Do your friends love yoga? MedPGR offers a great idea for spending time together – the practice of asanas together! We have compiled a list of the Best 20 couples yoga poses to make your practice more varied and interesting. Are your friends still doing yoga? Toda urgently sends them this article. This is a great motivation to get started.😉

Couples yoga poses. What is the benefit?

You are probably familiar with the benefits of asana practice. If not, we recommend that you read this article.

In addition to these benefits, practicing yoga together allows you to:

Get deeper into the pose. What you can’t do on your own, a partner can help you do. You will be able to go deeper into the asana and work out the muscles better.
Connect the “sleeping” muscles. Paired asanas from acro yoga develop balance. They activate those muscles that are not involved in the performance of classical asanas.
Get close to a partner. Joint practice increases the level of trust between partners. And if some element is not obtained the first time … You can laugh at the difficulties. And rejoice when a difficult pose is finally achieved.

Safety

What did you need to know about couple yoga to practice without injury?

Talk to a partner. “Help you go deeper into the pose?”, “How do you feel?”, “Let’s try this element?” – these and other questions are desirable to ask during the practice of pair yoga. Be sure to tell your partner if in any position you feel: pain, discomfort, discomfort. And also if you start to lose balance and support.
Listen to your body. Unfamiliar positions and new postures can cause feelings of euphoria. However, you should not lose your head and forget about safety rules. Make sure that during the performance of asanas you do NOT work at the limit of your strength. Otherwise, there is a risk of overstretching the muscles or earning a creature.

20 yoga poses for two. Couples yoga poses

Have you read all the recommendations? Then let’s act!

Important: before starting the practice, carefully study the description and photo of yoga poses for two.

1. Balasana (child pose

Balasana is a resting pose that allows you to recuperate. Performing it in pairs, you can even better (compared to individual performance) unload the spine, especially the lower back.

Technique:

Partner 1 gets into a quadrilateral position (hands under shoulders, knees under hips). Next, he brings his big toes together and spreads his knees out to the sides. Lowers the body down, stretching the arms above the head. Palms touch the floor, arms are relaxed. With the crown and arms, he stretches forward, and with the tailbone back. He tries to reach the heels with his ischial bones.

Partner 2 places his palms on Partner 1’s sacrum and begins to pull them towards Partner 1’s feet.

2. Shashankasana (Rabbit Pose)

Rabbit Pose (or Hare Pose) is similar in appearance to Child Pose. However, in Shashankasana, the hands are not relaxed, but active. Due to this, there is more active traction of the thoracic spine. The help of a partner is needed here to enter the pose deeper.

Technique:

Partner 1 assumes Quadrangle Pose, bringing the big toes together and spreading the knees out to the sides. Lowers the pelvis down, trying to place the sitting bones on the heels. Hands take away above the head, keeping them active. Palms rest on the floor.

Partner 2 approaches Partner 1’s palms. He spreads his feet to the width of the pelvis and asks Partner 1 to grab his ankles with his palms. Partner 2 places his palms on Partner 1’s sacrum. With his palms, he begins to shift the skin of Partner 1 towards the coccyx. To increase the extension of Partner 1’s back, Partner 2 may step back slightly. This can be done until the hands of Partner 1 are firmly fixed on the shins.
rabbit pose

3. Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog)

Downward Facing Dog is a pose that elongates the spine. The paired performance of this asana allows you to rebuild the correct position of the back, creating the correct stretch vector.

Technique:

Partner 1 performs a Downward Dog.

Partner 2 picks up a yoga strap and places it in the middle of Partner 1’s sacrum. He passes the edges of the belt through the inner surface of the thigh. The strap should be located below the inguinal zone so as not to cause pain to Partner 1 . Grasping the edges of the belt with his hands, Partner 2 begins to pull them diagonally up and back. Partner 1 at this moment feels a more intense stretching of the back and feels how the inner surface of the thigh turns inward. He also feels that it is easier for him to transfer the weight of the body from his hands to his feet.

