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Yoga exercises for couples: seven yoga poses for beginners' & advanced level

The Indian teaching of yoga is popular all over the world. It provides inner balance and improves physical being – and it doesn’t have to be done alone. Do you and your partner often have your hands full in everyday life and rarely have time for each other? Do you sometimes lose your connection? Or do you just want to try something new? Then the following yoga exercises are great for doing together. Have fun!

by CALIDA

June 21, 2024 • 4 min reading time

Two women embrace head to head on the left, while a woman on the right puts her arm around her head. They are all wearing a white bodysuit from CALIDA.

Improve your flexibility and strengthen your connection with your partner by practising yoga together.

Five simple yoga exercises for two people

Would you like to explore the secrets of yoga together? Then it makes sense to start with our five simple yoga exercises for two. As you do the exercises, focus on breathing evenly together and try to engage with each other. This will allow you to create an inner balance that connects you.

Exercise one: the joint Tree pose (Vrksasana)

Two women in the yoga pose ‘the joint Tree’ (Vrksasana).

Two women in the yoga pose ‘the joint Tree’ (Vrksasana).

The Tree is a very popular asana in yoga. Standing on one leg is intended to train your balance, ground you and give you strength.

To do the joint Tree pose, stand close to each other, side by side. Each of you should stretch your inner arm straight up, so that you are touching palms. Then stretch out your outer arms towards each other so that those palms touch too, at around shoulder level. Now each of you bends your outer leg to place your foot as high as possible on the inside of your other leg. By touching palms you give each other support and stability.

Exercise two: the joint Cobra/Heart Opener pose (Bhujangasana)

Two women in the yoga pose ‘the joint Cobra/Heart Opener’ (Bhujangasana).

Two women in the yoga pose ‘the joint Cobra/Heart Opener’ (Bhujangasana).

The Cobra is an asana that is performed while lying on your stomach if you are practising yoga on your own. The hands are placed either side of the chest to support your weight, while the head and chest are stretched further and further upwards. The heart opens.

In partner yoga too, one person lies on their stomach on the floor. The other person stands above them, with their feet placed to their right and left, level with the hips of the person lying down. The standing person then takes the wrists of the person lying down, and pulls them gently and slowly backwards so that the chest opens. This exercise is ideal for couples who want to boost each other’s self-confidence.

Exercise three: couple’s Seated Twist pose(Matsyendrasana)

Two women in the yoga pose ‘couple’s Seated Twist pose (Matsyendrasana).

Two women in the yoga pose ‘couple’s Seated Twist pose (Matsyendrasana).

The Seated Twist is another simple yoga exercise that can be done in pairs. To do this, sit cross-legged back to back on the floor. Now put both arms out to the sides and intertwine them so that your palms are touching and you can interlock your fingers. Now turn to the right and left as one, keeping your arms in one line. The Seated Twist not only strengthens your bond, but also activates the spine.

Exercise four: the joint Boat (Navasana)

Two women in the yoga pose ‘the joint Boat' (Navasana).

Two women in the yoga pose ‘the joint Boat' (Navasana).

The Boat pose is also usually performed alone to train balance and abdominal muscles. To do this, you sit on the floor, stretch your legs and shift your weight backwards so that your legs are in the air at about a 60-degree angle.

When doing the pose as a pair, sit in front of each other and take each other’s hands. Now bring the soles of your feet together and stretch your legs upwards as far as possible. Both legs and back should be straight during this exercise. Together you will strengthen your willpower and physical strength and stretch the backs of your legs.

Exercise five: joint Standing Forward Bend (Uttanasana)

Two women in the yoga pose ‘joint Standing Forward Bend’ (Uttanasana).

Two women in the yoga pose ‘joint Standing Forward Bend’ (Uttanasana).

In yoga, Uttanasana describes the Standing Forward Bend, in which the backs of the legs and spine are stretched. From a standing position, you move your upper body downwards as far as possible. Advanced yogis can hug their knees in this position and almost reach the ground with their elbows. To do the Standing Forward Bend as a pair, stand with your backs against each other and simultaneously bend forward, vertebra by vertebra. Once fully bent over, you can take hold of each other’s arms.

Two advanced yoga poses for couples

Are the yoga exercises for beginners too easy for you? Then why not attempt these two more demanding yoga poses for couples?

Joint "L" Handstand (Adho Mukha Vrksasana)

For the "L" Handstand pose, you form a rectangle together. To do this, one person sits on the floor with their legs stretched out. The other person stands over their legs, looking in the same direction as the seated person. Both partners then grasp each others' ankles. The standing person is lifted into the "L" Handstand pose, with the upper and lower body forming a right angle. You can now look at each other and signal how long you can hold the pose.

Acro-Yoga: the Front Bird

In Acro-Yoga, one person lies on their back with their legs stretched upwards. They take the hands of the person standing in front of them and put their feet on the other person’s hips. The standing person is then slowly lifted upwards until they are hovering as straight as possible above the person who is lying down. Advanced yogis can now let go of their hands and find a shared balance – this builds trust. This exercise can also be done as a back bend, which opens the heart and stretches the front of the body.


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