9 Easy Poses of Couples Yoga for Intimacy & Trust Building
Try couples yoga for intimacy building in your long term relationship. Bring back smiles.
When was the last time you and your partner laughed together from the bottom of your heart/belly? Can you remember the last time you looked into each other’s eyes without any distraction? Have you given a conscious, caring touch to your partner recently?
In the early stage of our love relationship, these things happen easily. But, as the relationship develops, they tend to happen less and less. The good news is that you’re not alone, and there’s something you can do.
As our love relationship develops, we need to be consciously putting attention and effort into feeling close to each other. We need to find ways to stay connected on a deeper level, and have good communication and build/maintain trust.
Couples yoga is one of the best ways for this. If you both agree to give it a try, I promise that you’ll find yourself laughing, holding hands, and supporting each other again!
This post is about the health benefits of yoga and 9 couples yoga poses for you & your partner to deepen intimacy.
Psychophysiological Effects of Yoga
Yoga originated thousands of years ago and it has proved itself.
But, here are fascinating findings. When it comes to neuroscience, scientists are talking about how yoga has the true capacity to change your brain. If it changes your brain, it also changes your neurology, your nervous system, your physiology… well it could potentially change anything inside of you that might need changing or transforming. Watch this video shared by Laura Plumb, a part of a 30 minute documentary “The Science Behind Yoga” produced by Uplift TV. To have a belief in yoga, it can be important for us to have an understanding of it from the Western Scientific point of view, to see the evidence that shows the psychophysiological effects of yoga practice.
Benefits of Practising Couples Yoga
So, practising yoga alone is an extremely powerful practice. Now, let’s take a look at the benefits of yoga for couples.
Benefits of couples yoga include;
Touch
In a long-term relationship, it’s common for the couple to become distant and have less physical contact. Yoga exercises for couples can help restore physical intimacy in your relationship.
Focusing on you, your partner & the breath
During the practice, your focus is fully on yourself, your partner and your breaths. It’s not possible to think about anything else, meaning that it allows you to experience mindfulness together.
Connection
You connect with your partner physically and mindfully.
Work together
When two bodies are in contact and working towards the same goal, you have to pay attention to each other and work together.
Compensation
Each person’s body is different. You both learn to compensate now and then to meet the needs, or to respect the limit of the other person. This is the “Give and Get” element that is crucial to a mature relationship.
Find ways to work
What feels comfortable to you isn’t always what feels comfortable to your partner. You must find ways that work for both.
Trust
Many poses of couples yoga for intimacy involve supporting each other’s weight and balance. By practising yoga poses for two people, you build trust with your partner.
Extra stretch
By using each other’s weight, it’s possible to go for that extra stretch (little by little!).
Size difference doesn’t matter
You can do yoga exercises for couples even if the body sizes are different.
Communication
When you practise couples yoga for intimacy, you must talk to each other and (more importantly) listen to each other. It helps you communicate better over time.
Feel good
There should be no pain in yoga, and couples yoga is no exception. It should bring you that “feel good” sensation.
So, if you want to improve the relationship with your long-term partner, there is no reason not to make time for couples yoga for intimacy building. Let’s dive into some examples of yoga poses for 2!
9 Poses of Couples Yoga for Intimacy
There is quite a lot of yoga poses and their variations for two people. Here are 9 of my favourite poses.
1. Breathing
Sit up straight, back to back, rest your hands on your knees. Relax, close your eyes and slowly breathe in and out through your nose.
Feel your partner’s breathing, tune in, but try to maintain your own breath. Use this simple but powerful tool of breathing to be present, connect with your partner and become aware of each other’s space.
You can do this for as long as you both feel comfortable.
2. Twist
Start from the Breathing position. Inhale and then gently twist your upper body as you exhale. Your partner goes the opposite direction.
Place one hand on your opposite knee, and the other hand on your partner’s knee/thigh.
Engage your core and breathe deeply. Stay in the twist for about 5 breaths. Twist to the opposite direction.
