Are you looking to spice up your romantic relationship? Do you feel like you’ve been going on the same dates, doing the same activities, and even saying the same cute phrases to each other—to the point where they all start to lose the initial joy and magic that they once made you feel? If so, you are certainly not alone.
While it’s undeniable that healthy, lasting relationships thrive on safety and stability, this doesn’t mean that things have to get boring between the two of you. You can work to recreate the thrilling moments from your “honeymoon phase” by branching out and trying something new, like couple yoga positions together.
Couple yoga, also known as couples yoga and partner yoga, is a wonderful way to breathe new life into your relationship. It will enhance your connection, improve your communication skills, develop your physical and emotional intimacy, and ultimately allow you to create experiences together that are both memorable and meaningful.
What is Couple Yoga?
While you are likely accustomed to individual yoga, which has captured the hearts of many in the modern fitness industry, couple yoga is different for obvious reasons: it requires the participation of two people. Similar to traditional yoga, couple yoga poses are simultaneously relaxing and challenging. They encourage each person to effectively detach from the stress of the outside world and concentrate on being fully present and engaged in the moment.
However, in couple yoga rather than reaping the rewards of Asanas all by yourself, you get to work together with your spouse or partner to achieve a variety of powerful and highly impressive two-person poses. While performing stretches like the Partner Twist or Partner Savasana, you will have to mutually support each other from different angles as you push to hold stimulating positions, strengthening your romantic attachment and trust in one another.
How Couple Yoga Can Strengthen Your Relationship
Now that you have a better idea of what couple yoga is and how it differs from regular yoga, here are five ways that performing couple yoga can bring you closer to the person you love.
It Gives You Both Something To Look Forward To
Partner yoga is an exhilarating bonding experience that gifts you and your loved one with something new to anticipate. Before you know it, talk about the hardcore moves you conquered together and upcoming classes will weasel their way into your conversations. You won’t even be able to pinpoint when this exciting dialogue became your new normal, but you’ll secretly savor every minute of it.
The beauty of trying new things together is that you will both be rewarded with dopamine and norepinephrine. These happy chemicals in your brain allow you to tangibly experience pleasure and euphoria.
The two of you will also be able to intentionally unplug from the outside world while you practice yoga together. You’ll finally gain each other’s undivided attention and access valuable quality time. Even more so, this activity will motivate you to interact with each other in a way that both mentally and physically pushes your limits to the extreme.
It Can Improve Your Communication Skills
If there’s anything that all couples could benefit from—whether or not they’d like to admit it—it’s getting better at communicating with each other. Psychology Today revealed two of the most prominent issues that put relationships on the struggle bus: trust and communication. Cain Caroll, founder of Radiant Awakening, a method of radical self-healing and embodied spiritual practice, and co-author of Partner Yoga: Making Contact for Physical, Emotional, and Spiritual Growth, claims “[p]artner yoga is the medium to building stronger communication and intimacy between human beings.”
Caroll further explains that yogic exercises bring communication into a tangible, physical form where “postures are dependent on two people showing up for one another and giving equal effort.”
This process can expose healthy or unhealthy communication patterns between romantic partners in real-time, which can help resolve and improve unveiled communicative issues in the long term.
Also, to pose correctly together, yoga partners must call a temporary truce regarding any current issues they’re facing and cooperate to achieve a shared goal. This can effectively narrow the scope of communication by eliminating thoughts of conflict and leaving room for expressions that uplift and positively edify each other.
It Will Develop the Intimacy in Your Relationship
Couple yoga encourages resting in each other emotionally as you move through each asana. Here’s the scary but equally intoxicating part: The physical challenges you and your companion face in partner yoga will require you to be vulnerable with each other, freely revealing each of your weaknesses and imperfections for the other to see. Whatever walls you have now, be prepared for them to come crumbling down brick by brick—in the most gratifying way possible.
