There’s a whole lot to love about Partner Yoga
Yoga is an amazing practice that helps me unwind from all the daily stressors of life. It offers me presence, calm, strength and flexibility. It’s also a great place for friends, couples and community to connect.
Whilst the more traditional styles of yoga focus on individual practice, there’s an exciting element in changing up this form and including two or more people. This is where Rainbow Partner Yoga comes to life.
Practicing with a friend, your partner and community has its own magical set of benefits.
Partner Yoga is a great place for friends, couples and community to connect.[/caption]
Partner Yoga allows two people or a group of people to connect in ways that create the biggest smiles, most laughter and connection that I’ve seen in any of my yoga classes or workshops.
Introducing Partner Yoga into a yoga class gives people a chance to relate on a more personable level. It opens up a shared movement experience that includes lots of juicy partner assisted stretches and time to meet someone with complete presence and awareness.
Partner Yoga opens up a shared movement experience that includes lots of juicy partner assisted stretches and time to meet someone with complete presence and awareness.
There are so many positive benefits that we receive from Partner Yoga and what I love most is the effect it has on relationships
Whether it be a mother and daughter spending time together, a couple trying yoga out, friends attending a class together or community meeting for the first time in a Partner Yoga class. The connection that’s created is very special. Conversations start right at the beginning during an opening discussion or sharing circle and they continue after the Partner Yoga class has finished, often when new friends go to grab a juice or tea together. New friendships are forged and long term partners may experience a strengthening of bonds after sharing this practice together.
Partner Yoga can act as a workshop for friends or couples who want to learn new ways to communicate and enhance their relationships.
It’s that sort of connection that I’m aiming for each time I offer this beautiful practice and it’s something that leaves me feeling so full of love after every class or workshop I teach.
The act of giving can be just as sweet as receiving
Partner Yoga can act as a workshop for friends or couples who want to learn new ways to communicate and enhance their relationships. By offering different practices that focus on nonverbal communication we learn to express how we are feeling in a deep way with another. It might be that hand squeeze, facial expression or relaxing sigh we hear from our partner during a practice that gives us the signal they are thoroughly enjoying this experience. In a sharing circle or discussion there’s opportunity to give your partner feedback on that particular practice and what came up for you. These conversations can lead to having deeper chats at home, with an open heart and open mind, using new communication and listening skills you may have learnt in the class.
Many of us have practiced side by side with people on other yoga mats within a yoga class, but what if we put those mats together and flow through a sequence where our bodies meet with conscious touch and mindfulness. We can stretch even further and reach new levels of bliss as we balance together. In Partner Yoga we often explore challenging poses we couldn’t normally do on our own, they feel that much easier when we work together with our friend or partner to support us.
Couples, friends and community can find a lot of satisfaction and pleasure from attending Partner Yoga.
As a Yoga Teacher it’s an incredible way to bring more connection, love and fun into my yoga classes by teaching beautiful connecting sequences. With Rainbow Partner Yoga we introduce playful elements of giving and receiving, touch, acro, elements of ecstatic dance and Thai yoga massage. The sky is the limit when it comes to assisted stretches and co-creation.
Try it out for yourself to feel all the benefits on and off the mat, into your life and relationships.
BY TARAH ROCHA
Rainbow Yoga Global Teacher Trainer & GM
If you’re looking for some inspiration and wanting to add new elements to your yoga classes check out our Rainbow Partner Yoga events and teacher trainings coming up.
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