If you have never tried partner yoga before, you may see pictures of poses that leave you leave you scratching your head and wondering "but why?"
I get. Not everyone see's those pictures and thinks "cool, let me try!" Some of us need to understand the value in attempting what can look pointless, performative, and maybe even painful or dangerous. For you I've got a non-exhaustive list of the benefits.
To be fair, most of the benefits have to be experienced to really understand, BUT I hope this helps shine a light as to some of the reasons why you should give partner yoga a try.
Still wondering what to expect from a partner yoga class or workshop? I've answered some frequently asked questions for you, below.
FAQ's
Do I need to be part of a “couple” to partake?:
Aside from a valentines day themed class, absolutely not. Any family member or friend that you can rope into it will do. The amount of times I’ve heard “I would love to but my husband would NEVER…” Well, leave him at home and bring your bestie!
The only reason I require students to “BYO partner” is so that everyone is working with someone they are familiar with and comfortable around. I want to avoid any one being matched up with a stranger or made to feel really awkward.
What exactly are we doing here?
Partner yoga is similar to a regular yoga class, but the poses are practiced by two people who help support and guide each other into the pose.
This practice does require you to be OK with close physical contact, and/or placing partial weight of partner. The partner yoga poses are often practiced back-to-back, side-to-side, and front-to-front and often involve holding onto the other person for support. Shaun and I demonstrate a partner flow in this video.
Here's what we’re not doing: taking ourselves too seriously. Partner Yoga brings out the inner child, and always results in a lot of smiles and laughter. Working with a partner helps you to think outside the box about yoga, and experience same old poses in new and different ways.
What is the difference between Acro Yoga and Partner Yoga?
Both acro yoga and partner yoga involve working with another person to achieve a pose or sequence.
In partner yoga, practice generally includes starting with assisted postures on the floor and build up to more challenging postures like assisted inversions. Shapes being made tend to mimic each other and/or or complement each other by either providing stabilizing support or applying weight to work deeper into the pose.
In acro yoga the partnership is divided into two roles: “flyer” and “base”. This practice includes more acrobatic and flying postures where the “flyer” is held in the air by the base. This practice even at a beginner level is a bit more challenging than traditional partner yoga.
In my workshops, we practice a variety of styles including some restorative, some vinyasa flow, and we do build up to some beginner acro yoga and allow practice playtime.
*All parts of the practice are optional, and at anytime you are not comfortable with what we are working on, you can choose to sit it out.
Last February, I hosted a partner yoga workshop with my Shaun and everyone has been asking since when we are going to do another one. Well, that time has come!
My husband and I loved partner Yoga with Christina and her husband. The vibe was open, fun, and it created a healthy connection all around. We look forward to joining another workshop in the future. -Dawn Marie & Ed
The next Partner Yoga workshop will be held on
Saturday February 18th at Vibe Power Yoga
If you have any other questions that weren't answered here, please don’t hesitate to reach out!
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