Partnering Yoga

BY Charity Ferreira , the Executive Editor of Yoga Journal and a conscientious yoga partner. The Power of Two Working with a partner is a fun way to realize some basic actions more deeply and to experience the poses in a new way. These instructions refer to the person doing the pose as the "receiving partner" and the person assisting as the "helping partner." Virabhadrasana II (Warrior Pose II) A common tendency in this pose is to lean one's weight too far forward, toward the front leg. Working with a partner whose size is similar to yours can help you feel where the torso should be placed, how much weight should be in the back leg, and what the action of the arms should feel like. As partners, come into the pose left shoulder to left shoulder—next to each other, but facing opposite directions—so that each partner's left foot is the back foot in the pose. Place the outer edges (little-toe sides) of your back feet against each other. Push your back foot against your partner's to help lift your inner arch and keep your back leg active and straight. Grasp each other's forearms and pull gently, helping each other lengthen the back arm. Hold the pose for 30 seconds to a minute. To come out, push into your back foot a little more as you straighten your front leg. Repeat on the other side.

Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-Facing Dog Pose) Working with a partner in this pose can enhance the action of the legs and reinforce the drawing-back action of the hips. This partner exercise also puts the spine into traction and takes the weight of the pose out of the shoulders. The receiving partner comes into Downward-Facing Dog. The helping partner stands a few inches behind, then places a strap around the front of the tops of the receiving partner's thighs, close to the hip crease, grasping the strap as close as possible to the receiving partner's legs. (If it feels more secure, wrap the strap around your hands.) As the helping partner, bend your knees slightly, keeping your torso upright with a natural curve in your lower back, and start to pull strongly on the strap, drawing your partner's hips back. The receiver should feel an increased stretch in the hamstrings and calves, and space in the lower back, and might find that the heels get closer to the floor. Check in about the amount of pressure, and adjust accordingly. Hold for a minute. Slowly let go and see if the receiver can maintain some of the drawing-back action in the hips and legs.

Ardha Chandrasana (Half Moon Pose) The most difficult part of Ardha Chandrasana is balancing, and unless you can balance, it can be difficult to feel the other actions of the pose. Working with a partner to help you balance allows you to focus on opening the front of the body. Choose a partner who is of similar height. The receiving partner takes Trikonasana (Triangle Pose) on the right side. The helping partner stands behind the receiving partner's upper torso and takes hold of the left wrist or upper arm. The receiving partner steps off the back leg and comes into the pose, placing the right hand on a block. The helping partner gently supports the underside of the partner's calf, ankle, or heel, without pulling up. The receiving partner should engage the legs and open the front chest. Once the balance is taken care of, the receiving partner can work on lifting and externally rotating the quadriceps of the standing leg and reaching through the left heel. Hold for 30 seconds to a minute. To come out, the helping partner releases the leg but holds the upper arm until the receiving partner's back foot has touched down and the weight is supported on both feet. Repeat on the other side, and then switch positions.

Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (Bridge Pose) When you work with a partner in Setu Bandha Sarvangasana, you might find you can lift your chest a little bit more. The receiving partner places a strap across the width of the mat and lies down so that the strap touches the upper back. The helping partner sits a few inches from the top of the receiving partner's head, takes hold of the ends of the strap, and places the feet against the tops of the receiving partner's shoulders. The receiving partner comes into the pose. The strap should now be in the crease of the armpits, and the ends should be parallel to the floor. If you are the helping partner, press gently down through your feet to keep your partner's upper arm bones down. Lift your own chest (be careful not to round your back) and pull the ends of the strap toward you, not up toward the ceiling. If you are the receiving partner, make sure you are drawing the buttock flesh away from the lower back as the chest is opening, being mindful of any sensation of compression in the lower back. Keep your weight on the ball of your big toe and keep your knees aligned with your hip sockets. The helping partner pulls for 20 to 30 seconds and then slowly releases the strap. Notice if the receiving partner can maintain the new height of the chest. After a few breaths, the receiving partner slowly releases to the floor, lengthening the lower back. Switch positions.

