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Om or Wii?

I was more than a little intrigued when Abby, one of closerlook’s most ardent Wii Fit evangelists, told me about the system’s yoga component. I started practicing this past winter, as part of an effort to stay fit when the combination of icy weather and my tempermental knees rendered jogging out of the question. After a few months of intermittent attendance at sporadically scheduled classes, however, I was pretty open to replacing my friendly neighborhood yoga studio with the cool, white convenience of the Wii Balance Board.

On the other hand, I’ve been struggling to understand how a gaming system could teach a beginner the rudiments of a practice that, at least in my experience, absolutely demands personalized, one-on-one training. So Abby sent me this article pitting real yoga against Wii yoga and said, “check it out, decide for yourself.”

It’s interesting. The article confirms much of my skepticism, while also unintentionally making a case for yoga for those who favor its fitness aspect over its more definitively granola reputation. It goes into depth over what the Wii can do in terms of measuring weight distribution, balance and movement, while addressing its lack of emphasis on proper breathing and alignment. Personally, I can’t imagine how you’d figure out the minute details needed to reap the most benefit out each little pose—at least not without Mary, my patient instructor, who’s also there to remind you to, y’know, breathe.

I don’t know. I haven’t tried it yet, this fully loaded, modified yoga with all its bells and whistles. I do see how the system may help pique a wider interest around yoga, and I also see how its nod to a less “traditional” workout helps extend the system’s market reach. But I’m still skeptical. Even a little granola. For now, this newbie is sticking with the mat and Mary.