Partner 2 makes sure that the intensity of stretching is not excessive. If necessary, it loosens the tension level.
four.Pawanamuktasana (Wind Release Pose)
Pawanamuktasana is a pose that stretches the lower back. A variation of Pavanamuktasana with a partner promotes better relaxation of the lower back.

Technique:

Partner 1 lies on his back, bends his knees, and pulls his hips to his stomach. His knees should be spread apart. Partner 2 lies down on Partner 1’s shins, placing his body in a plank position. At the same time, Partner 2 does not transfer the entire weight of his body to Partner 1, but rather fixes the Planck Pose due to the work of the muscles of the arms and legs. Gradually, Partner 2 can rely more heavily on Partner 1. The more of his weight is on Partner 2’s shins, the more his lower back will stretch.

Important: Partner 2 should not experience back pain during this exercise. Stretching the back muscles should be comfortable.

For a better relaxing effect, after doing this asana, Partner 2 can grab Partner 1 by the shins and gently swing his legs from side to side.

5. Dandasana (Staff Pose).

Dandasana is a pose that stretches the spine and strengthens the back muscles. Performing it with a partner will increase the effect of this pose on the body. Firstly, the partner will check the correctness of the asana. Secondly, it will help you stretch your back better.

Technique:

Partner 1 sits with a straight back and straight legs (if this is difficult, then bend the legs at the knees). Partner 2 stands behind him and puts his leg against his back. Partner 1, if necessary, can lean on her. This will allow him to straighten his back.

Partner 2 grabs Partner 1’s forearms and starts pulling them up. This elongates the back and elongates the spine.

6. Pashchimottanasana (Seated Forward Bend)

Paschimottanasana is a pose that stretches the back of the body. Performing it with a partner, it is possible to stretch the back and back of the thighs more strongly.

Technique:

Partner 1 sits in Dandasana. Partner 2 sits behind him. Partner 1 begins to bend down and descend into Paschimottanasana. Partner 2 leans back and lies on Partner 1’s back. To increase the stretch, Partner 2 can lift the pelvis and grab Partner 1’s feet. For a maximum stretch, Partner 2 can straighten his knees.

To exit the pose, Partner 2 raises his body and returns to a sitting position on the mat. Partner 1 raises the body, returning to Dandasana.

7. Baddha Konasana (Butterfly Pose)

Baddha Konasana opens the pelvis and stretches the inner thigh. Sometimes it can be difficult to lower your knees down on your own. In this case, a partner can help you, who will gently pull your legs down.

Technique:

Partner 1 sits in Baddha Konasana. Partner 2 sits behind him, places his hands on the inner surfaces of the thigh (not on his knees!), and begins to lightly press down. With each exhalation, you can slightly increase the pressure force until the tension becomes maximum, but not excessive.

8. Supta Baddha Konasana (Bound Angle Lying Pose)

Similar to Baddha Konasana, Supta Baddha Konasana stretches the inner thighs and opens the pelvis. In addition, this variation of the asana unloads the lower back. Performing the Lying Butterfly Pose in pairs allows you to better stretch the adductors of the thigh and work out the area of the hip joints.

Technique:

Partner 1 lies on his back, bends his knees, and puts his feet together. Partner 2 sits facing him and places his palms on his inner thighs. Controlling the intensity of the pressure, he begins to pull Partner 1’s hips down.

9. Navasana (Boat Pose)

Boat Pose refers to the power asanas of yoga. It actively engages the abdominal muscles, and also strengthens the thigh muscles. A paired version of this pose is a great opportunity to test your sense of balance.

Technique:

Both partners sit facing each other. Their knees are bent, their heels are on the mat, and their toes are joined. Hands are located behind the back. First, they straighten one leg at a time, maintaining balance. If this succeeds, then they raise both legs already, but leave them bent at the knees. The next step is to straighten your legs.

Then you can try more complex options. First, lift your hands off the floor. And then either maintain balance without their help or grab your partner’s hands with your hands.

