Wii Fit: Only a Small Sample of Yoga
It is clear that there are mixed options about the Balance Board as novices and yogis alike take on the Wii Fit challenge. I am gratified that so many are interested in yoga and that the new fangled technology is crossing with the ancient and sacred system of yoga.
I will never turn up my nose to modern versions of yoga, even though we are just scratching the surface of yoga, it is an introduction, and I think it is great to expose people to this beautiful practice for the mind, body and spirit. Having said that, I think that anyone who is to be dedicated to a yoga practice will take what they can from the Wii Fit and develop their understanding of the postures. I am not the first to point out the shortcomings in the demonstrations/descriptions of the postures in the Wii Fit yoga.
Let’s hope they’ll get another version of the program that addresses these issues, but for the time being look to the corrections that many bloggers including myself are putting out there! The warrior pose, traditionally known as Virabhadrasana II, is a great posture to improve strength in the lower body, and flexibility in legs and hips, but please please practice correct alignment to have the knee aligned over the ankle, not past the ankle as demonstrated on the Wii Fit (ie shin is vertical to the floor). And to ensure that the knee tracks in the same direction as the toes will similarly protect the knee from wear due to misalignment.
The Wii Fit demonstrates correctly that the ribs are vertical over the hips, rather than leaning toward the bend leg, which is a common error. Enjoy the lightness of the spine while dropping the sitting bones and deepening the stretch into the groins. This is an excellent posture for relief of low back pain. The Wii Fit can be an excellent tool, but please seek out other sources and demonstrations to ensure you are practising the poses correctly. And remember to breathe.
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