Valentine's Day: Couples Yoga Poses, Couples Meditation Benefits

Partner Yoga is a great way to learn surrender, build trust, and deepen intimacy. Partner Yoga can be practiced by anyone – no previous yoga experience is necessary. Some poses challenge your balance, strength and flexibility, others require your total trust and surrender.

Each exercise and breathing technique uses the power of the partner dynamic to achieve more than one person could alone. From creative exercise to profound spiritual work, Partner Yoga delivers a diverse range of benefits to a wide array of people. This well rounded practice requires no special equipment and can be done in any open space (the living room, gym, or park).

When you feel safe and supported you develop the courage to trust others and the strength to confront your fears and embrace your true self. No previous yoga experience is necessary. Beginners and the inflexible are especially welcome.

Partner Yoga uses various movements and poses to focus the mind and increase strength, stamina and flexibility which are done in the spirit of nurturing and play. Since yoga is usually such an internally-focused practice, being focused on your significant other is a way to enrich not only your own spirit but your loved one’s as well.

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie keep their relationship juicy by practicing couples yoga together, according to sources.

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt reportedly practice Couples Yoga.

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie keep their relationship strong by doing yoga together, according to sources.

After the recent reporting of David and Victoria Beckham, it seems that the latest uber high profile couple to be reported doing couples yoga is Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt. 

A source explained: “They’ve been practicing his Siddha yoga and they start and end the day by chanting a sacred word he’s given them. It’s transformed their relationship – they’ve both cut back on drinking and no longer argue.”  The Hollywood stars have been working with Indian spiritual teacher Guru Ram Lalji to bring harmony to their five-year union according to a source.

“They’ve been practicing his Siddha yoga and they start and end the day by chanting a sacred word he’s given them,” Contactmusic quoted a source as telling Now magazine.  “Victoria and David do power yoga classes for couples for an hour about twice a week. It’s a very intimate experience. You have to learn to become one entity entirely,” said a source. “You stretch, breathe and move as one – it’s great for couples and probably better than talking in a way. They started taking the classes about a year ago and it’s astonishing how in tune with each other they are these days.”

The last few days, there have been reports from major media sources, including Glamour Magazine and several credible celebrity news sites about the famous humanitarian-minded duo hitting the matt together and chanting.

For David and Victoria Beckham, in addition to regular practice of  yoga to keep their bodies lean and lovely, thanks to the classes, which include the ancient hands-on healing energy technique of reiki as well as meditation where the pair chant mantras to one another, Becks, 35, and Posh, 36, married 11 years, are able to better weather the persistent accusations of David’s infidelity that seem to plague them.

According to an insider, “It’s a very intimate experience. You have to learn to become one entity entirely. You stretch, breathe and move as one – it’s great for couples, and is probably better than talking in a way.” With the help of twice-a-week couple sessions at The Sports Club LA in Beverly Hills, not only are their bodies kept enviably beautiful but their relationship, too, is apparently made that much stronger.

Partner or couple’s yoga where two people work together in various yoga postures, is not a new concept, but it is a growing trend of the past few years. The majority of yoga students in the U.S. are women. Couple’s yoga is the perfect invitation for men to enjoy the transformative benefits of Hatha Yoga on the body as well as on the relationship. Men find that couple’s yoga gives them an opportunity to be sensitive without embarrassment. Men will also find that the combination of muscle-toning and stretching has a terrific effect on their sex life.

Venus Kriyas are meditations for couples and are excellent as a regular spiritual practice. There are several Venus Kriyas, but they are especially effective if couples choose one meditation to practice consistently for 40, 90 or 120 days to integrate a particular aspect of the relationship (40 days to change a habit, 90 days to confirm the habit and 120 days to make the new habit part of you. These couples’ meditations are an especially beautiful practice that can elevate your relationship to a higher level.

For couples who want to explore safe, playful ways of being tender and loving together, couples yoga poses can transform your connection.  You will take turns placing each other in restorative poses and then massaging your partner’s hands, feet, neck and face while they simply get to relax and melt.

In poses and exercises, partners rely on each other’s support to keep correct body alignment, balance, and concentration. In a deeper sense, this physical support fosters deeper feelings of nurture and acceptance. Couples are reminded to respect their own and their partner’s limitations of stretching and physical fitness and not push beyond them to the point of discomfort.

 Do you think that couples that hit the mat together, stay together?

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Jasmine Kaloudis teaches  couples yoga poses as well as gentle beginner yoga in various Philadelphia area locations and is the author of the top mind body blogs  and websites for 2011.