3. Child’s Pose / Fish Pose
Stay sitting up straight back to back. Decide who will fold forward (Child’s Pose) and who will come into a backbend (Fish Pose).
The person in Child’s Pose will reach their hands forward. The person in Fish Pose will lean back on their partner’s back and open the front of their heart and chest, stretch their arms to touch their partner’s arms or hands.
Breathe deeply and feel each other’s breath. Know that your hearts are connected in this practice. Stay in this pose for about 5 breaths. Switch sides.
4. Seated Cat/Cow
Sit cross-legged facing each other. Hold securely onto one another’s forearms. You both inhale and arch the back, opening the chest and lifting the chin slightly (Seated Cow position).
Now exhale and round the back, bringing the gaze inward toward your chest (Seated Cat position).
Hold each position for a few seconds. Repeat slowly for 3 to 5 times or more.
5. Seated Forward Fold
Sit with both of your legs wide apart, facing each other. Let the soles of your feet touch your partners soles. Take hold of each other’s forearms. Decide who will fold forward first.
The person who folds forward slowly does this while the other person pulls you gently towards them. Keep breathing and feel a deep stretch in your hamstrings. You use each other as resistance in this practice.
Hold the position for about 5 breaths and then slowly come back up. Take turns.
6. Partner Boat Pose
Sit down, facing each other with about a half legs distance between you and your partner.
Your knees are bent and your arms are outside of your legs. Hold your partner’s hands. It should look like you are cradling your legs together.
One leg at a time, move your feet towards each other so that the soles touch. Keep breathing. Lift your feet to slowly straighten your legs to come to the Boat Pose.
Engage your core, have your back straight and use each other’s weight for stabilisation. Hold this position for about 5 breaths.
7. Double Downward Dog
Have your partner in the Downward Dog position. You stand with your feet between your partner’s hands, facing away from your partner.
Now, you bend forward, place your hands firmly on the mat, and slowly lift one foot at a time, placing your feet at the lower back of your partner. Straighten your back and legs, adjust your hands as needed.
Stay in this pose for about 5 breaths. Switch sides.
8. Twin Tree
Stand side by side. Each of you bring awareness to your inside foot. Spread the toes and use the whole feet to stand. This will help hold your weight as you come to the Tree Pose.
Next, slowly lift your outside leg and press the soles of the foot onto inside of the thigh or lower leg, depending on your flexibility. Avoid putting pressure on your knee.
It’s okay if you find this pose challenging at first. It can be harder to balance yourself when you are attached to another person!
Bring your outside hands to meet each other in the centre, palms touching. If you like more challenge, raise and straighten your inside arms, with your hands above your head.
Hold the position for about 5 breath. Switch sides.
9. Temple
Start from standing position, facing each other with your feet hip-width apart and arms raised.
Start folding forward together slowly, keep your back straight. As you fold forward, your hands will meet your partner’s hands. Keep going, gradually let your elbows bend.
Now, your hands, forearms and elbows should be resting against your partner’s. Your faces are close. It’s hard not to smile at each other.
Push into each other’s hands and arms, rest equal weight against each other to open up the shoulders and chest.
Stay in this position for about 5 breaths. Gently walk towards each other, straightening your body and bring your arms down.
Wrap-up
Yoga is widely known to have a great capacity to help you heal and overcome challenges. And, at its core, yoga is a science, a technology which gives you the power to know the truth of who you are. Ultimately, yoga is about self-realisation.
In this post, I mentioned many benefits of practising yoga poses for couples. They all lead to building trust and intimacy in your relationship. And, building trust and intimacy is the only way to improve long-term relationships, which leads to living a fulfilling life.
Couples yoga for intimacy is also an ideal practice to be used in other relationships, such as family and friends. I have been thinking about doing these couples yoga with my teenage daughter. Can it be a great way to connect with her? I hope to update this post to let you know how it goes!
This post was about the health benefits of yoga and 9 couples yoga poses for you & your partner to deepen intimacy.