As you work synchronously to improve your core, balance, and strength, you’ll start to feel a natural compulsion to let go and let them in. You might be tempted to fight this, but try embracing it instead in all of its discomfort. Couples yoga sessions demand mutual effort, attentiveness, and grace—especially because you’re going to mess up and fall at least a few times before getting it right.
During this process, not only will you learn to trust yourself and your loved one, but you’ll also have to repeatedly handle the disappointment that stems from unexpectedly making mistakes. This is especially true if a mess-up was your partner’s fault. Although this concept might sound a little unnerving at first, it’s a necessary step. It can serve as a milder simulation of what you often struggle with in your relationship and provide you with the tools required to respond to any future disappointments that may arise.
Suppose you want to enhance your relational intimacy even further. In this case, you can also strive to fill in the gaps in each other’s weaknesses with your complementary strengths as you depend on each other for stability. The more you learn about your companion throughout your interactive yogic journey, the more you’ll be able to accomplish as a team—which is what couple yoga is all about.
It Can Drastically Lower Your Stress and Anxiety Levels
If physical touch is one of your love languages, odds are you’ll grow very fond of partner yoga. Inevitably, you will get extremely close and personal with your significant other while executing various moves, so there will be loads of “touchy-feely” action. And if that isn’t enough motivation to book your first official partner yoga session, then here’s an even better advantage to consider: Your system will be flooded with oxytocin, the “love hormone.”
Your brain releases oxytocin in response to a welcome, intimate touch from someone you love, giving you that “warm and fuzzy” feeling inside that you can’t seem to get enough of. A gentle caress or squeeze from your partner while completing the Partner Temple Pose (Kaliasana) or the Partner Tailor Pose (Baddha Konasana) can produce a sense of calm and comfort throughout your body.
After performing partner yoga for an extended period, you should start to feel a noticeable difference in your overall psychological health. Due to its calming effect, oxytocin can diminish and regulate stress, ease anxiety, promote mental health, and stimulate growth and healing. As a bonus benefit, these reduced stress and anxiety levels can put you in a better headspace, thus empowering you to become more patient, empathetic, and nurturing toward your partner.
It Naturally Intensifies Your Relationship Satisfaction
As your romantic relationship naturally progresses, it’s normal for things to get familiar and comfortable. Contrary to popular belief, this is a good thing because it signifies that the two of you feel at home with each other. However, many couples justifiably panic when they sense this transition happening. Nobody wants to lose those beloved butterflies or the intense happiness that comes with a fresh connection.
This is precisely why spicing up your dating routine with a couples yoga class is so important. This arousing activity will do wonders for the quality of your relationship by preventing boredom and intensifying the satisfaction both of you feel.
Just imagine it for a second: You’re on the beach together, soaking in the beauty of a sunset that feels like it’s there just for you. Your partner is firmly clasping your wrists as you pull their upper body toward you in a Seated Partner Wide-Legged Forward Fold (Upavistha Konasana).
As the two of you gaze into each other’s eyes, you feel as though you’re seeing your companion in a completely different light–literally and figuratively. Goosebumps crawl up your skin from their touch, causing you to reminisce on how incredible it felt when they first held your hands like that.
Then it hits you: You’re falling deeper in love with this person and witnessing sides of them you didn’t even know existed. That’s what couple yoga can do. It makes you slow down long enough to appreciate the perfectly imperfect human in front of you, behind you, underneath you, or on top of you—depending on the pose.
How To Prepare for Couple Yoga
As tempting as it might be to simply jump right into couple yoga and get down to business, this is not recommended if you’ve never taken a yoga class before. If you sincerely want to have an enjoyable, rewarding session with your loved one, then you must learn the basics first.
However, you don’t have to do it alone. Before trying out a joint session, try consistently taking individual yoga classes together, side by side, for a few weeks. Once you and your partner are comfortable with the moves and understand essential yoga terminology, you can switch to the partner yoga classes you’ve been dying to try!
