Strengthen Your Relationship Through Partner Yoga Poses

Connecting Through Couples Yoga

Yoga is a great way to build physical fitness, reduce stress, and bring more mindful awareness into your life. While yoga is often practiced solo, doing poses with a partner can be an enjoyable way for couples to connect and bond.

Benefits of Couples Yoga

Partner yoga provides all the usual mental and physical perks of a regular yoga flow. But working in tandem with someone special adds some unique benefits, including:

• Deepens intimacy and trust
• Improves communication skills
• Fosters laughter, joy and playfulness
• Cultivates empathy, compassion and patience

Couples yoga is suitable for partners of all fitness levels and ages. Its also great for expectant mothers looking to bond during pregnancy.

Safety First: Avoiding Injury

When attempting new or challenging poses with a partner, safety should come first to prevent painful strains or falls. Important tips include:

Know Limits and Abilities

Dont push into any pose that causes sharp pain or intense discomfort. Respect both your own boundaries and your partner's limits.

Maintain Alignment

Poor alignment puts strain on muscles and joints. Focus on good posture with a strong, engaged core throughout all poses.

Use Props Wisely

Items like yoga blocks, straps and bolsters allow you to perform poses more safely. Seek personalized guidance on prop use as needed.

Try Easier Options First

Master basic versions before progressing to more perilous balances. Attempting overly ambitious poses too soon raises injury risk.

Best Poses for Couples

Here are some great partner poses for building trust and deepening your connection:

Back-to-Back Pose

Sit with your backs pressed together, spines tall. Link elbows and gently push back against one another, engaging core and shoulder muscles. Breathe deeply for several minutes.

Seated Forward Bend Assist

Have your partner sit with legs extended. Bend forward from the hips to reach the feet while you provide gentle pressure along the spine. Hold for 5-8 breaths.

Leaning Pose

Stand side-by-side, then lean together with arms intertwined for support. Engage leg muscles to avoid strain on the lower back. Switch sides.

Chair Pose

Have your partner stand facing away. Come into a deep squat, reaching arms up behind you. Clasp hands together while they provide stability by holding your sides or forearms.

Invisible Chair

Facing each other, hold hands with arms extended for balance. Lean back slightly and sit into an imaginary chair, engaging leg muscles. See how low you can go!

Forward Fold Assist

From standing, have your partner hinge forward at hips as you stabilize them with hands on either side of spine. Go only as far as comfortable without rounding back.

Yoga Poses for Improving Intimacy

Certain couples poses encourage close contact that can awaken affection and sensuality between partners. Give these more intimate postures a try for some couple time bonding.

Double Downward Dog

Start in tabletop position side-by-side with hands under shoulders, hips lifted up and back. Engage legs while pressing chest towards thighs. Gaze over at one another and smile!

Partner Plank

Come into a high plank position facing each other several feet apart. Maintain a strong, straight line from heads to heels while holding loving eye contact.

Lap Pose

Sit facing each other with legs wrapped around your partners waist. Clasp hands behind their back and let your forehead touch gently. Breathe slowly and sync inhales/exhales.

Spooning Pose

Lie on your sides pressed close together, nestling into the contours of each others body. Synchronize breathing for several minutes, noticing the rise and fall of your partners chest and belly.

Seated Hug

Sit cross-legged and wrap your legs around your partner, pressing the fronts of your bodies together in a full embrace. Rest your head on their shoulder and breathe.

The Benefits Last Beyond Your Mat

Couples yoga helps you cultivate balance both physically and relationally. As you learn to support each others weight and move in tandem, you build the communication, trust and intimacy that spills off the mat into everyday life.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment regimen.