5 Fun Yoga Poses For Two People: Beginners And Beyond

Ever heard of the time old saying “one is lonely, two is company and three is a crowd“?

Well, yoga has! Which is why the world of yoga has a whole host of yoga poses for two people.

For many people, yoga is a solo endeavour – all about self-exploration and self-improvement, it’s a meditative time for reflection and restoration.

But as we hope this article will show you, performing yoga with a partner can be just as rewarding, offering many unique benefits and challenges when compared to solo yoga.

The following article will cover:

• The Benefits of Yoga Poses for Two People

• The Safety Precautions of Yoga for Two People

• The 5 Best Yoga Poses for Two People

Intrigued?

Then let’s go!

Benefits of Yoga Poses for two people

There are so many great things about yoga poses for two people – here are our favourite 4 benefits:

#1: Challenges you in new and dynamic ways

By using another body as a malleable and responsive prop, many couples yoga poses allow you to position your body in postures that can’t be achieved when practicing alone.

By doing so, couples yoga helps to expand your body’s range of motion, uniquely targeting and challenging certain muscle groups in new and dynamic ways.

As such, many yoga poses for two people are all over body toners, activating and strengthening muscle groups from head to toe!

#2: Makes your practice safer

While many people perform yoga alone, practicing in the company of others can make your exercise safer. 

Incorporating yoga poses for two people into your routine means you’ll have a buddy there to guide you as you carry out new and challenging postures such as inversions and help you if anything goes wrong.

So while you each perform the solo poses in your routine, take turns with your trusted partner in watching and critiquing each other’s practice.

#3: Great for the little ones!

Practicing yoga in pairs is also a great way to get kids into yoga.

Yep, yoga poses for two people keep the exercise fun, playful and teach important lessons about cooperation and teamwork.

#4: It’s fun!

Finally, couples yoga is so much fun.

Yoga is known for its incredible benefits for stress relief and promoting emotional balance. And practicing with a partner can be a great compliment to this.

Yep, exercising in a team not only increases confidence, but also leads to higher levels of feel good endorphin release than compared to solo exercise practices – meaning it’s boosting your mood and bonding you with a pal – does it get any better?

Safety precautions of yoga poses for two people

While yoga poses for two people have bountiful benefits, there are also a number of safety precautions to be mindful of:

#1: Pick someone you trust

Rule number one of couples yoga is always pick someone you trust to be your yogi partner.

One of the great things about yoga poses for two people is that it is a great way to build trust, intimacy and closeness for one another, however it is important to have a certain level of these feelings towards your yogi partner before you start.

Communication is a crucial component of all yoga poses for two people, so it’s important to have a foundation for openness, confidence and understanding with each other to keep your practice safe and avoid injury or upset.

#2: Don’t jump in too fast

Rule number two is not to jump into demanding poses too quickly. With all the fun that couples yoga is, it can be easy to get excited and want to skip straight to the advanced poses.

But, you must resist. If you jump straight into complex postures or strength demanding poses without any practice or warm up you are at increased risk of injury.

So, remember to always warm up before your couples yoga practice and to start from the easier poses and once you have got them down, then slowly build up to more demanding poses.

Make sure you know the steps before you attempt the pose as it’ll be hard to read notes once you’ve already started. Perhaps try watching some free tutorials on YouTube yoga channels to help you.

#3: Learn how to fall

Many of the more advanced couples yoga poses require strong balance and strong balance requires practice. While you’re getting this practice, its somewhat inevitable that you’ll fall out of these positions from time to time.

But falling is a crucial part of the learning process and shouldn’t cause injury if you learn to fall safely.  

The first step is to embrace the fall. Falling limber with relaxed muscles will help disperse the energy of the impact across your body and reduce risk of injury.

Practice controlled falls and try to fall on the meatiest parts of your body with the largest surface area, such as your side, which will also reduce the impact of the fall. 

The 5 Best Yoga Poses For Two People

Some of these couples poses are a little more advanced than others, so we’ve broken it down into experience and proficiency level.

