Though it’s made for the Nintendo DS, “Let’s Yoga” is not a game, but a guide to the world of yoga that offers something for all skill levels.
The format mimics a yoga class and an instructor demonstrates the poses in full 3-D, but unlike a class, you can pause at any time to view a pose from any angle. Similar to a yoga class, you must at times crane your neck to see what the instructor’s doing, and the small screen means you need to keep a stool or chair near your yoga mat so you can move the DS when transitioning between standing and sitting poses.
The backbone of “Let’s Yoga” is the 25 Master’s Lessons, which teach you yoga terms and philosophy, and are each followed by a set of poses that lasts eight minutes to a half-hour. Those who have completed the lessons, which are the equivalent of 10 hour long yoga tapes, can have the software put together 10- to 35-minute sets of random yoga. On top of this mode are numerous five-minute sets that focus on everything from targeting cellulite to building self-confidence. As you delve deeper, you can even program your own classes from an A-to-Z pose list.
Unique among “Let’s Yoga’s” 80 poses are 20 that are specially designed to be done in your chair at work. Some of them are great excuses to take a short break and regroup mentally, but others, such as bending down to hug your knees, would probably just draw concerned looks from your boss.
One limitation is that poses aren’t demonstrated before you’re supposed to do them, but thorough voice instructions and transportive music go a long way toward calming beginners, and poses are repeated enough that you learn the basics quickly.
“Let’s Yoga” may not offer the nuanced instruction of a group class, but you don’t need other people around to unlock the benefits of yoga. This inexpensive, unintimidating option is a great avenue for solo relaxation and stretching, and does well to remind you that yoga, unlike video games, is not about conflict or specific rewards, but how you feel about the poses you’re doing.
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» ‘Let’s Yoga’ ($19.99) by Konami, available at amazon.com. Visit konami.com for more information.
