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Evidence based The Best Yoga Poses For 2: The Power of Collaboration
If youâve experienced the benefits of yoga in the past, you know how transformative it can be for both the body and mind.
But if you’re feeling like your fitness routine could use a fresh perspective and a serious shake-up, why not tap into the power of collaboration?
Partner yoga offers a unique opportunity to deepen your practice while fostering open communication, trust, and connection with another person.
Whether itâs a friend, a roommate, your partner, or even a stranger, invite them to hop on the mat and practice mindfulness together.
Yoga Poses for 2 Beginners: Ease Into It
Are you and your yoga partner new to this practice? Consider this an opportunity to explore the world of yoga together, celebrating each otherâs progress and supporting each other along the way.
Letâs build a perfect first yoga practice for two newbies excited to find their place on the mat.
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Seated Meditation
Difficulty: 0/10
Seated meditation requires minimal effort but offers incredible benefits for your mind and connection to your yoga partner.
Find a quiet and comfortable place for both of you, sit on the mat cross-legged and back to back, then close your eyes. Keep your spines straight but relaxed. Place your hands on your knees, palms up, and breathe deeply.
Take a moment to ground yourselves and find a sweet connection between your sit bones and the earth. Imagine that your breath is an anchor, keeping you in the present moment.
There is no need to control your breath – let it flow naturally. Feel your partnerâs breath and react to it, trying to breathe together or adopting a yin-yang method of alternating breaths.
Spend a few minutes in silence, breathing, and observing the sensations in your body. When youâre both ready to conclude the meditation, gently open your eyes, share your thoughts and reflections, and prepare for the next couple of yoga poses.
Partner Forward Fold
Difficulty: 1/10
When done with a partner, the classic Forward Fold pose offers twice as many benefits for your back, calves, and hamstrings.
Start by sitting on the floor, facing each other. Make sure your legs are straight and spread apart as you press the bottoms of your feet together with your partnerâs.
Grab each other’s forearms or hands and fold forward at the hips as your partner gently pulls. You should feel a stretch in your back and legs. Hold the pose for 3 breaths, then return to your starting position. Now itâs your partnerâs turn to stretch.
Seated Spinal Twist
Difficulty: 1/10
Yet another awesome partner yoga pose for a couple of stretches and connecting with each other!
Start by sitting on the mat cross-legged and back to back, straightening your backs.
Move your right hand to your partnerâs left knee and your left hand to your right knee. Begin to twist gently and go as far as your body allows without hurting yourself. Stay in this position for a few seconds and then repeat the other side.
Easy Yoga Poses for 2 People
If you feel more confident now and ready to explore even more partner yoga poses, itâs time to move on to more advanced – but still beginner-friendly – poses for stretching and strengthening your muscles. Your connection with a partner will be stronger after practicing the first few stretches, so finding balance and stability shouldnât be an issue.
Double Tree Pose
Difficulty: 2/10
Support each other not only through words but with action when doing 2 person yoga poses like the Double Tree Pose.
Hop on the mat with your partner and stand side-by-side. Your hips should be touching, feet on the mat hip-width apart. Now, while planting your inner leg on the mat, start lifting your other leg and place your foot on your inner thigh.
What should you do with your hands? Either place your inner arms behind each other and lift the outer hands in the air or lift both hands up.
Doing this pose with your partner should make you feel safe, stable, and balanced, and not afraid of falling. Even if you both fall, see this as a fun opportunity to strengthen your connection even more.
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Temple Pose
Difficulty 2/10
This simple pose will help you open your chest and shoulders, freeing you from some of the built-up tension after a long day of work.
Hop on the mat and face your partner. Stand tall, straightening your back and keeping your feet hip-distance apart.
Lift your hands above your head and bring them forward, touching your partnerâs hands.
Now, hinge at the hips and bring them back, bending forward until both of you touch heads and elbows, and you can place your hands on your partnerâs shoulders.
Aim at keeping a 90-degree angle with your chests parallel to the floor. Hang in there for 5 to 10 breaths, then slowly walk towards each other to stand tall again.
