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Partner yoga – in which two people work
together in various yoga postures- is not a new concept,
but has been a growing trend in the past several years
with the yoga explosion in the US. Even though the
majority of yoga students in this country are women,
partner yoga provides the perfect entry point for men to
discover the amazing benefits of hatha (physical posture)
yoga, not only for their health, but for the vitality of
their relationship. And it’s really fun!
Within the partner
yoga practice, you will at times act as an assistant to
your partner, support your partner’s yoga postures and
vice versa, and at times create new yoga postures with
equal input from both of you. Both partners have the
opportunity to support and be supported in the practice.
Skills of observation and of verbal and non-verbal
communication are enhanced, and the qualities of trust and
vulnerability, so vital to deepening intimacy, are
nurtured in this unique practice.
Look around your
community and you’ll probably find a teacher (or maybe two
working together), offering this unique way to explore
yoga- in which two partners engage in what Oakland teacher
Richard Rosen, author of “The Yoga of Breath”, calls a
“yoga dialogue”.
Pictured below are a
few poses you can try at home with your sweetheart. Agree
before you start to communicate candidly, not only with
words, but also through touch and breath, appreciating
the special qualities your partner brings to your
relationship.
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