Firm Yoga
Partner Yoga – Doing It Together
Research shows that yoga helps manage or control anxiety, asthma, arthritis, back pain, blood pressure, carpal tunnel syndrome, chronic fatigue, depression, diabetes, epilepsy, headaches, heart disease, multiple sclerosis, stress and other diseases.Yoga also helps improve muscle tone, flexibility, strength, stamina, boost self-esteem, improve concentration and creativity, circulation and stimulate the immune system.
When yoga can help you in these and many other ways, how it is practiced is of utmost importance. And practitioners of yoga are lucky in the sense that it is an extremely versatile art. It can be either practiced in solitude, or in a more social atmosphere of a class.
There is another fruitful way you can practice yoga and that is by combining the skills and support of another person. The benefits and advantages of practicing yoga with partners and friends are many.
Often, the classical asanas in yoga can seem tough, daunting and far removed from an individual’s ability and that is when practicing with partners help. Pairing up to do yoga acknowledges human limitations so that there is a greater sense of personal achievement and the whole experience is positive and enriching.
Yoga postures can be enjoyably developed and extended using the support and guidance of a partner. Doing yoga with a partner’s support can be especially helpful when there are restrictions because of injury or individual capability.
The contact and assistance of a partner can enhance and develop the posture within individual ability. There is also the advantage of promoting an atmosphere of greater relaxation because you are practicing it with a person you trust and are confident about.
Using the support of your partner
Often, the classical asanas in yoga can seem tough, daunting and far removed from an individual’s ability and that is when practicing with partners help. Pairing up to do yoga acknowledges human limitations so that there is a greater sense of personal achievement and the whole experience is positive and enriching.
Yoga postures can be enjoyably developed and extended using the support and guidance of a partner. Doing yoga with a partner’s support can be especially helpful when there are restrictions because of injury or individual capability.
The contact and assistance of a partner can enhance and develop the posture within individual ability. There is also the advantage of promoting an atmosphere of greater relaxation because you are practicing it with a person you trust and are confident about.
Tips to remember
It always helps if partnering yoga is learnt under the guidance of a teacher. Remember the initial introduction should be a gentle exploration and only as the experience increases postures can be added and modified. And of course, it is advisable not to practice soon after meals.
Standing Forward Fold - You are advised to gently reach for the floor. When you experience stretching at the back of the legs, reach forward and clasp your partner’s wrists. With arms fully extended lean back. For 10 seconds hold on breathing deeply. Exhale and squat while keeping feet flat on the floor. Relax and stay in this position for 10 seconds. Stand upright slowly, but keep holding your partner; then, gradually release the grip and gently fold the body down towards the floor.
Double Boat Pose – Sit opposite your partner with your legs outstretched and wide apart. Raise your legs and bring your feet together. Hold each other’s hands around the outside of your legs. On the inhalation, pull back away from each other and straighten your legs until they are fully extended. You can also come up one leg at a time. Draw your lower back in and activate your core to help balance.
Variations – Hold onto each other right arm (or forearm or hand) diagonally and lean back with the outstretched left arm. Change and rotate the other arm in.
Benefits – Tones the spinal nerves. Strengthens the abdominal, legs, arms, massages the internal organs and stimulates healthy digestion. Promotes balance, coordination and focus in a playful and creative way.
Double Tree Pose – Stand beside your partner with one foot apart. With your inside hand hold onto your partner’s hand in the middle. Have your inside leg be strong and firm like a tree trunk. Engage your core. Engage your muscles of inside leg. Raise your outside leg and press it into your standing leg in the calf or on the thigh. (Avoid the knee) Raise your outside arm out high to the side at a 45 degree angle. Inhale and exhale with united breath. Find a non-moving object in front of you to focus your gaze on. Hold 5-10 breaths. With control come out of the pose slowly so you don’t knock each other off balance.
Benefits – Stretches and flexes the knee and hip joints. Develops balance and mental focus. Increases cooperation and trust between partners.
Seated Forward Fold – Supported Seated Backbend Pose – Both partners sit back to back in cross-legged. One partner bends forward deeply in a forward seated fold, dropping the neck and head completely. The other partner slowly comes in a backbend resting their head, neck and shoulders on the forward folding partner’s back while opening the arms out wide to the side in order to open up the chest and heart. Hold for 2 minutes. When you come up, be very slow and mindful so to not jar your partner. Come back to center, collect yourself for 5 breaths and then change roles.
Benefits – Stretches and elongates the spine, massage the abdominal organs and stimulates digestion. Promotes trust, open-ness and surrender, with one partner inward journeying while the other opens outward.
