Do it with your partner!
Do it with your partner!
The Benefits of Partner Yoga
By: “AJ” Amy Jo Crowell, Publisher Dallas Yoga Magazine & Co-Founder Cosmic Yogi Festival
Partner yoga, couple’s yoga, buddy yoga…whatever you want to call it or whoever you want to do it with the practice will bring you closer. Isn’t that the ultimate idea of yoga? The word “yoga” means to unite and with partner yoga you are uniting yourself with someone else not just physically but you’re your body, mind and soul. It’s a level of intimacy that most couples will never experience.
My suggestion is to start off with easy poses, stretching and breathing exercises together. There are always those daredevils who can do incredible feats of posing in pairs and even in threes but let’s keep it simple and not over extend ourselves at first. A trip to the hospital is not our objective.
With today’s busy schedules you may have to plan ahead to find a time when both of you can spend at least 30 minutes, preferably an hour together to rejuvenate and share energy. It’s easiest if you have the same set times every week to dedicate to your practices. This way it becomes a habit and you can look forward to spending the time together automatically. For example, even though my boyfriend and I practice yoga at home throughout the week, we have a set time for Sunday morning yoga we try our best to adhere to. No matter what our weekly schedules entail, we know we have “OUR TIME” on Sunday mornings.
The benefits of couple’s yoga are endless. But here are a few that I would like to mention.
- Improves Communication
You must learn to listen to your partner while practicing together. This not only includes verbal communication but also nonverbal. Learning to read your partners body movements takes practice but it doesn’t take long to become in sync with each other. When you listen to your partners body flow into different movements you can learn to become in tune both on and off the mat.
- Increases Trust
When you are twisting, turning, leaning and relying on each other to do a pose you are in vulnerable positions. It takes trust to rely on your partner to be there for you. But once you are able to let go and believe in your partner then the practice and poses flow easier and so does your trust. This kind of trust allows you to bond and rely on each other and this commitment flows into your everyday life.
- Intimacy…SEX!
Yoga is not at all sexual in nature. But when you engage in partner yoga and your sense of communication and trust increases then your intimacy level often increases. Yoga connects you and your partner on a deeper level and you can find study after study on the Internet showing yoga improves a couple’s intimacy and sex life. So, get on your mat listen and watch each other’s movements and let that transfer into the bedroom or where ever your desires take you.
- Guaranteed Fun
When you are working with a partner on a specific pose that may take practice to achieve, it’s a lot of fun! Catching each other, holding each other, balancing each other and breathing together…it’s a blast! It’s almost impossible not to laugh, smile and enjoy yourselves. Even if it’s just as simple as holding a tree pose together takes practice. Encouragement and emotional support go along way when having fun and laughing together.
