Overview, Benefits & Asanas for Couple Yoga Poses

Yoga goes beyond being a mere exercise routine. It offers a complete approach to harmonising the body, soul, and mind. The word ‘yoga’ finds its roots in the Sanskrit term ‘Yuj’, signifying the idea of unity and connection. While yoga can be practised individually, there is also a form of yoga known as couple yoga or partner yoga.

Understanding Couple Yoga

Couple yoga poses involve practising yoga postures and exercises together with a partner. Couple yoga is like a regular yoga class but with a unique twist. Instead of practising yoga poses alone, you do them together with a partner. In couple yoga, both individuals assist and guide each other into different poses through physical touch and support.
Partner yoga poses often involve being positioned side to side or facing each other. You may find yourselves holding hands or embracing each other to provide stability and assistance during the poses.

This collaborative approach adds an exciting and enjoyable element to the practice. Engaging in partner yoga not only brings a sense of fun and playfulness but also deepens the experience. By sharing the practice with your partner, you can enhance your connection and strengthen your relationship.

It becomes a shared journey where you support each other both physically and emotionally. Couple yoga creates a unique and rewarding experience, intensifying the benefits of traditional yoga. Couple yoga is a beautiful way to deepen relationships, both on a physical and emotional level, and enjoy the benefits of connection, trust, and joy that it brings.

Couple yoga poses don’t have to be all about complicated acrobatics, nor do they have to be overly romantic. You can practice partner yoga with just about anyone. It offers a wonderful opportunity to strengthen communication and deepen connections within various relationships, whether it’s with your friends, family, significant other, or even your kids, who often adore it.

Typically, a partner yoga class begins with gentle exercises that focus on establishing a connection and synchronising breath. From there, you might progress to simple poses that require trust and collaboration. As the class unfolds, you may explore more challenging balances or standing poses.

Benefits of Performing Couple Yoga Poses

1. Creates Honesty and Authenticity

Engaging in partner yoga poses cultivates self-awareness, enables tolerance for intense sensations and emotions, and encourages non-judgmental observation of inner experiences. These elements create an environment where authenticity and honesty can thrive between yoga partners. Through the practice of partner yoga, a deeper and more genuine connection is established, thanks to effective communication and trust fostered by a gentle touch and reliable physical support. As a result, the practice becomes an opportunity to address and resolve misunderstandings, allowing space for openness, authenticity, and vulnerability to flourish.

2. Relationship Satisfaction

Simply trying out couple yoga poses can have a positive impact on your relationship satisfaction. Research has indicated that couples who involve in new and challenging activities together tend to experience an elevation in romantic attraction and relationship quality. Couple yoga, with its intimate and joint poses, can help renew and invigorate a relationship. By learning new skills together, couples can have fun, slow down, spend quality time, and share a meaningful experience.

Yoga also promotes mindfulness, which has been linked to happier relationships. A study documented in the Journal of Human Sciences in 2016 reported a positive link between enhanced mindfulness, defined as being fully present and aware in the current moment, and enhanced relationship satisfaction.

Engaging in couple yoga allows you and your partner to be fully present with other, focusing on the breath and poses together. This mindful connection can rekindle your bond and lead to increased satisfaction in your relationship. By being in the moment, breathing together, and moving in unison, couples can revitalise their connection and experience greater relationship fulfilment.

3. Provides Support and Improves the Yoga Experience

Partner yoga poses emphasise paying attention to the proper execution and alignment of poses. Having a partner by your side during the practice allows for valuable support and self-adjustments throughout. With a partner, it becomes easy to identify any misalignments or areas that need improvement, as the physical connection provides additional feedback.

During partner yoga, you can offer assistance to your partner and help them refine their poses. By working together, you can ensure that each pose is achieved correctly and effectively. Your partner’s body becomes a point of reference, offering valuable cues for adjustments and alignment.

Furthermore, the presence of a partner can be beneficial for exploring deeper stretches. By utilising the weight of your partner’s body, you can find additional depth in yoga stretches. They can provide strength and stability in poses where you might feel weaker, allowing you to feel more supported and secure.

4. Lowers Anxiety and Stress

Different couple yoga poses not only aid in reducing anxiety and stress like other forms of yoga but also offer an extra benefit—the power of your partner’s touch. Research published in Psychological Science found that married couples experienced immediate relief from extreme stress simply by holding hands. Holding hands with your spouse generated a strong neural response compared with holding a stranger’s hand. This demonstrates that physical contact with your partner can alleviate anxiety by reducing the neural stress response.

Whether you practice yoga to cultivate mindfulness, release tension, enhance flexibility and strength, or a combination of these, couples yoga offers the additional advantage of strengthening your bond with your partner.

5. Improved Sex Life

Engaging in couple yoga poses can potentially enhance sexual satisfaction. Research conducted at Loyola University Health System revealed that partner yoga may be beneficial for couples experiencing sexual dysfunction.

