|
|
|
|
What is Partner Yoga?By Thomas Beall, ERYT-500 When Sally and I met 5 years ago, we quickly discovered that we both had an interest in partner yoga. What was appealing about partner yoga was the opportunity to share a practice with another person. This can take different forms. Partner poses are ones where both partners are performing a pose in a manner that allows each to go deeper into the experience of the pose.
A third way of practicing is for the partners to be practicing different but complementary poses at the same time, such as when one partner is seated in staff pose and the other partner is in a bridge pose. The seated partner is using their feet and hands to assist the partner in the bridge pose to get a deeper back bend while at the same time the seated partner is getting the benefit of grounding and extension in their staff pose (see photo below).
Often someone who is experienced in yoga will bring an inexperienced partner and it serves as a bridge to making yoga practice seem less threatening and more accessible to the beginner. In the workshops we have conducted over the past several years, students have reported that the partner practice was the most fun they ever had practicing yoga and in addition they became more accepting of themselves and each other. Sally and I have had some delightful experiences sharing the joy of partner yoga with all levels of students. We are available to teach classes, workshops, or individual partner yoga sessions.
|
For
example, in a partner pose called “suspension bridge”, the partners are facing
each other standing at a distance holding wrists and leaning backwards enabling
each to get a more intense stretch of the spine (see photo left). 
Another
way of working together as partners is for one to assist the other in deepening
the pose. For example, one partner would be in “half moon” pose while the other
is supporting them by standing behind them and holding them steady (see photo
right). 
People
practicing together often discover that they were able to perform postures
previously beyond their ability and thereby develop more confidence in their
practice. By practicing together, a couple can develop communication at many
levels. One level is body communication by learning to feel and sense a
partner’s response to touch and physical support. Another level is verbal
communication by practicing letting the partner know what feels good and
supportive and what feels uncomfortable. An additional form is energetic
communication where each partner becomes sensitive to the other partner’s subtle
energy flow. One of the outcomes of this process is developing trust in each
other which can be taken off the yoga mat and into daily life. Another part of
the experience of partner yoga is connecting and getting to know each other in a
fun and playful manner. 