Akshar
Showering your partner with flowers and chocolates might be a thing of the past. A new way to build that much-needed intimacy is by indulging in partner yoga — a yoga routine for couples. Apart from getting fit together, couple yoga is all about building that intimacy through establishing open lines of communication. Being your vulnerable self, cultivating a sense of safety and trust through proper communication is one of the many things couple yoga is known for. Apart from connecting with your partner on such a personal level, this routine also calls for a lot of fun and laughter.
Practicing yoga with your partner is all about sharing moments. It reveals the beauty of interdependence and enhances physical and emotional support in a relationship. Touch is also an integral part of partner yoga. The touch that is received is used to increase awareness of each other. With all that being said, it also creates a sense of fun, allowing yourself to not take the problems you have with each other too seriously. Getting the adrenaline pumping through these yoga poses not only helps strengthen the core, but will open up those hamstrings, calm the nervous system and boost your libido.
Partner Breathing
Begin in a seated position with your legs crossed at your ankles and your backs resting against each other.
Rest your hands on your knees and allow yourself to connect with your partner.
Alternate your breath with your partner, as you inhale, he exhales, and vice versa. Practice for three to five minutes.
This is an easy way to connect with your partner, just through breath!
These twists help detoxify the body and are a fun way to initiate some playfulness through couple yoga.
Partner Twist
Begin by being in a seated position with your legs crossed at the ankles. Make sure you rest your back against each other.
Inhale and lengthen your arms, simultaneously lengthening your spine as your reach up.
Exhale, twist to your right, bringing your right hand to your partner’s left knee and left hand to the outside of your right thigh.
Make sure you and your partner mirror this pose.
Hold for five breaths, then exhale, untwist and repeat on the opposite side.
These twists help detoxify the body and are a fun way to initiate some playfulness through couple yoga.
This pose brings balance and equilibrium to your mind and strengthens the legs.
Twin Tree Pose
Come to a standing position with your partner.
Bring the sides of your forearms together and raise your opposite arms straight up.
Raise the opposite leg, and guide them onto your inner upper thighs and express into a fully twin trunked pose.
Switch sides with your partner and repeat the pose.
This helps open the shoulders and chest, and relaxes you.
Temple Pose
Start by facing each other in a standing position.
Keep the feet under your hips, inhale, extend arms overhead and begin to hinge forward at the hips until you meet your partners hands.
Slowly begin to forward fold, bringing elbows, forearms and hands so that they rest against each other.
Rest equal weight against each other, and release chest and belly toward the floor.
Hold for five to seven breaths, and then slowly walk toward each other, keeping the torso upright and release arms.
This particular pose cultivates a sense of freedom and playfulness. Kindly practice this on a soft surface.
Flying Warrior Pose
This partner pose is all about trusting each other and building great communication between two people.
To begin with, the base partner should lie on his back, knees bent and legs lifted towards the sky.
The “flyer” stands in front of him, leaning into his feet. The base partner adjusts his feet in her hip crease, toes slightly turned out for comfort.
With a strong sense of trust and communication, the base partner slowly extends the legs upwards.