It is essential to understand that couple yoga is not inherently sexual in nature. Rather, it is a form of yoga that involves two individuals synchronising their movements, breathing, and postures. However, this synchronisation can foster intimacy by necessitating communication, higher levels of trust, and connection between partners.

One reason why yoga may improve your sex life is the increased communication that occurs through touch and movement. Relationship conflicts often arise from feeling distant, out of sync, or disconnected. In couple yoga, the act of moving together can help couples feel more in tune with one another.

Studies have indicated that practising yoga can boost sex drive. Some couples’ therapists now incorporate couple yoga into their counselling sessions to assist couples in improving their sexual lives and strengthening their relationships.

6. Enables Fun and Playfulness

Partner yoga is an enjoyable and light-hearted experience. It allows individuals to embrace a playful mindset and find amusement even in the face of challenges. The practice of partner yoga encourages a sense of letting go and not taking things too seriously. It creates an environment where fun becomes an integral part of the journey.
So, when you engage in partner yoga, remember to embrace the spirit of playfulness. Allow yourself to laugh, find pleasure in the challenges, and celebrate the joy of being in each other’s presence.

Five Easy Couple Yogasanas

1. Temple

This yoga pose is great for opening up the shoulders and chest, preparing your upper body for more challenging positions. Not only does it have physical benefits but it also provides a pleasant sensation.

Here’s how to do it:

• Begin by facing your partner while standing.
• Position your feet about hip-width apart. Take a deep breath and raise your arms overhead.
• Slowly bend forward at the hips, keeping your back straight, until your hands meet your partner’s hands.
• As you continue to fold forward, allow your elbows, forearms, and hands to rest against each other.
• Make sure to evenly distribute the weight between you and your partner.
• Stay in this position for about five to seven breaths, enjoying the stretch and connection.
• To release the pose, start walking toward each other, gradually bringing your torsos upright and lowering your arms back down.

2. Boat pose (one-legged)

By holding each other’s hands and leaning back, you can experience a wonderful opening in your shoulders while creating opposing forces that lead to a fantastic stretch in your hamstrings.

Here’s how to do it:

• Begin by sitting in a hero pose. Bend your right knee so that your right foot rests flat on the mat, mirroring your partner’s position with their left knee bent and left foot flat on the ground.
• Extend your hands forward, reaching out to hold each other’s hands.
• While maintaining your grip, lean back slowly, allowing your bent legs to lift off the ground and form a 90-degree angle. Simultaneously, press the soles of your feet together.
• Engage your core muscles to stabilise your spine, and push your feet upward and closer together to gradually straighten your legs.

3. Boat pose (two-legged)

If you find it challenging to hold a regular boat pose due to a lack of core strength or to avoid stressing your hip flexors, this alternative pose is an excellent choice. It requires less strength and places less strain on your hip flexors.

Here’s how to do it:

• Stand facing your partner, with both of your knees bent and your feet flat on the mat. Make sure your toes are touching your partner’s toes.
• Reach out and hold each other’s hands, maintaining a firm grip.
• While keeping your hands connected, gradually lean back in unison, finding a comfortable position. Lift your right foot (which corresponds to your partner’s left foot) off the mat, creating a 90-degree angle with your legs. Press the soles of your feet firmly against each other.
• Once you feel stable and balanced, lift your second foot off the mat, bringing both feet off the ground. Press the soles of both feet against your partner’s soles. This will result in all four legs being lifted off the ground, while your feet maintain contact with your partner’s feet.
• Working together, straighten your legs simultaneously. Ensure that both you and your partner are in the boat pose, with your feet pressing firmly against each other.

4. Forward fold (standing)

This partner yoga pose offers a secure and supported method to enhance your forward fold with the assistance of your partner. It removes any concerns about losing your balance and tipping over.

Here’s how to do it:

• Start by standing with your feet about six inches apart, facing away from your partner. It’s important to note that your heels should not touch each other. This positioning allows your hamstrings and backside to shift slightly backwards as you fold forward.
• Gradually bend forward at the hips, initiating the fold from the hip joints. Extend your hands behind the legs and reach for the front of your partner’s shins.

5. Supported backbend

When you attempt backbend poses, you may often strain your lower spine due to a lack of proper support, which prevents you from fully experiencing its benefits. Additionally, the fear of falling or lacking strength may hold you back from exploring deeper expressions of backbends. However, practising these poses with a partner provides the necessary support to enter them confidently and without hesitation.

Here’s how to do it:

• Stand facing your partner, ensuring that the tips of your toes touch. If your lower back feels tight, position your feet hip-width apart. Alternatively, if you have a flexible back, you can stand with your feet together.
• Take hold of your partner’s forearms, establishing a secure and firm grip.
• Inhale deeply, lifting your chest and elongating your spine upward. As you exhale, initiate the backbend by slowly bending backwards. Imagine your back curving over a large beach ball instead of simply folding backwards. This visualisation helps you avoid compressing your lower back and encourages a more expansive and spacious backbend.
• If you feel that the stretch in your back is not sufficiently deep, gradually walk your hands closer to each other’s wrists, intensifying the sensation of the backbend.