Invite a friend, spouse or relative to spend time on your yoga mat with yoga for two. Although partner yoga often works best when the yogis are similar in size, you can practice many gentler poses even if your combo is mismatched. Practicing poses that both you and your partner are ready for is a vital aspect of yoga for two. Kelly McGonigal, PhD, of Stanford University, writes in "Yoga Journal" magazine that partners should have a strong foundation in traditional yoga poses before trying any advanced partner poses.
Double Twist
Double twist allows you and your partner to stretch your spines with the support of each other. Sit cross-legged, back to back. Bring your right hand to your partner's left knee or thigh and your left hand to your own right thigh. Have your partner do the same. Sit tall, feeling encouraged to breathe deeply by your partner's own deep breath. Hold on each side for up to one minute. Writer Alice T. Carter, for the online newspaper "TribLive" out of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, relays that twisting with a partner is more efficient than without.
Extended Double Boat Pose
Face your partner in a seated position. Clasp each other's hands and press the bottoms of your feet together. Start to straighten your legs, so both sets of feet point upward. Balance on your sit bones, rather than tailbones. If your backs start curving, press chests forward and keep shoulders broad. Hold for five to seven breaths.
Stacked Plank Pose
Only practice this partner pose if you can each hold a standard plank position for at least 10 breaths without losing form. To practice the pose, one of you starts in a standard plank--which resembles a push-up starting position--with arms straight and hands directly under your shoulders. Your partner practices plank with the tops of his feet resting on your very upper back, near your neck, and his hands clasping your ankles. Hold for a few breaths, then switch places.
Side-to-Side Tree Pose
You can practice side-to-side tree with anyone, including a smaller friend or child. Stand with your sides touching and hold hands. Each partner brings their outside foot to the inside leg, above or below the knee cap. Reach your outside arms straight up and over to see if you can clasp hands together overhead. Hold for five to seven breaths, then switch sides.
Downdog and Handstand Prep
Build arm strength and balance in this challenging combination of two poses. Start with you in downward-facing dog--body in an upside-down V shape. Your buddy poses with his back to you, in a wide-legged downward dog, legs straddled over your mid-back. Carefully, he walks one foot at a time onto each side of your lower back, forming an upside-down L shape with his shoulders directly over his hands like a handstand. After holding the poses together for a few breaths, have your partner bring one leg down at a time, being mindful of your head. Hold for up to five breaths then switch postures.
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