Couples Yoga Beginners Guide

Benefits of Couples Yoga

Before taking a look into the different yoga poses for couples, what they are, and how to practice them, let’s look into the benefits of couples yoga.

Brings back sexiness to your relationship. On its own, yoga has been said to enhance your sex drive, correct sexual dysfunction, and improve sexual satisfaction. Therefore, an engaging couples yoga session is a way to heighten the sexual connection between couples.
Strengths the core of your relationship. Communication, trust, and understanding are the core of any relationship. You tend to do these three things as you move in synchronization, mirror, and mimic your partner during a couple’s yoga sequence. Doing these movements with your partner, over time, will help form a deeper bond and also reach a better level of understanding and empathy.
Introduce a new level of calm and stability. One way yoga offers its benefit is that it relieves stress, depression, and anxiety. You can improve yourself and your partner’s emotional and mental health by participating in couples yoga workout sessions. Without the external pressure and stress in your relationship, smaller issues that may have typically spurred an argument caused resentment and created negative feelings can be handled with ease and grace.
Improve relationship satisfaction. A relationship rut is one of the significant problems relationships tend to go through. It’s that time in the relationship where you become stuck in the same old routine. But, you can overcome a relationship rut by making life more adventurous together. Taking on new challenges like couple yoga at home is one way to bring newness into your relationship.

The Most Popular Couples Yoga Classes

Now you understand how a couple’s yoga routine benefits a couple doing yoga. Let us look at the actual yoga poses that you can practice and take up as a couple.

Acro Yoga. Acro Yoga is one of the couples yoga classes involving acrobatics, yoga, healing, and therapeutic yoga practices. It focuses on the trust elements of acrobatics, the mind-body connection element of yoga, and compassion elements of therapeutics to form a yoga style that’s different from others. Common terms and language used in Acro yoga include:
- Base: referring to the person on the bottom whose back stays firmly on the mat. The person is the foundation of several acro yoga poses.
- Flyer: refers to the person elevated by the base. The flyer must have balance and strength for a successful practice.
- Spotter: provides support for the flyer and the base. The spotter helps to keep everyone safe in case of a fall. It also improves balance.
- Therapeutic Flying: focuses on the flyer practicing poses that uses gravity to massage the body, elongate the spine, and stretch.
Tantric Yoga. Tantric yoga has a comprehensive approach to yoga in that it incorporates breathing practice, meditation, and pranayama. It’s a yoga style you can choose to practice alone or do it with a partner. However, both approaches aim to enhance the relationship between the macro (others) and micro (yourself). Some example of a tantric yoga practice include:
- Peace Poses with Conscious Breathing, Pranayama: practiced with a crossed-legged seated position.
- Sun Salutations: practiced by starting in mountain pose and then standing at the top of the yoga mat.
- Modified Side Plank Pose: starting from table pose, ensure your wrists align under your shoulders, your hands spread wide, and have your hips stacked over your knees.
- Partner Peace Pose: performed by the base coming into an open and cross-legged position. The partner then sits on the thigh such that they cross their leg behind the base’s back.
- Partner Child Pose: to do this, kneel at the mat’s edge and bend forward with your head resting on it. Then, the partner takes the same position with the head pointed towards one another.
Kundalini Yoga. Here is a type of yoga that involves singing, chanting, repetitive poses, and breathing exercises. The aim is to activate your energy – the spiritual energy said to be located at the base of our spine. Here are some of the Kundalini beginner couple yoga poses:
- Lotus Pose: is a basic sitting pose that helps to open your hips. Therefore, those who have tightness in that area may have problems at first. It gets better with consistent practice.
- Cobra Pose: lay flat with your stomach on the yoga mat and let your feet press close together. Lay your palm on the mat and apply force to push your body up in a straight plank position. Hold the pose for 30 seconds with several deep breaths.
- Archer Pose: stand up straight, placing your feet together and rotate the foot outwards at 45 degrees to form a V-shape. Step right foot back and bend your knee. Extend your arm out to shoulder level. Rotate your body. Take a deep breath for about three minutes and then switch sides.
Pregnancy Yoga. The significant difference between other yoga types and pregnancy yoga is that it’s for pregnant women. Therefore, the poses help ease any discomfort pregnant women face and prepare them for possible childbirth. The type of yoga pose during pregnancy depends majorly on the stage of pregnancy. In the second trimester, some of the yoga poses to try, among many others, include: Cat-Cow Pose, Extended Puppy Pose, and Crescent Low Lunge Pose. Practice these pose sequences three to four times a week.
In the third trimester, among many other poses, consider trying out the following: Garland Pose, Half Splits Pose with Block, Lizard Pose. Do these sequences one to two times a week.
Hot Yoga. Hot yoga classes are any yoga pose performed in a heated room. It is one in which its styles are vigorous and served in a heated room. Hot yoga postures demand lengthy, forceful, and sustained contractions of significant muscles. Its procedures and poses get intentionally organized so that it raises your heart rate and exercises your muscles. Therefore, consider practicing any easy couples yoga poses of your choice in a heated room.
Restorative easy couple yoga poses. Restorative yoga poses are several yoga postures done with the support of props such as bolsters, blankets, and straps. Therefore you do not need any muscular effort to practice restorative couples yoga poses for beginners. The props are there to support you. Some of the common restorative simple couple yoga poses include Constructive rest, Child Pose, and Goddess Pose among others.

