2 Person Yoga Poses

2 person yoga poses are a style of asana practice in which two people support each other in poses in a way that improves exercise performance and builds trust and communication. Working with a partner ensures balance in the pose by establishing and maintaining proper body alignment. It also allows each yogi to experience the pose differently.

2 person yoga poses are also known as partner yoga or yoga for two. Consequently, you can turn to a trusted friend, your partner or brother or sister to improve the flexibility of not only your body, but also the trust and connection you share.

What could be more fun than performing one of your favorite yoga poses with one of your favorite people? Practicing yoga on your own is very rewarding, but practicing yoga with a partner can really make the class even more enjoyable.

2 person yoga: benefits and tips for a safe practice

Have you finished your usual monotonous yoga classes and want to add an exciting twist to them? If it resonates with your thoughts that keep swirling around in your mind, distracting you during your practice, then 2 person yoga poses are what you should go for.

Sounds exciting! So, this time, jump on the mat, hold your partner’s hands and begin doing these yoga poses for two people.

The benefits of 2 person yoga poses

Traditionally, yoga is an individual practice, but engaging your partner in your poses can give you a new experience, both physically and mentally. Practicing yoga together with another person can make pre-postures easier for you and at the same time increase the benefits of yoga asanas.

Below are some benefits of partner yoga that are sure to make you try yoga poses for two.

1. Deepens the relationship. Because yoga is a journey of self-discovery, and when practiced with a partner, it helps you get to know and explore the emotions of others. It allows you to connect to them on a deeper level.
2. It improves intimacy between a couple. Yoga poses for two are especially good for a couple because they deepen the connection and help with open hearted communication. Consequently, it improves both sexual and emotional intimacy between the couple.
3. Reduces stress. The benefits of yoga for stress relief double with these yoga poses for two, as they relax your inflamed muscles and also bring harmony to the relationship. Consequently, in addition to relieving mental and physical stress, it helps you overcome unnecessary stress that may arise between you and your partner.
4. Increases overall confidence. Couples yoga increases partner confidence within practitioners and between practicing partners. This is so because it improves your personality, tones your muscles and improves all aspects of your relationship. Thus, overall confidence in all aspects of life improves.

Tips for a safe partner yoga practice

Be sure to remember the following information before you move into couples yoga exercises. With these tips, you can make your practice fun, creative, and rewarding, as well as ensure the safety of both practicing partners.

1. Talk frankly and heart-to-heart with your yoga partner, discussing your comfort, flexibility, strength, as well as weaknesses. This will help you both create a respectful and safe yoga zone.
2. Feel free to try any modification, support or encouragement to create a compatible but fulfilling experience without compromising your comfort and capabilities.
3. Do not apply moisturizer or scented products to avoid injury, allergic irritation, or discomfort to both of you.
4. Stop immediately if you think or see any of your movements going against your partner’s will.
5. Feel free to try these two-person yoga poses, whether you are a beginner or an advanced yogi. There is room for everyone to try partner yoga.

Levels of 2 person yoga poses

Even when practicing yoga poses for two, the basic rule of proper warm-up before yoga remains the same.

Given your level of practice and pace, there is a selection of yoga poses for partners, divided into easy, medium and challenging paired yoga levels. Let’s start with some simple paired yoga exercises.

An easy level of yoga for two

Easy yoga poses for partners are designed to get used to each other’s bodies and improve compatibility in terms of balance, support, and using each other’s movements for resistance.

1. Spine stretching pose sitting down

A partner version of the “sitting pose with arms raised,” two people can easily practice this spinal stretching pose sitting to get a gentle extension of the spine with the help of your partner. This is an easy starter pose for beginners who have difficulty doing other standing or bending yoga poses for two people.

In the cross-legged pose, stretching your arms up with your partner gives you the opportunity to open your chest and perfectly synchronize your breathing.

As the name makes clear, this partner pose lengthens both people’s spines and is a gentle way to make the spine flexible.

Performing technique:

1. Take a cross-legged pose.
2. Keep your hips, shoulders and head tilted toward each other.
3. Open your arms so that one partner is holding the other’s wrists.
4. From there, raise your hands above your head and, holding your partner’s wrists, feel your spine stretching out completely.
5. Hold for 10-15 seconds, taking deep breaths, and then switch sides by grabbing the other partner’s wrists and stretching in the same way.

2. Side tilt in a sitting position

Sitting sideways bend pose is a variation of the simple single practice pose, but supporting your partner to bend to the side while sitting gives you improved stretch.

This partner pose can be performed in sequence with the previous pose. The seated pose helps stretch the neck, back, shoulders, and oblique muscles.

It is also a relaxing pose as it helps relieve stress and anxiety.

