Valentine’s Day is back! For some it’s a pressure test, for others it’s about butterflies, for a few it’s about expressions and the rest just flow with the feeling! We are breaking the monotone this Valentine’s and making it adventurous! Breaking the ice with a new partner or deepening intimacy with your old flame will take a new meaning henceforth! Flowers, chocolates and diamonds can take a back seat and you can now connect with your favourite person on the Yoga mat! These six Yoga poses will help you have fun, recharge, and heat up the chemistry beyond the mat!
These six poses will help you enhance the six basic ingredients of a perfect relationship, Harmony, Intensity, Balance, Support, Attraction & Compatibility, in just the right proportions!
- Pranayam Harmony : Start in a seated position in with you backs resting against each other and hands on the knees. Allow yourself to feel and connect with the breath rhythm of your partner and practice Naadi-Shodhan Pranayam. To connect better, breathe alternate with your partner, so as you inhale, he exhales; as he inhales, you exhale. Practice for three to five minutes. Beginning with pranayam will help harmonize your breath patterns calm the initial apprehensions of couple’s yoga.
- Paschimotanasana – United Intensity : Facing each other, sit on the floor and reach towards your toes in a forward bend. Press the soles of your feet into your partner's and clasp hands to feel intensity to its edge! This position helps stretch the back and hamstrings & massages and tones the pelvic organs & the shoulders.
- Vriksana or the Double tree pose - Striking the right Balance : Stand side by side facing the same direction, and wrap your inside arm around your partner’s waist. Standing firmly on your inside leg, rotate your outside leg, bringing the sole of your foot to your ankle, calf, or thigh. Lift your outside arm above you, or press your palms together to unite the pose. Hold the pose for 5 to 10 breaths on each side. This pose is rejuvenating. It stretches the legs, back and arms, and invigorates you. It brings balance and equilibrium to your mind. It helps improve concentration.
- Naukasana or Buddy Boat Pose – Support Systems : Sit facing one another with your legs bent and your knees near your chest. Hold your partner’s hands or wrists and bring the heels of your feet together. Slowly straighten out your legs as you bring your feet upward. Release your shoulders, straighten your spine and lean back. The boat pose strengthens the back and abdominal muscles and helps tone the leg and arm muscles
- Ardha Matsyendrasana or the Seated Twist – Opposites Attract : In this pose, both partners sit in a cross-legged seated position facing each other. Inhale and lengthen your spine up and away from your tailbone. Exhale and each partner twists to the right, both of you reaching your right arm behind your back and holding your partner's left hand and repeating on the other side. Deepen this pose by gently pulling on your hands. Twists help cleanse the body and assist in the detoxifying process. This is also a fun way to initiate playfulness with your partner.
- Adho Mukho Svanasana or the DownDog/Back Bend – Being Compatible: One partner gets into downward-facing dog pose. The other partner, position your feet on either side of the down-dogging partner's hands and use your hands to lower yourself onto your partner's back. Then, stretch your arms overhead, letting your weight rest upon your partner's back. Stay for a few breaths, and then trade places. This Asana combination is a perfect give & take between yoga partners and helps you build your compatibility & communication.
Partner yoga is the best way to strengthen your connection while having fun together. It is now an increasingly popular concept that's been interpreted in a variety of ways — from AcroYoga to Couples Yoga to Mom-and-Baby Yoga. Each offers a unique opportunity to relate deeply to another person — whether it’s someone with whom you plan to share your life with or a new friend you’ve just met. By exploring physical give-and-take, you and your partner can dive deeply into the principles that govern successful, supportive friendships and loving relationships.