Boat Pose
Difficulty: 3/10
Boat pose can feel a bit challenging, but youâve got this! With your partner, any yoga poses for two people are possible, relying on each other when you feel like giving up strengthens your connection even more.
Sit on the mat facing each other and bend your knees, touching your toes with your yoga partner. Now, bring the soles of your feet to touch your partnerâs and touch hands, holding by each otherâs wrists.
Itâs time to find balance and strength now – raise your feet to form the letter A with your partner’s legs and hands in the middle. Hold this position for a couple of breaths, trying to stay in the posture for as long as possible.
Partner Yoga Poses for Yoga Enthusiasts
Donât feel like a newbie anymore and feel ready to challenge yourself with some intermediate yoga poses. The following poses will be more difficult than the ones youâve already mastered, but nothing youâre not capable of. Warm up your body, do some stretching, and letâs get to it.
Partner Downward Facing Dog
Difficulty: 4/10
This pose helps you strengthen your upper body, stretch your hamstrings and calves, and build trust with your partner, making it easier to do every time.
One person will begin in a classic downward-facing dog pose, and the other will place their hands on the ground in front of the partner. Now, slowly place one foot and then the other on your partnerâs lower back.
Remember: keep your feet on either side of the spine to make this position more comfortable for your partner!
Listen to each other, communicate, and take the Downward Facing dog to a whole new level together.
Double Plank Pose
Difficulty: 6/10
A plank pose is challenging in itself, but when done with a partner – the added difficulty means extra benefits.
Get into a regular plank position. Now, your partner should grab your ankles and place their feet on your shoulders. The key here is to avoid putting your feet directly on your partnerâs spine!
Keep your spine straight, engaging your core. Try holding a plank for 30 seconds or longer if you can, and feel the burn in your abs and shoulders.
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Hard Yoga Poses: AcroYoga
If you feel like your strength and connection have grown through you and your partner’s yoga journey, then itâs time to take things up a notch and give your yoga routine a little shake-up. Letâs venture into a world of AcroYoga – a mix of yoga, acrobatics, and Thai massage.
This type of yoga requires a lot (and we mean a loooot) of training and exercise. If you feel like youâre both ready to do it – donât waste a minute, and letâs zhuzh up your routine.
Airplane Plank
Difficulty: 7/10
This is an awesome intro into the world of AcroYoga duo poses – both challenging and easy enough to begin with. Airplane Plank will take your balance to another level and make you fly, both literally and mentally.
One person should lie on the floor and extend both legs into the air, with a slight bend so the other person can reach. The person who will be âflyingâ should stand tall facing the extended legs, and lean forwards, placing their hip flexors on the feet of the person lying down.
Now, the base partner will grab the other personâs hands and lift and straighten the legs to let the person âfly.â The flyer, or the person on top, should keep their body straight as though standing in a plank.
Chair Pose
Difficulty: 7/10
This is a fun one! The name speaks for itself – youâll take a seat on your yoga partnerâs feet, allowing you to find balance and strength.
One person lies on their back, lifts their legs up, and bends their knees. The other person stands by the base personâs head and sits on their feet.
Now, itâs time for the base person to lift their legs, lift their partner, and place their hands under their partnerâs feet.
Standing on Shins
Difficulty: 9/10
Ready for a challenge? Try out one of the hardest yoga poses and see how well you and your partner can work together when things get tough!
To start out, one person lies on their back and bends their legs so their thighs are against their body. The shins should be parallel to the ground. The other partner holds the lying partnerâs hands while carefully standing on their shins, one foot at a time, with the toes right below the kneecaps.
The partner on top can let go of the other partnerâs hands and stand up straight, finding balance.
Wrapping Up: Lean on Each Other
This yoga practice is not just about mastering assisted yoga poses; itâs about leaning on each other, finding support and stability in your partner, and growing together.
Whether mastering downward dog or AcroYoga, these asanas remind you that the true power lies in the shared experience. So hop on the mat and find joy in shared struggles, strength in unity, and beauty in doing this together.
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Alex is a health sciences writer with experience in sports performance and rehabilitation settings. His areas of expertise include health and fitness, sports nutrition, and injury prevention. He is passionate about health science education and health/wellness optimization for people of all ages.
