divya rajan
Divya Rajan is a second-year undergraduate student at Brown University. Divya is currently interested in mathematics, astrophysics, and French. She began her Bharatanatyam (Indian classical dance) journey at the age 5 under the training of Guru Smt. Sunanda Narayanan in Boston, USA. Divya's precocious talent was spotted by acclaimed Guru Rhadha when she was a young child and she was cast in the lead role of child Krishna for the production 'Nowka Charitram' at the prestigious Cleveland Thyagaraja Aradhana in 2016. Divya has won top awards at all the leading dance competitions in the US. At Brown University, she enjoys being part of the Wind Symphony as the first chair tenor saxophonist, and being a member of the Brown Daily Herald newspaper.
abstract
Impact of Bharatanatyam Fractal Sequences on Neuronal Responses and Stress Reduction
Poster
Fractals, self similar progressions often found in nature, produce aesthetic visuals which can reduce stress. Bharatanatyam utilizes fractals through patterned movements in three speeds that double in tempo from the previous speed. This experiment tested the hypothesis: increasing the number of fractal sequences in Bharatanatyam increases the neural stimulation in the observer. Heart rate variability was tested in response to changes in the Bharatanatyam fractals. The results indicate that individual stress tolerance impacts the influence of fractal patterns in heart rate variability. Developing individualized algorithms of Bharatanatyam fractals, to optimize positive neural strengthening, can potentially help in treatment of mental health disorders.