Seated Back to Back Twist Pose – Sit in a cross-legged posture back to back with your partner. Inhale and lift out of your waist. Exhale and place you left hand on your right knee and stretch your right hand around your back to hold your partner’s left knee. Look over your shoulder. Spine is straight. Shoulders are soft. Unwrinkle the forehead. Stay here for 1-2 minutes. Exhale and float back to center. Repeat other side.
Benefits – Stimulates healthy digestion. Tones the spinal cord and nervous system, stimulates blood flow to the pelvis and hips. Enhances cooperation and teamwork.
Double Dog Pose – One partner goes into down dog. The top dog places their hands flat on the floor about one foot in front of the bottom dog. Coming from the side, the top dog raises one leg at a time and rest the balls of their feet on the bottom dog’s sacral area. The top dog locks their legs and rolls the shoulders out. The top dog look like an L shape and the bottom dog is a V shape. The top dog moves their feet upward to lengthen the bottom dog’s spine. When you come out of the pose, the top dog always come off to the side.
Benefits – Elongates the spine, stretches the hamstrings, tones the legs and arms, stimulates the flow of oxygenated blood to the brain and the top dog is giving an adjustment with their legs to the bottom dog. Develops confidence, teamwork and concentration.
Cobra - Sit astride your partner and reach forward to grasp his wrists. While inhaling, lean backwards to gradually raise the body from the floor. As your partner exhales release pressure so that the body returns to the floor. Do not put your weight on your partner’s legs but do it gently so as to anchor the posture.
Place your hands directly over the back of your partner’s pelvis (not spine). On exhalation, firmly press on to the body. Repeat this twice and then move your hands to either side of the spine in level with the shoulder blades. Again on exhalation, but very gently, compress the body. Repeat this twice.
Benefits – This posture beneficial for the structure of the thorax. It deepens breathing and corrects tension at the base of the spine.
Triangle – Standing back to back with your partner, feet one legs length apart, interlink little fingers. On exhalation, slowly tilt sideways towards pointed feet until maximum stretching is achieved. Make sure your feet remain flat on the floor and keep breathing deeply for 10 seconds. On inhalation, slowly stand up straight and repeat; this time, on the other side.
Benefits – This is said to release spinal tension on the triangular base of the legs.
Seated Spinal Binded Twist - Sit cross-legged facing your partner, extend your right arm to the right side of your partner’s body, place your left hand behind your back so as to clasp hands. On exhalation, gently pull on the arms so as to rotate the body as far as comfortable to the left. Hold for 10 seconds and recover slowly. Repeat to the other side.
Modification – For a slightly stronger rotation of the spine sit directly behind your partner while he crosses his right foot to the left side of his body and steadies himself with his left hand. Hold your partner’s right hand, extend the arm and gently rotate the body. Place your foot so as to support the spine and on exhalation, continue rotation as far as comfortable. Hold for 10 seconds breathing deeply. Unwind from this posture very gradually and repeat to the other side.
Benefits – Doing the Matsyendrasana helps you overcome an aching back.
Shoulder Stand – By partnering in Sarvangasana, people apprehensive about inverting their bodies, gain benefits. The benefits are widespread. Standing close by the head, ask your partner to slowly raise their bent legs, hold the ankles gently. While exhaling your partner must press his arms against the ground while you raise their body into line. Once extended, your partner will feel more balanced. Breathing deeply, hold this posture, and reverse movements to gradually and gently replace the body onto the floor.
Benefits – It is known as the queen of asanas which works out to be very beneficial for your mind, body and soul. Sarvangasana is a combination of three parts such as “sarva” “anga” and “asana” which means “all body posture”. It is one the asana which is very important and helpful for your entire body including the pressure massages for your thyroid glands. The other benefit from this asana is the projection of stability emotionally and otherwise. Every muscle that is pushed and pulled benefits the organs inside, which in turn shows on your body and face. It soothes the nervous system which otherwise seems to be overloaded with unwanted work.
http://www.synergybyjasmine.com/
http://www.synergybyjasmine.com/blog
About the Author
http://www.synergybyjasmine.com/
Jasmine Kaloudis teaches partner yoga teacher training at Synergy By Jasmine in Philadelphia. For free images of partner yoga poses with tips on how to do them, email info at jasminepartneryoga dot com with “Request Partner Yoga Poses and Tips” in headline. Twitter – synergyjasmine – For inspiring quotes, vitality, meditation and yoga.
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