Optional Materials To Bring to Class
Consider bringing mats, pillows, yoga blocks, and bolsters to better enjoy a variety of fun partner yoga moves! Many studios will have some of these you can borrow, but purchasing your own allows you to continue the journey beyond the studio. All of these items can be found online or in many local retail stores.
What Happens During a Couple Yoga Class
Whether you find yourself confidently strutting into your first couple yoga class or nervously searching for a spot in the back of the room, you can rest assured that your instructor’s intention is this: for you and your loved one to leave the session feeling better than when you first walked in.
You can expect to warm up with meditative breathing exercises (Pranayamas) that will assist in ridding your mind of any distractions, thus fostering mental clarity. These exercises will work to relax your muscles and get you more in tune with your body as you prepare to carry out assisted poses with your partner.
Next, the two of you will likely engage in a flow sequence called vinyasa, where you will strive to transition from one asana to another. When done correctly, this feels like a sensual dance that evokes strength, symmetry, and passion.
As the class continues to escalate, your yoga teacher will provide you with safety instructions, modification opportunities, and permission to attempt more advanced poses as you see fit. Keep in mind, there are six things about your companion that you should grow increasingly aware of to get the most out of your shared experience:
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Their needs
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Their limits
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Their strengths
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Their level of flexibility
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Any injuries or bodily sensitivities they might have
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Their touch boundaries.
Some of these you’ll be able to clarify with each other beforehand, but others might only be revealed to one of you once you’re right in the middle of an intense two-person position. You will undoubtedly be compelled to leave your comfort zones! Be sure to communicate with your partner and watch their body language so you can adjust to everyone’s comfort.
What Kinds of Yoga Poses Will You Do Together?
Since you and your significant other are likely just starting, there’s no need to feel pressured to tackle the hard stuff just yet. Here are some beginner yoga poses that are very effective at inspiring teamwork and lighthearted playfulness in couples sessions.
Where To Find Couple Yoga Classes
If you’re seeking a couple yoga session with other participants, check out the schedule at your local gym or yoga studio. You’ll be able to determine which instructors work best for you and what difficulty levels they offer.
On the flip side, if you desire a more private experience with your SO, here are a couple of top-rated and affordable couple yoga options you can try:
YogaWorks
This popular website offers live and on-demand classes, so you can get your namaste on at any time the urge strikes you!
Cost: $49 per month
Alo Moves
On this platform, you instantly gain access to various yoga classes. You can choose from a drop-down menu of progressive difficulty and intensity levels. They have a little bit of everything, so anyone can enjoy and benefit from these classes.
Cost: $20 per month
Which Couple Yoga is Best for Love?
Ah, the million-dollar question! There are two main types of yoga that you can explore with your person: traditional partner yoga and Acro Yoga, which is a blend of yoga and acrobatics.
Acro Yoga is an adventurous way to elevate your partnership (you’ll seriously feel like you’re flying!), but unless both of you are hardcore adrenaline junkies, it’s suggested you stick with the former option.
If you’re looking for yoga specializing in intimate connection, one that exists to revive your passionate desire for your partner, look no further. The answer to your prayers is called “Tantric or Tantra Yoga” which focuses on stimulating your erotic senses and enabling you to express your sensuality more deeply with each other.
Tips + Final Thoughts on Couple Yoga
You’ve got the basics. Now, keep these tips in mind as you begin your journey:
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Always listen to your body.
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Don’t overdo it.
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Be patient with your and your partner’s progress.
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Communication is key.
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Get comfortable with getting uncomfortable.
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Vulnerability is a strength–not a weakness.
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You don’t have to get it right the first time.
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Perfection isn’t your end goal; connection is.
Not only will trying couple yoga enrich your attachment to your partner, but it can also remind you just how special your bond with them is. Whether you choose Acro Yoga or Tantric Yoga, you’ll get to have fun together, be seductive, reignite your spark, build trust and intimacy, and learn more about each other in the process.
