Partner yoga is a fun and engaging way to elevate your yoga practices and make it more fruitful. You tend to foster trust, more flexibility, and deepen connection with your partner by having mutual support, unlike the solo yoga practice. The Sanskrit meaning of Yoga is “Union”, and this is also the idea behind practicing partner yoga. The two people involved in it should not only cooperate with one another but it also requires trusting each other. 

Partner yoga evokes lightheartedness and a sense of fun, which ultimately helps you in distracting yourself from the daily stressors of life. It is extremely suitable for yoga newbies as well as advanced practitioners. It is an accessible practice to make yoga enjoyable, relaxing, and interesting with every bodily movement. 

Benefits of Partner Yoga

Partner yoga is a profound practice of feeling more connected, relaxed, and is an excellent way to rejuvenate from the hustle and bustle of life. 

• Trust and Communication- To perform partner yoga, you need to trust and be cooperative with each other. Having proper open communication is the key to acing the asanas in partner yoga. Both the partners need to be fully present and be verbally as well as non-verbally communicative to align movements and create an effective impact on the relationship. 

• Focus and Self-awareness- Partner yoga enhances concentration and self awareness in both the partners. This happens because every pose in partner yoga requires proper focus so that there is no risk of injuries. It also helps to recognize your own feelings, ultimately leading to self awareness. 

• Flexibility and Balance- Partner yoga is one of the best ways to strengthen your flexibility and enhance your body’s balance. This yoga style is assisted with the help of some stretches that prepare your body for deep flexible poses. With the support of each other, you can actually improve balancing your body while practicing the dynamic asanas. 

• Strengthens Emotional and Physical Connection- You can ace the poses of partner yoga only if both of you support each other. This results in better physical as well as emotional connection. There are various movements that require you to be dependent on your partner completely. This fosters a sense of trust between you and your partner, ultimately leading to a better emotional connection. 

• Makes yoga more Fun and Interactive- Partner yoga is an extremely fun and engaging yoga style. Practicing yoga with someone allows you to understand the art of letting go and not taking everything too seriously. It fosters a fun and playful environment that distracts you from the regular stressors of life. 

Warm-up Exercises

Warm-up exercises are essential before jumping into the poses of partner yoga. It will help you to prevent the risk of injuries and allow your body to get prepared for the yogic movements. Let’s understand what a good warm-up set includes-

• Gentle Stretches and Breathing Exercises- Stretching your body helps in loosening some stiff muscles in your body that might cause injury while performing the asanas of partner yoga. Practicing a small session of synchronized breathing will allow your body to relax and open up the energy chakras in your body.

• Basic Sitting and Standing Stretches- The seated as well as standing side bends helps in loosening up the body a little. Make sure to practice forward folds and shoulder stretches to improve mobility as it helps in performing the deeper poses.

12 Best Yoga Poses for Two People

Seated Back-to Back Breathing

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This yoga asana helps in building connections between partners with the help of synchronized breathing. The main focus is to be self aware about your own breath and then consciously trying to match the breathing rhythm of your partner. 

How to do?

• For this you and your partner need to sit cross-legged, ensuring that your spins are connecting.
• Focus on synchronized breathing while closing your eyes
• This asana will help you relax your nervous system, build awareness, and deepen connection.

Seated Forward Fold Assist

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If you and your partner wish to improve their flexibility and overall strength, then this is the perfect partner yoga pose for you. It is a great way to foster a sense of support and comfort in both of you so that you have mutual trust and cooperation for each other. 

How to do?

• In this yoga pose, one of you has to sit with legs forward extended and the other one will sit behind them.
• The person who is sitting behind should gently press on the upper and lower back of the other person to assist them in the stretch properly.
• This will stretch your hamstrings as well as lower back which will strengthen your flexibility.

Twin Tree Pose

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This pose involves two people who are ready to give support and balance to each other while performing the asana. To focus better and build trust between you and your partner, Twin Tree pose is ideal for partner yoga. 

How to do?

• Both of you need to stand side by side and place the inner part of your foot on the other thigh.
• You can hold each other’s hands or place arms around each other in order to have proper support.
• The twin tree pose helps in improving your balance, coordination, and concentration along with strengthening your legs.

Partner Seated Twist

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A fun and interesting yoga asana for partners would be seated twist. It stretches and strengthens your muscles and reduces the risk of back pain. You and your partner will also be able to restore the natural range of motion of your spine. 

How to do?

• Both the partners need to sit cross-legged with connecting their spines and linking the elbows. 
• Now, inhale and lengthen your spine and then exhale to gently twist in the opposite directions to each other. 
• This yoga asana helps in digestion, improving mobility, and detoxification

Double Downward Dog

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This yoga asana got its name by the way any dog stretches when it stands up. This asana is a good idea to add some goofiness and fun to the partner yoga routine. Along with all the physical benefits, it also helps you in building trust in your partner and improves the communication between you two. 

