Perhaps the true purpose of all relationships, particularly romantic ones, is to fine tune our understanding of who we are and to fully experience blissful, unconditional love. A relationship is a living experience, one that needs carefully cultivating and maintaining; through respect, honour, kindness and compassion.
As yogis, we may be more patient or tolerant of others when we take time for regular quiet reflection and contemplation. Yoga in general helps us to recognise when we have lost our internal balance; it supports us in letting go of patterns and behaviours that do not serve ourselves or others. It also reminds us of who we truly are underneath all of the fluctuating thoughts and feelings – in essence pure love and peace. Partner yoga can double the magic.
Double act
Unity Partner Yoga invites two or more people to come together to share a deep, restorative, sacred and awakening practice where we breathe, meditate, move and rest together. Experiencing a shared yoga practice with your beloved can truly enhance your authentic connection, resonating peacefully together through heart opening and compassionate intention.
Couples can begin by enjoying the simplicity of supporting each other spine-to-spine, tuning in to each other’s warmth, breathing and energy vibration. As we melt into deep meditation together, perhaps through mantra or gentle swaying/circling and flowing back and forth as one, we can find our own organic, unique flowing dance.
Shared postures then vary through seated twists, lateral openings, forward and backward bending supports, inversions, balances and standing poses. Most of the shared practice is mutual and accessible to all, which allows a diverse range of people to be able to benefit without feeling they are not flexible or strong enough. There are also opportunities for applying careful pressure in certain postures to enable one’s partner to deepen into their movement, a little like Thai yoga massage. Other types of acupressure massage, hands on healing, rocking and gentle limb rotation and movement also make for a thorough, caring practice. We experience all of the usual yogic benefits, but further enhanced when we join together; we gain deep strength, stamina and softness.
Partnership
PartnershipIt also encourages the couple to practice various pranayama techniques, mantra and mudras together and to relax in nourishing shared savasana. Gentle eye contact is important, to be able to indulge more deeply into each other’s loving presence. The practice may also be complemented with active ‘co-listening’ to facilitate kind verbal communication to follow the silent practice.
Trust, surrender, presence, gratitude, intuition, support; all of these qualities are abundant in a shared practice, as we carefully hold, embrace or massage our partner. Together, both partners are able to observe if they feel more comfortable supporting or being supported and to experience more of a balance between the two. Movement is therefore co-created, moving through any difficulties in control/letting go through a gentle interchange of mutual support.
A tantric practice
Partner yoga is a very tantric practice, connecting with our inner self through exploration of the outer and inner senses. Ultimately, we connect through the immense magnitude of just being in silence together and experiencing a unified sense of oneness.
It allows us to drop some of the illusions that we have about relationships, by simply making time to be fully present and at ease with each other. As an embodied practice, we can drop our expectations of each other and see each other as we truly are, loving unconditionally and recognising each other’s true divinity.
Ultimately, partner yoga can help us to welcome, maintain and restore our intimate relationships to abundantly fulfill our heart and soul.
Sevanti is the founder of Unity Partner Yoga (being-in-unity.com) | Om Yoga Magazine
