Partner Yoga
Doing yoga with a partner provides a whole new way to experience yoga, as it incorporates trust, kindness, touch, connection and fun. There are at least four different ways to partner.
- One can work with one other individual or in small groups to help one another gain confidence in getting into challenging or restorative poses.
- People can do the same pose in an integrated manner.
- People can even do entirely different poses in an integrated manner, each one reaping the different benefits of the different poses as they each take their turn.
- One of the most amazing forms of partner yoga is acro-yoga, which adds the element of integrated balances. One person plays the role of “the base”, the other “the flyer”, with a third person there as “the spotter” to ensure safe practice. It is critical to properly align joints to ensure structural stability and strength. Like all yoga practices, it is important to warm up the body by moving in easier poses before attempting more challenging poses. It is also extremely important to show respect and compassion for one’s partner.
Ian assisting Jenny with Handstand (Adho Mukha Vrksasana) near the Giant Steps along the Paradise Valley Trail below Mount Temple, in Banff National Park, Alberta. Ian provides a hand on the back of one of her ankles that she can use to press against to lift her leg upright and to maintain her alignment (Photo by Gwen Smiley).
Ian assisting Jenny with Handstand (Adho Mukha Vrksasana) near the Giant Steps along the Paradise Valley Trail below Mount Temple, in Banff National Park, Alberta. Ian then places his fist between Jenny’s ankles and that pressing inwards activates core muscles that keep her aloft (Photo by Gwen Smiley).
Jenny and Ian in Double Warrior Two (Vribhadrasana II) on Abbot Ridge in Glacier National Park, B.C. (Photo by Erin Minor)
Jenny and Ian in Double Warrior Two (Vribhadrasana II) on Abbot Ridge in Glacier National Park, B.C. (Photo by Erin Minor)
Jenny and Ian in Double Warrior Two (Yugalaka Vribhadrasana dvi) by the Giant Steps along the Paradise Valley Trail below Mount Temple, in Banff National Park, Alberta (Photo by Gwen Smiley).
Ian and Jenny in Double Triangle Pose (Yugalaka Trikonasana) on Abbott Ridge in Glacier National Park, B.C. (Photo by Erin Minor).
Ian and Jenny in Double Tree Pose (Vriksasana) near the Giant Steps along the Paradise Valley Trail below Mount Temple, in Banff National Park, Alberta (Photo by Gwen Smiley).
Ian and Jenny doing Double Tree Pose (Vriksasana) in Paradise Valley Trail below Mount Temple, Banff National Park, Alberta (Photo by Gwen Smiley).
Ian and Jenny in Double Plank Pose (Yugalaka Adho Vitiyasana) near the Giant Steps along the Paradise Valley Trail, in Banff National Park, Alberta (Photo by Gwen Smiley).
Ian and Jenny in Double Plank Pose (Adho Vitiyasana) near the Giant Steps along the Paradise Valley Trail, in Banff National Park, Alberta (Photo by Gwen Smiley).
Ian and Jenny in Double Downward Facing Dog (Yugalaka Adho Mukha Svanasana) near the Giant Steps along the Paradise Valley Trail below Mount Temple, in Banff National Park, Alberta (Photo by Gwen Smiley).
Ian and Jenny in Massage Table Two in Paradise Valley, Banff National Park, Alberta. Ian begins on hands and knees and Jenny gently sits on his side and does a backbend over his back (Photo by Gwen Smiley).
Ian and Jenny in Massage Table Two in Paradise Valley, Banff National Park, Alberta. Ian then does Cow Pose (Bitilasana), reaching his sitz bones to the sky, taking his chest forward and looking up, accentuating the curve in his lower back Jenny is able to thus do a supported Wheel or Upward Facing Bow Pose (Urdhva Dhanyurasana). Doing this partner exercise first helps to open up the back, making it easier to do this extreme backbend individually (Photo by Gwen Smiley).
Ian and Jenny in Massage Table Two in Paradise Valley, Banff National Park, Alberta. Ian then goes into Cat Pose (Marjaryasana), tucking his tailbone and arching his back, which provides a major front body and back stretch for Jenny (Photo by Gwen Smiley).
Here Jenny is in Cat Pose (Marjaryasana), which accentuates the backbend that Ian is getting, on Abbott Ridge in Glacier National Park, B.C. Doing Massage Table can really help prepare the body to do Wheel Pose (Urdhva Dhanurasana), featured in the Backbends section (Photo by Erin Minor).
Both partners take turns doing Massage Table on both sides, so everyone has an opportunity to open up the muscles on all sides of the back, as well as the front body. Here Jenny is in Cow Pose (Bitilisana), which allows Ian to place his fingertips on the ground, stabilize and begin his backbend, on Abbott Ridge in Glacier National Park, B.C. (Photo by Erin Minor).
Ian and Jenny in Double Shoulderstand Pose (Yugalaka Sarvangasana) on Abbott Ridge in Glacier National Park, B.C. (Photo by Erin Minor).
Ian and Jenny in Double Shoulderstand Pose (Yugalaka Sarvangasana), also called Candelabra, on Abbott Ridge in Glacier National Park, B.C. (Photo by Erin Minor).
