Exploring Partner Yoga, Part I

I was recently contacted by a married couple to teach a private yoga session. After wrestling with some healthy self-doubt, I agreed.

You see, I have never learned how to teach partner yoga. My 200 hour yoga teacher training was very thorough, but we did not go over partner poses. We studied chair yoga and modifications for injuries, but never modifications for couples!

After several days worth of combing through online resources, I felt I had a solid class plan. I believed I had learned enough about partner yoga to teach a couples session. I had also piqued my curiosity about what kinds of movement can be done in a partner session.

When practicing asana, range of movement is limited to the flexibility of the individual. One of the benefits of partner yoga is the potential for an increased range of motion in traditional yoga poses. With the help of a partner, you can stretch farther in poses such as paschimottanasana, or seated forward bend.

There is also the potential for increased joy while practicing with a partner. I witnessed that firsthand while teaching. The session went well. The feedback after class was that both participants loved the partner poses.

I think I’ve discovered something. When I offer private yoga lessons, I am offering my students tools to find more strength, grace, and joy in everyday life. Until teaching partner yoga, I had not witnessed the joy that can come from practicing traditional poses with a partner. This lesson was as much of a learning experience for me as it was for my students. Stay tuned for more insights as I continue to learn about the benefits of partner yoga!