If you prefer to practice yoga at home, you can stream classes on YouTube or download dedicated apps like Alo Moves These are great alternatives to in-person classes and allow you to practice when you have time

But even the best workout apps have potential drawbacks Videos and demonstrations on a phone screen make it difficult to see the small postural changes that can make a big difference in your workout, especially in yoga

Alo Moves thinks it may have found a way around this problem for at-home classes with the launch of Alo Moves XR, a mixed reality yoga app for the Meta Quest headset The new app is available today (October 10) and costs $999 per month

There are 32 yoga classes and meditations created in partnership with virtual reality studio Magnopus You can immerse yourself in one of the class locations or invite the instructor to your home for a mixed reality experience

Of course, 32 sessions is not a lot if you practice regularly, especially when compared to the 3,000+ sessions currently available on the standard Alo Moves app Fortunately, Alo aims to add at least four sessions each month to build its library

The brand actually launched the app earlier this year and did a few months of beta testing to fine-tune the experience But Alo also makes the rather bold claim that the experience is “like IRL, but better,” so I wanted to give it a try

My colleague Kate Kozuch tried a demo of the Alo Moves XR app in May and liked the fact that there are multiple versions of the instructor in view, allowing you to see the poses and flow wherever you look

So I had a vague idea of what to expect when I put on one of the best VR headsets But having practiced yoga at least three times a week at a local studio before the pandemic hit, I was curious to see how it would compare to the actual experience

I took a 10-minute session, as the current library offers classes ranging from 5 to 20 minutes The app maps out your room so that you can layer immersive classes and enough space to practice without bumping into things

The app uses Meta's hand tracking technology instead, so you don't even need a Quest controller I chose the immersive class so I could be “transported” to a space I longed for more than my office room

I was a bit skeptical, but found that despite the unusual sensation of wearing the headset on my face, I was able to blend in fairly quickly I'm sure it will get easier with time, but I did occasionally bump my quest on the floor during downdog-like movements

As is always the case with Alo Moves classes, this one was well led and it felt good to get some movement into my day, which is often sedentary at my desk But did it really live up to Alo Moves' claims of being better than real-world classes?

It certainly wasn't, and it was much easier to follow the instructor's demonstrations than when I was streaming the class on my phone But the “immersive” experience actually seemed the opposite of how I had practiced before [For me, yoga is an extension of mindfulness, helping me connect with my body and focus on the present moment By pretending to be somewhere else than where I am, I became constantly aware that it was all a digital construction

But from a technical standpoint it is impressive The video is high quality, although there is a bit of “unreality” to it, as if the instructor's avatar is being transferred to his or her room Also, being able to see the poses from any angle was really helpful

My initial impression is that Alo Moves XR can help reinforce your practice, and if drifting into a comfortable digital environment feels right for you, that's great However, it's not for everyone, and I still prefer real-life classes

Technology is great, but for me, yoga and any physical activity is more than just completing tasks on a to-do list Building community, learning to be present, and developing an awareness of my body are essential for me