Partner yoga? Dare with these fun poses

Yoga is a great form of physical activity to reap the benefits of exercise. However, the thing is that most practitioners participate on an individual basis. However, there are many yoga poses for two.

Yoga as a couple is a shared experience that focuses more on the connection between them than on the connection with oneself. By participating in yoga postures for two, we are accessing a mix of benefits both for us as individuals and for our common relationship.

Unfortunately, it’s not that easy to understand how to do many of these partner yoga poses correctly for two. That is why we have put together a great list of partner yoga poses for beginners and some more difficult ones.

Benefits of yoga as a couple

Whether we are a romantic partner, friends or yoga practice partners, this type of posture can have several advantages.

Improves sexual desire

On its own, yoga has been shown to help increase sexual desire, sexual satisfaction, and sexual dysfunction for both men and women.

But doing yoga poses for two produces greater sexual attraction. One reason for this is that the feelings of arousal we get when we are “in the mood” or sexually attracted to someone is actually very similar to the arousal of physical exercise. Going through various yoga postures as a couple allows us to take advantage of this natural physical arousal that will make us physically active in another way in a very short time.

More communication, understanding and trust

Mirroring, matching, or moving in sync with our partner is actually a form of mimicry. Doing this with our partner has been shown to not only help form a deeper bond, but also to reach a new level of empathy and mutual understanding.

As we move from one pose to another, we have to communicate verbally and through gestures. We’ll trust you to support us, be willing to slow down for us, or put in the effort to deliver a better experience. Yoga as a couple is not to make fun of.

New level of stability

Several studies have already shown that yoga is excellent for reducing levels of stress, anxiety and depression. By doing partner yoga together, we ensure that both halves of this relationship are improving emotional and mental health.

Without all that external stress and anxiety, smaller issues that have typically sparked an argument, negative feelings, or resentment can be handled with greater ease and grace. When this negativity subsides, it allows more positivity to be experienced together.

In fact, the process of holding hands alone is a powerful and immediate remedy for stress. Physically connecting with one another simply by holding hands helps calm and ease the neural and biochemical response to stress.

New experiences and memories together

Little routines can be remedied and avoided simply by making life more adventurous. Taking on new challenges, like partner yoga, is a great way to bring in new challenges and activities.

The new challenge of being active and exciting has been shown to increase the overall quality of the relationship, as well as the romantic attraction between them. The best part of yoga as a couple, to address these issues, is that it is always an ongoing challenge. There are always new poses, a variety of sequences, and opportunities to increase the difficulty.

poses de yoga en pareja

yoga poses for two

Partner yoga hosts individual poses tailored for two or poses that require two people to practice.

partner breathing

  1. We will start sitting with our legs crossed at the ankles or shins and our backs against each other.
  2. We will rest our hands on our thighs or knees, allowing us to connect with our partner.
  3. We’ll notice how the breath feels as we inhale and exhale, paying particular attention to how the back of our ribcage feels against our partner’s.

It is a good posture for two to start with, this pose is an incredible way to connect with our partner and facilitate the most difficult postures. Even if we don’t intend to do a full routine, partner breathing is a calming and effective way to center and relax together.

Temple

  1. We will start by facing each other in a standing position.
  2. With our feet hip-width apart, we will inhale, extend our arms above our head and begin to lean forward, hip-width apart, until we find our partner’s hands.
  3. We will slowly begin to bend forward, bringing the elbows, forearms and hands together so that they rest against each other.
  4. We will rest the same weight against each other.

This pose helps open up your shoulders and chest, which prepares your upper body for more demanding positions.

fold forward

  1. From a sitting position facing each other, we will extend the legs to form a wide ‘V’ shape, with the kneecaps facing up and the soles of the feet touching.
  2. We will extend our arms towards each other, holding the opposite palm to the forearm.
  3. We will inhale and stretch along the spine.
  4. We will exhale while one person bends forward from the hips and the other sits back, keeping the spine and arms straight.
  5. To get out of the posture, we will release our arms and raise our torsos. We will repeat in the opposite direction, bringing our partner into the fold forward.

This pose is a great way to open up your hamstrings and can be very relaxing if you really relax into the forward fold.

seated twist

  1. We will start the posture sitting back to back with legs crossed.
  2. We will place the right hand on the partner’s left thigh and the left hand on our own right knee. Our partner should position himself in the same way.
  3. We will inhale as we stretch the spine and rotate as we exhale.

Like the solo twisting movements, this pose helps to stretch the spine and improve digestion, which helps cleanse and detoxify the body. We will not worry if the back cracks a little while turning, especially if we have not fully warmed up.

Standing forward bend

  1. We will start standing, with our backs to our partner, with our heels approximately 15 centimeters apart.
  2. We will bend forward. We’ll reach behind our legs to grab the front of our partner’s shins.
  3. We will hold the position for five breaths and then release.