Of course, it’s important to keep in mind that how easy you find each pose will vary a little depending on your body’s range of motions which is individual and personal to you and your health history.

For example, you may actually find some of the easy yoga poses for two people more difficult than the hard yoga poses listed here if they demand strength or flexibility in an area of your body you have difficulties or previous injuries in.

So stay mindful, grab a partner and let’s go!

3 Easy Yoga Poses for Two People

#1: Team Seated Twist

Benefits:

A great seated yoga position, this pose is a simple but effective pose to introduce you to yoga poses for two people.

How to:

• Begin by sitting cross legged, back to back and try to synchronise your breathing, inhaling for 3 counts, holding for 2, then exhaling for 3.

• Inhale and both bring your arms up and over your heads. As you exhale, both twist to your respective right, keeping your backs straight and together.

• Each partner can now place their left hand onto their right knee, and their right hand onto the left knee of their partner.

• Remain here for 6-10 deep breaths, lengthening your spine as you inhale, exhaling to deepen the twist. Return to centre then repeat on other side.

#2: Child Pose Assist

This restorative posture is great to practice at the end of your yoga session, easing stress and releasing any tension from the previous poses.

How to:

• Begin with your partner in extended child’s pose, with both arms stretched out in front of them, reaching towards the top of the mat, sit bones tucked under and knees wide so the chest comes towards the mat.

• Then, position yourself as though you are going to sit on their sacrum, facing away from them with both your pelvises aligned.

• Following this, slowly lower yourself down to rest your back gently on theirs as in the picture above.

• If you are a lot taller than your partner is, try moving your hips slightly lower and see if that’s more comfortable.

• Once your back is resting on theirs, extend your arms over your head and if you can, try linking your fingers with theirs, to deepen the stretch.

• Stay here for 6-10 deep breaths, then swap positions and repeat. Remember to communicate throughout the pose if something doesn’t feel right.

#3: Chair Pose

This pose is a great little number for strengthening the core and the legs – hamstrings prepare to burn!

How to:

• Begin standing back to back with your yogi buddy, feet hip width apart.

• Both partners now slowly walk your feet out slightly, knees slightly bent and using your partner’s back for extra support.

• Then, either square your arms infont of your chest or interlace your arms with your partner’s if comfortable.

• Next, slowly and synchronised, squat down into a chair pose so that your legs are bent at a right angle.

• Adjust your feet if you need, press into each other’s backs for strength and make sure you communicate with your partner.

• Remain here for 4-8 deep breaths.

2 Hard Yoga Poses for Two People

#4: Buddy Boat Pose

How to:

• Begin by sitting face-to face with your fellow yogi, both of you with knees bent and the soles of the feet on the floor.

• Grasp each other’s hands or wrists and slowly lean back. Both partners can now experiment with raising their feet into the air, one foot at a time.

• Once you’ve got this down, while your feet are in the air try moving them so your soles are against the soles of your partners.

• From here try to extend your legs so they’re straight. If this is uncomfortable then keep knees bent a little or shuffle on your sit bones to find a better and more stable resting point.

• Finally, see try to lift both legs together, touching both of your soles with your partner. Communicate and engage your core to support your yogi buddy.

• Lean back deeper if you can, and lift your heart up to the ceiling and remain here for 2-6 deep breaths.

#5: Double Downward Facing Dog

This impressive looking pose can take some practice, but if you can master it is a great introduction into the world of Acroyoga – acrobatic yoga poses for two or more people.

How to:

• Begin with your partner in downward dog pose. Once they feel secure and stable, stand over them with your feet on the outsides of their hands, facing away from them.

• Then, place both hands on the mat around a foot in front of their hands. Lift your left leg and step your foot to rest onto the outside of your buddy’s lower back, then repeat with right leg.

• Following this, then straighten both legs so your hips are higher from the ground than your shoulders are just like in traditional downward dog (keep a soft bend in your knees here if keeping them straight is uncomfortable).

• Engage your core to find stability as you remain here for 2-4 deep breaths. Then swap and repeat.

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