Performance technique:

1. From a cross-legged position with both partners’ backs tilted toward each other, spread your arms, holding each other’s hands or wrists.
2. Bend to one side, raising your hands alternately over your head and placing your hands with your bent side on the floor.
3. Turn your neck to look in the direction of your raised arms and hold the stretch for 10-15 seconds. Then repeat on the other side.

3. Seated twisting pose

In partner yoga, the seated twist pose is a simplified version of the half-lord fish pose, which benefits the spine in the same way.

It is a basic pose with side twists that increases the flexibility of the abdominal, broad and pectoral muscles. In yoga poses for two, this is a great pose for stretching the upper body and relieving any muscle tension.

Performance technique:

1. From the cross-legged pose, both partners rotate the spine to the right.
2. Twisting to the right, place your left hand on your right knee and your right hand on your partner’s left knee.
3. Turn your neck to look over your right shoulder, keep breathing, and then turn to the left.

4. Double tree pose

This is an entry-level yoga pose for two people, allowing you to improve your balance and get support from your partner while standing on one leg.

The name of this pose, double tree pose, makes it all clear to you. It is very similar to the Tree pose, the only difference being that it is practiced together, dedicating each half of the body. This pose stretches the chest, abs, glutes, hamstrings, knees and quads.

Performing technique:

1. Stand side by side with your partner, touching your hips and waist.
2. Raise your inner arms above your head so that both raised palms come together.
3. Now both of you lift your outer leg and, bending your knee outward, place your foot on the inner surface of your thigh.
4. Extend your outer arms across your body so that both palms come together in front.
5. Hold this pose, keeping your balance, for a few breaths.

5. Partner chair pose

Grasping each other’s hands, both partners lower their buttocks into a crouch pose, getting external support to hold it longer and better stimulate the muscles.

When this pose is done in paired yoga, it is more beneficial than practicing chair pose alone. Doing it with a partner allows you to squat deeply, stimulating your leg muscles. Along with the hamstrings, knees, quadriceps and abs, it also tones the broads and biceps.

Performing technique:

1. Stand with your feet together, facing each other with two hands apart.
2. Extend your arms to grasp each other’s wrists, and on an exhale, bend your knees to squat down until your thigh is parallel to the floor.
3. Slightly tilt your torso back and hold the pose, using your partner as resistance.

Medium level yoga for two

Taking partner yoga to the next level with these medium level poses is a great idea if you feel ready and compatible enough to practice two-person yoga poses.

These partner yoga poses require more flexibility and strength than the easy level, and you can take a leap of faith by synchronizing your yoga journey with your partner.

1. Partner dancer pose

The partner dancer pose is a graceful pose in which one leg is balanced and the other is bent backward. The back foot is grasped by the ankle with one hand and connected to the partner with the other hand, as if to convey a high-five.

Although this is a bit more difficult than the solo dancer pose, still using your flexibility and balance with your partner, you can feel it becoming easy to stretch the hip flexors and quadriceps muscles.

Performing technique:

1. Stand facing your partner, keeping a distance of 60cm between you.
2. Align your right leg with your partner’s right leg.
3. Now both partners raise your right hand above your head and join your right palm with your partner’s palm in the middle.
4. Lift your left foot off the floor, bending your knees and grasping your ankle to bring your foot to your thigh.
5. Begin to bend at the waist toward each other, pressing your hands together and raising your left leg toward the palate.
6. Inhale and exhale , pulling your left leg higher with each exhalation.

2. Partner boat pose

The partner boat pose is practiced by balancing the body on the sciatic bones, and the final pose looks like the letter A when practicing stretching the legs up and gripping the wrists of the partner.

This is one of the two-person yoga poses that requires much more flexibility than other poses you’ve already gone through. This is an intense pose for stretching the cortex and hamstrings.

Performing technique:

1. Both partners sit facing each other and, with their knees bent, place their heels on the floor.
2. Keep your toes against each other, extend your arms in front of you and hold each other’s wrists.
3. Lift your feet off the floor, one at a time connecting the soles with your partner’s soles.
4. Fully extend your legs, pointing your toes upward, in the final position your bodies form the letter W.
5. Hold the pose while breathing deeply, keeping your balance and your back intact.

3. Double plank pose

Double plank among two-person yoga poses to increase the overall strength of both partners. One partner assumes the plank pose on the floor, shifting the weight of the other in the same pose to the ankles and shoulders.

In addition to giving energy to the whole body, it targets the arms, shoulders, biceps, triceps and core muscles.

Performing technique:

1. The first partner gets on all fours and then extends his legs back, activating his toes to raise his knees, assuming a plank pose.
2. The second partner begins by holding the base partner’s ankles and placing his feet on his shoulders.
3. Activating the core muscles, the second partner takes the plank over the first partner.

