For most, yoga is a practice of personal growth and a journey of self. It is a beautiful exploration of one’s boundaries. However, it can also be fun to explore with a partner. Yoga poses for two people allow you to share the experience of development with another person and can help you push past your limits. You may also find more joy in your practice!
Try these yoga poses for two people with your best friend or partner and see how long it takes before you’re both laughing!
Yoga Poses for Two People Warm-Up
A warm-up is essential with any exercise—practice five rounds of sun salutation A or sun salutation B. The movement will help open your muscles up so you can further stretch and strengthen them through these partner yoga postures. If you want something more, check out this early morning yoga practice to energize your day.
Fun Yoga Poses for Two People
Grab your partner after your warm-up and have fun with these stretches and yoga poses.
Sitting spinal twist
A juicy and gentle one to start with, Sitting Spinal Twist, allows each partner to go deeper in their spinal twist. With the extra hands, you and your partner can find more depth as you lengthen your spine and then twist. Sitting spinal twist is excellent to start with because spine mobility is so essential to most of the other postures. Remember to breathe!
How to practice:
- Start by sitting in easy pose back-to-back with your partner. Sit close, so your backs are touching.
- Press your backs against one another and lengthen both your spines up nice and tall.
- Each partner will place one hand on your partner’s knee and the other towards your twisted knee.
- Together, take a deep breath, lengthen your spine, and exhale to twist.
- Please communicate with your partner on how it feels and your comfortability level.
Double Tree Pose
A fun posture you can try (mostly) anywhere! You may see Double Tree Pose done by two friends who just hiked to the top of a mountain and took a summit picture. Who could blame them? It’s a power stance, challenges your balance, and encourages you to trust your yoga partner. 10/10 would recommend trying this one. For more connection, you may also try these grounding yoga poses and techniques with your partner.
How to practice:
- Stand next to your partner, shoulder-to-shoulder with each of your feet planted hip-width distance apart.
- Both partners firmly grow their inner foot into the ground and hold your weight through the standing foot.
- Next, both partners lift their outer leg, bend your knee and place the sole of your foot against your lower or upper leg (avoid putting your foot against your knee as this can cause pressure on the joint).
- With your arms, explore movement or meet in the middle for a prayer pose.
Seated Forward Fold Assist
If you want a buttery assist feel for that good-good stretch, try seated forward-fold assist. A seated forward bend practiced alone feels super good. When the yoga teacher comes around and assists you during class in this posture, it feels even better. Now you can bring fun and delicious feelings outside of the yoga studio with your friend or partner.
How to practice:
- Sit across from your partner and connect the soles of your feet. It is ok if your knees bend. Take hold of each other’s forearms.
- Next, have partner 1 straighten their legs.
- As partner 1 lengthens their spine tall, they begin to fold forward, while partner 2 leans back, helping partner 1 fold deeper.
- Continue to communicate with one another to explore your depths.
- Switch movements and allow each partner to discover a full, deep stretch.
Double Down Dog
Downward facing dog helps lengthen the spine while building strength. When practiced with two people, this yoga pose can become a real ab workout too!
How to practice:
- Partner 1 begins in a downward-facing dog.
- Partner 2 faces the same direction, places their hands in front of partner 1, and then lifts their legs and places them against the lower back of partner 1.
Double Plank Pose
A powerful pose on its own, double plank takes plank pose to the next level. This yoga pose for two people will challenge your balance and increase strength throughout your whole body. Be sure to communicate with your partner about what is comfortable for you and what is not.
How to practice:
- Partner 1 starts in plank pose
- Partner 2 then places their hands on the ankles of partner 1 and steps the tops of their feet onto partner 1’s shoulders.
- Squeeze your core tight and remember to communicate while getting in and out of this posture.
This posture can be a challenging yoga pose for two people, so take it easy and feel free to practice plank and pose individually alongside one another.
Warrior 3 for two people
It may seem strange to try warrior 3 with a partner, and it is, but it will genuinely challenge your balance. Try this variation of warrior 3 when you want to experiment with your communication skills with your partner. It’s ok if you fall out of it. Try again and have fun!
How to practice:
- Start by facing each other with your feet hip-width distance apart.
- Partner 1 firmly plants their inner foot into the ground and begins moving into warrior 3.
- Once stable, partner 2 starts moving into warrior 3 with their inner foot firmly planted into the ground.
- Once both partners are in warrior 3, they can use their inner arm to wrap around their partner’s standing thigh and holding onto their partner’s calf.
- Maintain balance by keeping a slight bend in your stand leg and pressing your hip into your partner’s.
- To come out, slowly release your legs down and move into a forward fold.
Double Boat Pose
Boat pose is an ab burner! This yoga pose for two people continues to work the abs and lengthening the hamstrings and lower back. Test your limits and see if you can hold this position for 1 minute!
How to practice:
- Sit opposite your partner, facing each other.
- Grab onto each other’s hands, outside of your legs.
- Bend your knees and connect the soles of your feet.
- Next, start to straighten your legs up, inside of your hand-grip.
- Find balance, squeeze your core, and work to lengthen the spine with each breath.
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Clare Michalik, Ayurvedic Practitioner, @clareminded
