Strengthen Your Relationship With These 4 Yoga Poses

The best way to strengthen a relationship is by deepening the connection. Yet throughout the lifespan of a relationship, there are times when it is strong and other times when you feel distant. No matter how long you have been in your relationship, it is not always easy knowing how to connect with your partner.

You can use these four ways of strengthening your relationship and the connection with your partner through your yoga practice.

In a relationship, strengthening the connection with your partner requires attention. The attention required is constant, and it takes love and patience. No matter how long you have been in your relationship, it is not always easy knowing how to connect, which can put a strain on the relationship and/or lead to anxiety.

In comes yoga to save the day!

Yoga is not only designed to increase flexibility; it also works on the individual from the inside out. In doing this, your connection to the world around you (your partner included) benefits.
 
 

Practice These 4 Yoga Poses + Principles With Your Partner to Strengthen Your Relationship:

Practice these four yogic principles and poses together to deepen your connection.
 

1. Practice Balancing Poses

Raise your hand if you have ever fallen over or lost your balance in a yoga class? If you have been to a handful of yoga classes, likely you have. The lovely part is in the yoga practice, losing balance is the way to finding it.
 

Losing your balance is the way to finding it.

 
That same principle applies to strengthening your relationship with your partner. Losing your balance in your relationship can feel like a lack of connection. Sometimes it takes distance to find your way back to a strong connection. As we learn in yoga, losing balance is the way to finding it.

Try It Together: Practice a balancing yoga pose like Standing Big Toe Pose with your partner utilizing balance. You can use your partner for balance or have fun and laugh as one or both of you wobble to find your balance.
 

• Start standing, facing your partner
• Hug your right knee into your chest and hook your right big toe with your right peace sign fingers
• Bring your left hand to your hip, and with an inhale breath, extend your right leg towards your partner. Your right knee can stay as bent as needed
• Lengthen through your spine and remain here for a few breaths
• Need help balancing? Use your partner’s leg for support and help each other find your balance!
• When you’re ready, slowly come out the way you came in, then switch sides

 
Just as you have to find your balance in this pose, you also have to find your balance in your relationship. Allow your balance to be lost in the pose and in your relationship connection as a way of finding it and deepening it.

Remember, balance takes practice and work and when you lose it, you are also finding it.
 

2. Find Stillness With Meditation

Meditation – or observing stillness – is another yogic principal for strengthening your connection with yourself and your partner. Stillness may not seem like it is working on the outside, but meditation offers major benefits for your mind and body.

Through our practice of yoga, stillness provides the opportunity for reflection and insights. The same applies to your connection with your partner and strengthening your relationship. When you take the time to be still with your partner, you open yourself up to the benefits that meditation and stillness offers.

Try It Together: Observe stillness with your partner by meditating together. Do not set a goal of what your meditation has to accomplish; instead, allow yourselves the time to witness what comes up.

• Find a comfortable seated position facing your partner
• Close your eyes, and breathe deeply as you sit in the stillness
• Allow for at least 5 minutes of stillness together

 
Use this tool during a disagreement or as a daily practice to deepen your connection and strengthen your relationship. Over time, you may choose to meditate for longer than five minutes.

New to meditation? Follow These 6 Simple Steps to Begin a Meditation Practice
 

3. Create a Physical Connection With Child’s Pose

Strengthening the connection with your partner includes strengthening the physical connection. Even if it is only holding hands, connecting physically strengthens your connection overall.

In yoga, when breath links with movement, the connection to yourself grows. This same yogic principle applies to relationships. Physical connection with your partner provides an opportunity for the relationship to grow. Use the principle of connection by assisting your partner in Child’s Pose.

Child’s Pose, or Balasana, is a feel-good beginner yoga pose and feels even better with a light assist.

Try It Together: One person will get into Child’s Pose and the other will rest their hands on their partner’s back. Instead of applying a lot of pressure on your partner’s back, having your hand touching their back is enough.

• Have your partner find Child’s Pose by bringing their big toes together and spreading the knees wide as they reach their arms forward and rest forehead to the mat
• Give them a few moments to settle into the pose, and then gently place your hands on their back
• Allow them to rest in this pose for two minutes as you both breathe together
• When they’re ready, have your partner slowly come out of the pose and switch!

 
This light physical touch is enough to strengthen and deepen your connection.
 

4. Deepen Your Trust With AcroYoga

You have accepted the loss of balance that happens in relationships, observed stillness, and experienced physical touch. There is now room for trust to grow – and this is key to strengthening your relationship!

Trust is very important in the foundations of a relationship with your partner and with yourself. Yoga teaches trust with every movement, especially with inversions. In yoga, practicing inversions takes incredible trust in yourself and your abilities.

Most have the balance and strength required to flip upside down. Not all have trust that the body will hold up, which can quickly turn into fear. Though practicing inversions may seem scary at first, with trust you are able to face your fears.
 

Perfection is not the goal – trusting yourself and your partner is!

 
The same goes for vulnerability in your relationship. Being vulnerable with your partner may seem scary at first. It takes incredible trust in yourself and the relationship to allow yourself to open up. When you build trust with your partner, vulnerability grows.

As in yoga, when you build trust within yourself, your practice grows. If it feels safe, use the principle of trust by experimenting with AcroYoga.

Try It Together: A great beginner AcroYoga pose is Front Bird Pose, where a solid foundation is key (as in all Acro Yoga poses!). The “base” is the one on the bottom with their back on the mat. The “flyer” is the one lifted by the base.
 

• The flyer will begin facing the base at the back of the mat
• The base will deeply bend their knees and place their feet on the flyer’s hips. If the base has tight hamstrings, they can place a blanket or bolster under their hips
• The flyer will connect hands (hold palms – never interlace your fingers in AcroYoga!) with the base and lean slightly forward to transfer their weight onto the base’s feet
• Once base and flyer are ready, the base will begin straightening their legs to press the flyer up into the air
• Option to continue holding palms, or if the flyer feels comfortable, they can reach their arms forward (this is challenging!). Be sure the flyer keeps their entire body fully engaged
• To come out of this pose, the base will slowly bend their knees to allow the flyer’s feet to find the floor

 
Remember that perfection is not the goal – trusting yourself and your partner is!

Want to explore more AcroYoga? Read: AcroYoga Explained + 5 Acro Poses for Beginners
 
 

Use Your Yoga Practice to Strengthen Your Relationship and Watch It Thrive!

Throughout the lifespan of a relationship, there are times of varying connection. There are times when the connection is strong and other times when you feel distant. You can use your yoga practice as a guide in life and in your relationship.

Remember to accept the loss of balance that happens in relationships, like in your yoga practice. Observe stillness as we do in every yoga practice through meditation. Connect through physical touch with your partner like connecting your breath with movement in yoga.

Then, build the trust with yourself through yoga and with your partner through these practices!

Did you try these yogic practices with your partner? What did you both experience – together and individually? Please share in the comments below – we love hearing from you!