How to do?

• In this asana one of you needs to pose in the downward dog position. 
• The other person will carefully place their hands on the ankles of their partner and then step onto their lower back. This way they will be able to form an elevated downward dog.
• This yoga asana helps in stretching the hamstrings, improves balance, and strengthens your arms.

Partner Boat Pose

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This yoga asana when performed with a partner  gives you extra stability to work on the core while strengthening the legs. This is a great asana to practice with your partner to get warmed up together. 

How to do?

• Both of you are required to sit while facing each other with your knees bent and feet touching. 
• Form a V-shape by holding hands and slowly extending legs in the upward direction.
• This asana engages your core and strengthens the lower back along with improving coordination.

Chair Pose with Back Support

This yoga pose is perfect for both beginners as well as seasoned yogis. You and your partner will understand the importance of internal balance with the help of this asana. It stimulates diaphragm as well as heart, which ultimately improves the wellbeing of both of you. 

How to do?

• Both the partners have to stand linking their backs together and interlocking their arms. If they are unable to interlock, put hands on the hips for extra support.
• Now while keeping the weight balanced, slowly bend into a seated squat.
• This yoga asana will strengthen your legs and improve overall endurance in your body.

Double Plank Pose

This yoga pose works for the abdomen, back, and muscles. It allows both the partners to develop better coordination and support each other. This is a tricky yoga asana so make sure to communicate with your partner properly before performing it. 

How to do?

• One of you will pose in a high plank position
• The other person will now place their hands on the ankles of the first person and then pose carefully into a plank above
• This yoga pose strengthens your arms, core, and shoulders and enhances your balance along with improving coordination.

3. Advanced Poses

Flying Bow Pose

This is one of the best advanced level yoga poses to try with your partner. Balance your arms and give a nice stretch to your spine by being a flyer in this yoga asana. Flying bow pose is difficult and should be performed under the guidance of yoga experts. 

How to do?

• One partner will lay on their back and will lift the other partner with the help of their feet at the hip bone. 
• Now the person who is lifted will reach back to their ankles, balance in the air and form a bow pose.
• This is an advanced level of partner yoga and will strengthen your back along with improving flexibility.

Double Warrior Pose

It involves proper stretching and balance of you and your partner’s body. Double Warrior pose provides you physical strength as well as a sense of support between the two partners. It incorporates physical endurance and helps you and your partner to practice internal balancing. 

How to do?

• Stand in Warrior II pose while facing each other and align your front knees along with extending your arms outwards
• While maintaining deep lungs hold each other’s hands
• This yoga pose will enhance your balance along with fostering endurance in your body.

Partner Camel Pose

This asana is one of the best for building the strength of your core. It also opens the heart and chest energy chakras in your body. It also provides a sense of confidence and empowerment between the two partners. 

How to do? 

• Place hands on each other’s thighs and kneel back-to-back.
• Gently arch into a backbend with the support of your partner.
• It will open your chest and stretch your spine to deepen the flexibility.

Acroyoga Front Bird

It is one of the most difficult asanas to practice and requires physical as well as mental stability. It is an interesting and engaging asana to perform with your partner in order to build overall resilience. 

How to do?

• One person will lay on their back while holding the other person in the air with their feet.
• The person who is a flyer has to balance themselves while extending their arms forward just how a bird would do.
• This particular yoga asana will strengthen your core, enhance balance, and build a mutual trust between the two partners.

Tips for Practicing Partner Yoga Safely

For practicing partner yoga, you need proper guidance and tips so that you don’t risk any injuries.

• Open conversation is the first and foremost step while practicing partner yoga. Talk to each other before performing any asana and learn about each other’s weaknesses and strengths so that you can support one another when required.
• Avoid pushing the limits for yourself or for the other person and listen to your body. Yoga is meant to feel good and not painful. 
• Choose a suitable place that resonates with both of you. This will help in performing asanas without any distraction. Always ensure the safety of you and your partner while practicing the poses of partner yoga.
• Before jumping into the asana practices, warm-up together so that your bodies gets familiar with the routine. 
• You both can use props for extra support, especially if you are a beginner. Props like blocks, cushions, and straps can also modify your partner yoga poses and elevate your practices.
• Make sure to pay attention to your breathing as well as mental stability. It is important to have proper control on synchronizing your breath to enhance your movements and to stay present. 

Conclusion 

Partner yoga is a shared experience that builds trust, proper communication, honesty, and emotional connection between two people. You and your partner will develop self-awareness and a sense of unity as well as support while performing these synchronized movements. Start by practicing beginner friendly poses so that your body aligns perfectly with the movements and then move forward to some advanced level poses. The entire journey of partner yoga is no less than a joyous ride along with incredible health benefits.