Beginner Easy Couple Yoga Poses

Do you plan to create a happy memory with easy couples yoga challenge, but you need suggestions? Here are some easy ideas for partner yoga for beginner that you can embark upon:

Half Lord Of The Fishes Pose

Half Lord of the Fishes Pose or Ardha Matsyendrasana, is named after the great yogi Matsyendranath who founded Hatha Yoga. The English name, Half Lord of the Fishes Pose, comes from the Sanskrit words 'ardha' = 'half', 'matsya' = 'fish', 'eendra' = 'king'. This yoga pose has other variations and can be referred to as Half Spinal Twist Pose or Vakrasana (which means twist).

This yoga pose usually appears as a seated spinal twist with many variations and is one of the twelve basic yoga poses (asanas) in many systems of Hatha Yoga. In this yoga pose the spine gets its maximum twist at the upper back with the thighs placed over each other and with the support of the arms the torso gets its twist.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Complete Boat Pose

Complete Boat Pose or Paripurna Navasana in Sanskrit ('Paripurna’ meaning ‘entire or full’, ‘Nava’ meaning ‘boat’, and 'asana' means 'pose' or 'posture') is a yoga posture that strengthens the core muscles, including the abs, back, and hip flexors. The Full Boat Pose is a popular pose used to engage the core muscles by strengthening the abdominals and muscles of the pelvis and lower back. While the Full Boat Pose is a difficult yoga pose to perform for many, the benefits of the pose are long-lasting. There are several modifications and variations that can help you work up to the full pose over time.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Wide Angle Seated Forward Bend Pose

Wide-Angle Seated Forward Bend Pose or Upavistha Konasana in Sanskrit is a seated forward bend that requires flexibility. The term comes from the Sanskrit "upavistha", meaning “seated” or “sitting,” "kona", meaning “angle,” and "asana", meaning pose or “posture”.

From a seated position, the legs are spread wide and the upper body folds forward. In addition to a range of physical benefits, this pose calms the mind and the nervous system.

The common English name for Upavistha Konasana is Wide-Angle Seated Forward Bend, but sometimes it is also referred to as simply Seated Angle Pose.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Standing Forward Bend Pose

In Standing Forward Bend Pose or Uttanasana in Sanskrit (‘Ut’, means 'intensity' and the ‘Tan’, means 'stretch, extend or lengthen out') the spine is given a deliberate and intense stretch. This yoga pose consists of standing with feet together, bending the upper body at the hips and letting the head hang downwards, and taking control of the body by placing the palms on the floor beside the feet.

This intense forward stretch of the upper body including the spine brings an indirect opening of the hamstring muscles. Standing Forward Bend Pose is considered a base pose as standing forward bend pose variations can be derived from this pose. Standing Forward Bend Pose helps boost energy in the body and hence can be included in flow yoga sequences.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Chair Pose

Chair Pose, also known as Utkatasana in Sanskrit, is a standing yoga posture that challenges the strength and stability of the lower body.

Though Utkatasana is also called Chair Pose, one should not think that the meaning of 'utkata' in Sanskrit means 'chair'. This pose is mainly referred to as the Fierce Pose where 'Utkata' means 'violent', 'fierce', or 'severe'. This pose is also called the Chair Pose just because the posture resembles one sitting on an invisible chair.

This pose is one of the first poses in the Sun Salutation B series. It needs ample strength with the quadricep muscles to help your hips get the right support and give the knees comfort to hold the pose for long. Working on the alignment of the hips along with the knees and the pelvic region is very essential to get comfortable in this pose.

Chair Pose is considered a base pose as chair pose variations can be derived from this pose. Chair Pose helps boost energy in the body and hence can be included in different yoga sequences.

Step-by-Step Instructions

These and many more other partner yoga poses for beginners are the options from which you can choose. You can find how to attain the yoga pose for two beginners above on our pages.

Now you have an idea of the couple yoga poses easy to do. You can quickly look them up, watch videos, and determine the exact couples yoga classes you want to attend.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a couple yoga?

Yoga is typically practiced individually. However, jointly practiced yoga with a partner, a friend, or significant other is referred to as couple yoga. This type of yoga allows for two people to interact through assisted poses.

Is there any difference between acro-, partner- and couples yoga?

Typically, these yoga practices are the same as a none-practitioner because they have the same approach. Only a practitioner can tell that partner yoga has to do with supporting poses that help deliver deep stretches. In contrast, acro yoga focuses more on gymnastics, strength, and acrobatics. Both are types of couples yoga.

Is it safe to do couples yoga at home?

Yes, doing yoga at home is safe, especially as an advanced yogi. Beginners can also practice yoga at home. However, there might be a need to let a trainer guide you into the process. You can make use of the several couples yoga online packages as your guide.

What should I bring to a couples yoga class?

Bring the things you’ll typically bring to an individual class. You’ll need your yoga mat, sometimes yoga props, depending on the type you are attending, and of course, your significant other. Some instructors or classes would insist that you bring your partner, while some will offer you a partner if you don’t have one. It all depends.

Iana Varshavska

Website administrator

A digital marketer in love with yoga and everything that goes along with it. In 2021, her huge passion for yoga led her to yoga teacher trainings. After successfully completing her studies, Iana received her Yoga Alliance U.S. certification, left the corporate IT world and devoted herself to the development of Yanva. To be able to create the best online yoga space for yoga enthusiasts like her, Iana is constantly learning and improving her skills in various aspects of yoga philosophy, anatomy and biomechanics. Since 2021, she has continued to attend various types of teacher training, including yoga therapy, gives online and offline classes, and conducts local workshops for people who want to learn more about yoga. At the moment, Iana continues to work on her personal practice, improving her hand balancing skills, as well as developing her own training programs.