4. Double warrior pose

This pose is performed standing on one leg, pressing your hips together for stability and straightening your back horizontally parallel to the floor. Consequently, this yoga pose with an intermediate partner also works to improve your balance and coordination.

This pose strengthens your arms, shoulders and spine. Along with working on your upper body strength, it stretches your hamstrings, calves, ankles and tones your abs.

Performing technique:

1. Both partners stand facing each other, feet parallel to the floor.
2. Then one partner moves the torso forward, pulling the outer leg off the floor and pulling it back until it is parallel to the floor.
3. Extend the outer arm forward, assuming a T-shape in Warrior pose.
4. Once the first partner gains stability, the second partner also assumes Warrior in the same manner.
5. Both practitioners then intertwine their inner hand with the inside of their partner’s thigh, reaching the shin with their hand.

A challenging level of yoga for two

Challenging pair yoga – these advanced level yoga poses are more energetic than any of the other poses you’ve already read in this article. They also include elements of acrobatics, along with yoga movements. These yoga movements are practiced by lifting or flying one of the partners with the support of the other, hence they must be practiced with great care and guidance.

1. Double muzzle-down dog pose

This yoga pose, when performed with a partner, also offers the benefits of a headstand, as one partner assumes an L-shape and the other partner fully extends into a downward dog pose.

Both partners change positions one after the other in this pose and take almost the same stretch. This benefits the abdominal muscles, deltoids and hamstrings.

Performing technique:

1. Partner 1 assumes the lying dog pose, leaning forward at the waist from a standing position to reach the floor with his hands and bring his legs back. The head hangs between the hands and the body takes the shape of an inverted V.
2. Partner 2 places his hands two feet in front of his partner’s arms, leaning forward to touch the floor.
3. The partner now takes two steps with one foot toward the back of the first partner and then with the second foot.
4. Pressing the feet against the rump of partner 1, partner 2 also lifts his hips up.
5. Stay there for a couple of breaths, then release in reverse order.

2. Star pose

This is an advanced yoga pose in which one partner assumes an inverted pose while the other partner serves as a firm support, lying on the floor and balancing the upper partner on their feet and arms.

This benefits the abs, triceps, deltoids, quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes and pecs.

Performing technique:

1. Here one partner lies on his back on the floor with his legs stretched upwards.
2. Partner 2 stands near the head of partner 1, and both partners extend their arms holding hands.
3. Partner 2 then leans forward, resting his shoulders on the feet of partner 1.
4. From there, the other partner takes his feet off the floor, assumes an inverted pose, and spreads his legs even further apart.

3. Double wheel pose

This is a pose with a deep backward bend that helps improve flexibility in the shoulders and hips. This challenging partner yoga pose fully stretches the neck, spine and legs.

In this pose, both partners bend backward as in the wheel pose, hence the name.

Performing technique:

1. Partner 1 lies down on his stomach, doing the cobra pose, slightly bending his head and neck.
2. Then he raises his hand, getting ready to grab the other partner’s ankles.
3. Partner 2 puts his hands on the first partner’s ankles and, pressing them to the floor, performs a controlled handstand.
4. From there, partner 2 gradually lowers his legs so that partner 1 can hold his ankles.

4. Flying bow pose

This pose is beneficial to both partners in different ways at the same time. The lower body strength is improved in the base partner, while the upper partner’s spine lengthens, which relieves tension and opens up the ribcage.

This is a combined pose that allows one practitioner to get the benefits of the raised leg pose while the other transforms the body into a bow pose.

Performing technique:

1. Partner 1 (base partner) lies on his back on the floor, lifting his feet with soles up.
2. Partner 2 (flying) stands close to the legs of the base partner, and the soles of partner 1 rest against the buttocks of the other partner.
3. Partner 2 grasps partner 1’s ankles with his thumbs inward.
4. The base partner extends his legs holding the flyer’s arms, lifting the flyer off the ground on bent knees.
5. The flyer’s head and neck bend back and, finding balance, the flyer leaves the partner’s ankles.
6. Then, finally, the flier extends his arms to grasp his ankles, revealing his chest, fully performing the bow pose.

In conclusion, practicing 2 person yoga poses can bring a wealth of benefits to both partners, including improved communication, increased flexibility and strength, and deeper trust. Whether you are an experienced yogi or a beginner, incorporating yoga with a partner into your practice can add a new level of complexity and creativity to your routine. Remember to approach these poses with patience, openness, and a willingness to connect with your partner throughout your practice. This will help you deepen your connection with your partner and improve your overall yoga experience.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT 2 PERSON YOGA