While you were in a yoga class and going through the motions have you ever received an adjustment when your yoga teacher walks by so that you can get a deeper pose or some added pressure? How about getting some help when you wanted to practice a pose that you needed help with like a handstand? If you said yes to either situation or both, then you have already benefitted from the experience of partner yoga. Yoga teacher training is beginning to look at ways to always increase the benefits that you receive from your yoga practice. When partner yoga works, it can be a great tool to helping you with your yoga practice. It allows the teacher to move around and be everywhere.
Partner yoga is an accelerated path to finding a union with our present moment and our individual presence. If we can recognize this within ourselves we can then recognize it and unite with others. During this style of yoga teaching we learn to support each other and the emotions that come through during the session will help us build our relationships and grow the connection we have with our body, heart, mind and spirit.
Creating an openness
The best situation and most successful practice with partner yoga is one where you can completely trust your partner to help assist you in the safest way and you can offer the same in return. Partner yoga sessions are a great way to deepen a relationship or build on your own yoga practice. During yoga teacher training we like to start off this partner yoga with someone that you are comfortable and already familiar with. Once this is established and you are familiar with how the partner yoga works it is an interesting move when the yoga teacher assigns you to work with a stranger that is in your class.
Partner yoga with a stranger brings two issues of awareness into play: mental and physical concern. Through yoga certification we learn that practicing yoga is about letting go of obstacles and opening up your mind and body to allow the energy to flow. However uncomfortable it may be at first to work with someone you do not know it is actually a very good exercise in allowing yourself to connect with a new person and let your personal restrictions go. Once you have started working with someone else in yoga you will learn to move past the physical touching element and not be so terrified. Yoga teacher training talks about getting your body to open up and allow it to freely move into the poses, while there is just as much talk about opening up your mind and allowing it to move freely. Make it a personal challenge to find yoga teaching styles where the teacher may yell out that everyone in class needs to partner up!
Maintaining your Awareness
Another concern with partner yoga is to make sure that your partner is always aware of your physical safety. If your yoga teacher pairs you up with someone that is too inexperienced make sure that you guide them through polite direction to modify any adjustments that they may be doing. Most people will be more inclined to be nervous about giving adjustment and will lean on the tentative side instead of the aggressive. If you do not think that your partner will be able to handle you in certain poses due to their limited strength or size, do not be afraid to ask for the instructor to assist or just pass on that particular pose.
Who can participate?
Partner yoga is playful and nurturing along with being instructive so it appeals to a wide range of people. Partner yoga can provide a way into practicing yoga that may have before seemed intimidating or unattainable. Yoga teacher training has focused this practice to allow each student the ability to explore their interpersonal dynamics in forms that nurture each relationship that we are involved in. Due to the importance of being able to communicate others have looked in this direction for guidance and use it as a tool. Some people that look for this type of workshop are: Teachers and counselors, parents and children, corporate groups, and any individual person that is looking to find personal growth in their lives.
Anamaya is sharing information with you about the different kinds of yoga styles that are available to you. Look for a location close to you if you find this style interesting and want to know more.
