Life tastes sweeter when you’re with someone else. Explore the magic of touch and
Tantra on the yoga mat with your partner. By Gopala Amir Yaffa
L
ife is wonderful, but it is even
more special when you share
it with someone. Sunsets are
beautiful, but even sweeter when
you watch them with a loved one.
Yoga is wonderful too, and it is even more
magical when you share your practice with
a partner. Yoga works on many levels; it is a
journey of discovery, of ourselves and our
interdependence; each one of us is a whole
universe to be explored through this practice.
We live in a fast moving world, so partner
yoga is a great way to spend quality time
together, enjoying a fun and healthy activity.
Practicing together helps to strengthen the
bonds between a couple.
In partner yoga we connect to each other
in new and fun ways, we touch and are
touched, we stretch more than usual with
our partner’s help, balance in ways we could
not by ourselves, breathe deeply together
and dive into tranquility while we stare into
each other’s eyes.Bringing people together
Partner yoga is a great way to bring two
people together because, in relationships,
everything is reciprocal: the more we respect
our partner the more they respect us; the
more we give, the more we get; the more
we listen, the more we are listened to. InGet yourselves together
spending time wholly absorbed in each
other, stretching each other, massaging,
listening to each other’s movements and
giving and receiving, our connections
deepen and our hearts heal. Even one or
two hours of conscious practice in a partner
yoga class can serve as a great bridge over
gaps that were created in the past.
In a relationship we serve as each other’s
mirrors – we can see our reflection in the
other and come to better understand
ourselves. In partner yoga there is constant
feedback between partners; as someone helps
us to stretch, we not only enjoy a fantastic
sensation, we also learn how to help them
stretch in a better way. As we experience
our partner’s touch we learn how to touch
them and as we watch them listening and
responding to our sensations, we learn to
listen and act in response to theirs.
Partner yoga provides a rare opportunity
for both partners to be truly present with
each other – without any other distracting
duties, kids or cellphones – pure bliss!When we stretch together we can:
♥ Stretch a little more than usual
♥ Balance in ways that we cannot by
ourselves
♥ Move with more awareness, realising that
our movements affect our partner♥ Get constant feedback to our actions by
communicating with our partner as well
as by experiencing how it feels when they
stretch us
♥ Enhance communication skills using
words, facial expressions, touch, breath
and more
♥ Develop trust and compassion
♥ Touch and be touched in a safe way
♥ Deepen our connection to our partnerThe magic of touch
Babies who don’t receive enough touch in
early life do not survive, and children and
even adults who don’t receive enough touch
might suffer from a variety of emotional
or mental challenges as well. Touch is the
strongest and simplest way of giving and
receiving love, support, warmth and trust
and in partner yoga classes we spend most
of our time touching each other.
By practicing yoga together, we learn
how to touch, how to be gentle and kind,
we learn acceptance and compassion, how
to be respectful and trusting, and how to
connect, communicate, and cooperate. It’s
a great opportunity to open the heart and
overcome past conflicts.Partner yoga and Tantra
Just to make it clear, in partner yoga classesThe yoga
of Love