A more difficult option is to grab a partner with one hand and take the other to the side while twisting the body.

You can also spread your legs to the sides and raise your arms above your head.

10. Upavishta Konasana (Wide Leg Bend)

This pose is another opportunity to work out the inner surface of the thigh. Do it with a partner to better control the correct position of the legs, as well as to better stretch your back and increase the tilt of the body.

Technique:

Partner 1 sits on the mat and spreads his legs wide. Partner 2 rests his feet on his feet. Partner 1 lowers the body down. Partner 2 grabs him by the arms and helps him down.

There is another version of this pose that allows you to rebuild the correct position of the legs. To perform it, Partner 2 must place his palms on Partner 1’s thighs and begin to rotate the skin on the inner surface of the thigh from the inside out.

11. Sukhasana (Easy Pose)

Sukhasana is an easy cross-legged pose. From it you can perform several paired variations.

Technique:

Sit back to back. Partner 1 raises his left hand and Partner 2 raises his right. Partner 1 takes his right hand to the side and leans to the right. Partner 2 performs the same actions in the opposite direction. Next, you need to go into twisting. Partner 1 moves his left hand to the left, simultaneously opening his chest. Partner 2 performs similar actions on the other side.

Also from Sukhasana, you can lower the body down, placing your back on the partner’s thigh. This will open the pelvic area deeper. Perform this pose first on one side and then on the other side.

12.Utkatasana (Chair Pose)

The chair pose strengthens the thigh muscles. The pair variation contributes to even greater study of the quadriceps, and also perfectly engages the muscles of the press and back.

Technique:

Stand with your back to each other at a small distance from each other. Interlace your hands. Start bending your knees and step away from each other. Take a position so that there is an angle of at least 90 degrees between the knee and the lower leg. Touch your partner with your back.

13. Pair standing poses

From a standing position, it is possible to perform paired exercises that perfectly engage the muscles of the abs and back, and will also contribute to the development of balance.

Technique:

Partners stand facing each other and grab each other’s forearms. Then they simultaneously begin to deflect the body back. The main thing here is to keep the balance.

The next step is to bend your knees and sit down (as in Chair Pose) in a comfortable position.

Straighten your knees and intercept your hands crosswise. Next, each partner disconnects the left hand and turns the body to the left. Then it returns to its original position and performs the entire sequence of actions in the other direction.

14.”Corner”

This pose is the simultaneous performance by partners of different variations of Dandasana. This pose perfectly strengthens the muscles of the back and abs.

Technique:

Partner 1 sits on the mat with straight legs and a straight back. Raises his arms above his head. Partner 2 grabs him by the shins and lifts up one leg at a time. Partner 1 holds him by the shins.

15. Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog)

In addition to the Downward Dog variation, where one partner is active while the other helps deepen the pose, there is also a variation where both partners are active. Adho Mukha Svanasana with 3 points

Technique:

Partners perform the Downward Dog so that their heels touch. Partner 1 lifts up his left leg, and Partner 2 lifts his right. They connect the toes. Next, the pose is performed on the other side.

16. Adho Mukha Svanasana + Dandasana

Technique:

Partner 1 gets into a Downward Facing Dog. Partner 2 stands in front of him, lowers his body, and transfers his body weight to his palms. Then he lifts up one leg, moving them to the sacrum of Partner 1. A more difficult option is when Partner 2 lifts one leg up, leaving only three points of support (2 arms and 1 leg).

Another option: Partner 2 leaves four points of support, and Partner 1 leaves two points of support (legs only), raising his arms along the body.

17. Downward Facing Dog + Plank Pose

Technique:

Partner 1 stands in Downward Dog. Partner 2 rests his palms on his sacrum and directs them upwards. Partner 2 flattens his body from crown to tailbone as in Plank Pose, keeping his abs taut.

In custody

The proposed descriptions and pictures of yoga pose for two are enough for independent practice. However, if you have injuries, chronic diseases, or recent surgeries, we recommend that you consult with a specialist BEFORE you begin to practice these asanas.