as jwara, mala avastambha,rakta vikaras etc can be diagnosed by examining Nadi.

In children too Nadi pareeksha can be used for the conditions mentioned above. 

In children it is advised to  examine the pulse rate after 2 years of age. It is only after 2 years of age ,the heart rate and the pulse rate synchronise.Nadi pariksha can still be used in younger children to diagnose the various dosa vitiation in the body. This aids in treating the disease effectively. Since children cannot express the symptoms, Nadi examination will help us in diagnosing the predominant vitiated doshas.The different types of Nadi in children should be standardized using various clinical trials.

Jihva pareeksha: while we are examining the tongue, we should observe the samata/ niramata, colour, any abnormal shape of the tongue, tongue tie, atrophy etc. in children especially the samata of the tongue tells us the state of jataragni. Children don't express their symptoms. So by examining the tongue we are able to learn about the Agni avastha which is an important component while treating a patient.

Mala: Acharya 's have mentioned to test the stool in water for its samata and niramata. This is a simple test and easy to perform. It tells us about the digestion and assimilation status of the food. Mala is also examined for its colour, frequency,consistency,smell etc.colour of the stools can be shweta, pita, krushna, aruna etc depending on the dosha vitiation.

Smell can be putigandha, visragandha etc.

The frequency and consistency of the Mala helps us to differentiate it from different types of atisara .

Now we have stool examination. We can use this to understand the presence of worms, mucus or occult blood in the stools. This helps us in the accurate diagnosis.

Astasthana pareeksha should be the main examination of the patient. And this has to be updated with newer investigations like urine routine, stool routine, blood investigation s ,2D echo etc.

I have discussed only 3 pareekshas . Rest of them will be continued in the next post.