Ustrasana (Camel Pose) A partner's support in Ustrasana can help you keep your chest lifted and keep compression out of your lower back, two actions that can be challenging in this pose. Choose a partner of similar weight. The receiving partner kneels on a mat facing a wall. If you are the helping partner, sit on the mat directly behind the receiving partner, close enough that you can place your feet on your partner's back body without straightening your legs. Lean back slightly and support your weight on your hands or forearms. Place the ball of one foot on the top of the receiver's buttock flesh, at the top of the sacrum, and gently draw the flesh of the buttock down to help the receiver keep the lower back long in the pose. Check in about the placement of your foot, making sure it is at the top of the buttock, not in the lumbar region (lower spine). This pose is traditionally done with the top of the feet on the floor, but it can also be done with the toes tucked under to make the feet more accessible. The receiving partner lifts the chest and comes into the pose, bringing hands to feet without collapsing the chest, and minimizing how much the pelvis falls back, away from the wall. Once the receiving partner has placed the hands, the helping partner can place the ball of their second foot between the receiver's shoulder blades and gently push up to help the chest lift. You should think of your two feet drawing away from each other, up toward the ceiling and down toward the floor, not toward the wall. Hold for 30 seconds. To come out, the helper can remove the foot from the receiving partner's buttock, but leave the foot between the shoulder blades in place until the receiver is upright. Support and encourage your partner to keep the chest lifted coming out of the pose.

Supta Padangusthasana (Reclining Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose), variation In Supta Padangusthasana, the outer thigh of the top leg tends to lift, causing the lumbar spine on the side of the lifted leg to shorten. This simple exercise, done with a partner and ;a block, can help you understand the connection between the legs and the lower back, and reinforce the idea that the thighbone should move toward the back of the leg. The receiving partner uses a strap to bring the right leg up to 90 degrees. If you are the helping partner, sit or kneel on the outside of your partner's right leg, so that you can easily place a block on the back of your partner's thigh, touching the sitting bone. Hold the block in place, but don't push. The receiving partner should push into the block with both the sitting bone and the thigh, noticing that, as the right side of the waist gets longer, the hamstring gets a deeper stretch. The helping partner should be able to feel the pushing. Repeat on the left side, and then switch positions. Notice if your partner pushes more strongly on one side or the other, and offer feedback.

How To Be A Great Partner

Practice safely and respectfully to get the most out of partner exercises.

Know Yourself: The most important requirement for partnering is that you feel safe and comfortable. "I have had students who say, 'I don't do partnering,' and they sit it out. And that's completely valid," says Cyndi Lee of OM Yoga. "If a student's not comfortable, they should ask the teacher if there's an option for people who don't feel comfortable partnering." If you're uncomfortable for any reason at all, it is always OK not to participate.

Use Common Sense: Remember that waiver you signed? Ultimately, you are the one responsible for your own safety and for the way you touch a fellow student. So use your own judgment about what's right for you. If you're doing dropbacks in pairs, don't partner up with someone twice your size whom you can't support. If you or your partner is not proficient in the pose you're doing, alert the teacher.

Pay Attention: Don't chat or people watch. Make sure that you can see and hear the teacher and that you understand what you're going to do.

Speak Up: If you're not sure about what you've been asked to do or what you're supposed to be feeling in the pose, ask the teacher. If the teacher hasn't specified whether partners should be of similar size, ask if that's important. Check in with your partner about how they're feeling in the pose, and tell them if something they're doing doesn't feel right to you.

Keep an Open Mind: If you feel safe and comfortable, consider giving the exercise a chance. "When I'm able to get over my initial crankiness at having to touch a sweaty stranger, or having to talk when I feel like looking inward, I usually leave the partner exercise feeling good about it," says Sarah Saffian, a yoga student in New York. "I feel like I learn something spiritual by opening up to the experience of partnering with someone."

Don't Sweat It: If you're not comfortable participating, that's OK. "The whole point of our practice is how much we can open to each other, and be balanced and strong and clear and stable—all of the things we work on in our practice—with other people," says Lee. "But there are other ways to do that, even in yoga class, that don't involve partnering. Make room for someone's mat if they come in late. Hand them a block. There are a lot of ways you can interact with people in class that everybody feels safe about, that relate to the rest of our lives."