This is a good way to deepen the forward fold without fear of falling, since our partner is supporting us and we are supporting her.

Savasana in couple

  1. We will lie on our backs, holding hands.
  2. We will allow ourselves to enjoy a deep relaxation.
  3. Let’s relax for five to ten minutes.

Savasana is one of the favorite parts of any yoga class. This final relaxation is an important time for the body and nervous system to calm down and really feel the effects of your practice. When done with a partner, Savasana allows us to feel the physical and energetic connection and support between us.

front bird

Front Bird Pose is a more advanced variation of Front Plank.

  1. We will start in a front plank position.
  2. Front bird focuses on balancing, releasing the hands from the base, and reaching up and out (like a bird).
  3. We will make sure to release the hands while gradually reducing the level of support provided by the hands to find a state of balance before fully releasing.
  4. With legs extended, arms extended, we will tighten the core and open the chest in front of us creating a slight flexion in the back.
  5. When we return to the center, we will simply reverse steps slowly and switch roles with our partner.

twin tree

  1. We will start this pose by standing next to each other, facing the same direction.
  2. We’ll stand a few feet apart, bring the palms of the inner arms together, and bring them up.
  3. We’ll start raising both outer legs by bending at the knee and touching the bottom of your foot with the thighs of the standing inner leg.
  4. We will balance this pose for five to eight breaths and then slowly release it.
  5. We will repeat the posture looking in the opposite direction.

Tree Pose, or Vrikshasana, can be a difficult pose to do perfectly when alone. But twin tree pose, which involves two people, gives both of them extra support and balance to pull it off.

back to back chair

  1. We’ll stand back to back with our partner with our feet hip-width apart and then slowly walk out a bit and lean into our partner’s back for support. We can interlock our arms with each other for stability if we feel comfortable doing so.
  2. Slowly squat down to a chair position (knees should be directly over ankles). We may need to adjust our feet further out in order to achieve chair posture.
  3. We will continue to push against each other’s backs for stability.

boat pose

  1. We will start by sitting on opposite sides of the mat, keeping our legs together. We will hold the partner’s hands outside the hips.
  2. Keeping the spine straight, we will lift our legs and touch the soles of our partner’s feet with our soles. We will try to find the balance while stretching our legs towards the sky.
  3. We can start practicing this posture stretching only one leg at a time, until we find balance.
  4. We will remain in this position for five breaths.

It’s okay if we can’t keep our balance with both feet touching our partner’s; you’ll still get a great stretch just by touching one foot (and the more you practice, the sooner you’ll have both feet in the air).

Child and fish pose

Being two people who do this pose, you can mix the posture of the child with the posture of the fish.

  1. This relaxing yet open movement begins with one of you resting in a child’s pose.
  2. Our partner descends so that the entire back is in contact with the entirety of ours.
  3. As he lies on top of us, our partner extends his arms above his head.
  4. If it’s flexible enough, it will reach out and grab your hands flat on the ground.
  5. We will concentrate on the breath and try to synchronize it with our partner.

double camel

  1. We will start on our knees with our backs facing each other.
  2. We will line up by placing one foot between the feet of our partner.
  3. Once we’re set up, we’ll engage our core, place our hands on our lower back for support, and slowly begin to go into a backbend.
  4. We will bring our heads back until they reach each other’s shoulders.
  5. Once you comfortably support each other, we can begin to deepen the stretch by pushing your hips forward and allowing your arms to hang below.

Double Downward Facing Dog

  1. We’ll both start in a tabletop position, shoulders over wrists, facing each other. We will walk with our knees and feet back about 15 centimeters, tucking our toes down so that we are on the balls of our feet.
  2. On an exhale, we’ll lift the sit bones up and bring the body into the traditional downward facing dog position.
  3. We will begin to walk slowly with the feet and hands behind us until it is accessible to gently walk with the feet to the outside of the lower back, meeting the back of the hips until both are in a stable and comfortable position. .
  4. We will maintain the position for five to seven breaths.

This is a gentle inversion that adds length to the spine. It also inspires communication and closeness. This downward-facing dog yoga pose for two feels good for both people, as the person on the bottom releases their lower back and stretches their hamstrings, while the person on top works on their upper back strength. body in preparation to do a handstand.

double plank

  1. We will start with the strongest and/or tallest partner in plank position. We will make sure to align the wrists below the shoulders, with a firm torso and straight and strong legs. We will have the second partner face the other partner’s feet on a board and then step over their hips.
  2. Standing, we will bend forward and grab the ankles of the planking partner. We will stretch our arms and keep the core engaged, and we will play by lifting one foot, placing it on the back of our partner’s shoulder. If that feels stable, we’ll try adding the second foot, making sure to keep a firm grip and arms straight.
  3. We will maintain this posture for three to five breaths and then we will lower ourselves carefully.

This exercise, which can be considered an AcroYoga pose for beginners, requires physical strength and communication between the two.