25 Couples Yoga Poses for Every Level
25 Couples Yoga Poses for Every Level
Couples yoga is one of those activities that sounds intimidating until you actually try it — and then it becomes one of the best things you do together. It's not about being flexible (though that helps). It's about communication, trust, physical connection, and occasionally laughing so hard you both collapse in a heap.
Whether you're both experienced yogis or neither of you can touch your toes, there's a couples yoga pose for your level. Here are 25 of them, organized from "we just started dating" easy to "we've been together forever and trust each other with our lives" advanced.
Beginner Couples Yoga Poses
These poses require minimal flexibility and no prior yoga experience. They're perfect for your first partner yoga session.
1. Seated Breathing (Sukhasana Together)
Sit cross-legged, back to back. Close your eyes and synchronize your breathing. Inhale together for 4 counts, exhale together for 4 counts. Do this for 2-3 minutes.
Why it's great: Starting with shared breathing centers both of you. You'll feel your partner's ribcage expand and contract against yours, which creates an immediate physical connection.
2. Seated Side Bend
Stay seated back to back. Both extend your right arm overhead and lean left, creating a side stretch. Hold for 30 seconds, then switch sides.
Why it's great: Gentle, accessible, and opens up the side body. Leaning away from each other while staying connected through your backs is a nice metaphor for independence within partnership.
3. Partner Forward Fold (Paschimottanasana)
Sit facing each other, legs extended, feet touching. Hold each other's wrists or forearms. One person gently folds forward while the other leans back, providing a gentle pull. Hold for 30 seconds, then switch.
Why it's great: The person pulling back gets a chest opener, while the person folding forward gets a deeper hamstring stretch than they'd achieve alone. Communication is essential — "more" and "less" become important words.
4. Twin Trees (Partner Vrksasana)
Stand side by side. Each person does Tree Pose on the leg closest to each other — lifting the outer foot to the inner thigh or calf. Wrap your inner arms around each other's waist or hold hands overhead. Find balance together.
Why it's great: Balance poses are hard alone. Together, you can lean on each other for support — literally. It's a beautiful visual and a genuine balance challenge.
5. Partner Boat Pose
Sit facing each other, knees bent, toes touching. Hold each other's wrists. Slowly lift your feet off the ground and straighten your legs, pressing the soles of your feet together. Lean back to create a V-shape with your combined bodies.
Why it's great: This is a great core exercise that requires equal effort from both people. If one person gives up, both go down. Accountability in action.
6. Standing Forward Fold with Back Support
Stand back to back. Both fold forward. Reach through your legs and hold each other's hands or forearms. Let your heads hang naturally.
Why it's great: The shared weight creates a deeper stretch than solo forward folds. It's also mildly hilarious to be upside down holding your partner's hands through your legs.
7. Partner Chair Pose (Utkatasana)
Stand back to back, feet hip-width apart. Link arms at the elbows. Slowly walk your feet forward while leaning into each other's backs, and sink into a squat position. Hold.
Why it's great: Your partner's back is your support. Neither of you can stand without the other. Hold it long enough and the quad burn becomes a bonding experience.
8. Buddy Warrior II
Stand facing the same direction, one person in front of the other. Both enter Warrior II. The back person can gently place their hands on the front person's hips for alignment feedback. Hold, then switch positions.
Why it's great: It's individual practice with a partner dimension. Light touch feedback improves form without being invasive.
Intermediate Couples Yoga Poses
These require some yoga experience and a degree of trust and body awareness.
9. Double Downward Dog
Person A enters Downward Dog. Person B places their hands on the ground in front of Person A, then walks their feet up Person A's back, placing their feet at Person A's hips. Person B is now in an inverted Downward Dog on top of Person A.
Why it's great: The first "wow" pose on this list. Person A gets a supported stretch, Person B gets an inversion. It looks much harder than it is.
10. Partner Camel Pose
Kneel facing away from each other, back to back. Both enter Camel Pose (leaning back, hands reaching for heels). Your heads will come close together as you arch. You can touch the tops of your heads together for connection.
Why it's great: Deep heart opener done simultaneously. The shared vulnerability of leaning back with an open chest is emotionally powerful.
11. Seated Twist Pass
Sit back to back, legs crossed. Both twist in the same direction — one person twisting right, the other left. Reach your right hand to their left knee, and your left hand behind you to their right knee. Hold, then twist the other way.
Why it's great: A deep spinal twist with your partner as an anchor. The counter-rotation creates a satisfying stretch.
12. Partner Reverse Warrior
Stand side by side in Warrior II. The inside arms reach up and over, hands meeting overhead in a gentle backbend. The outside arms drop down the respective back legs.
Why it's great: Creates a beautiful arch between two people. The shared reach overhead requires synchronization and spatial awareness.
13. Flying Superman (Supported)
Person A (base) lies on their back, legs extended vertically. Person B (flyer) faces Person A and leans forward, placing their hips on Person A's feet. Person A grips Person B's hands for stability. Person A extends legs, lifting Person B into a Superman position.
Why it's great: This is the gateway to acro yoga. It requires trust, core strength, and communication. The flyer gets to experience the sensation of flying, which is genuinely joyful.
14. Double Plank
Person A holds a plank. Person B holds a plank on top of Person A, with their hands on Person A's ankles and their feet on Person A's shoulders (or upper back). Both hold.
Why it's great: Looks impressive on Instagram, tests core strength for both people, and requires absolute trust in Person A's plank stability.
15. Partner Extended Side Angle
Both enter Extended Side Angle facing opposite directions, with your back feet touching. The top arms reach overhead and hold each other's hands, creating a long diagonal line.
Why it's great: Opens the entire side body while creating a visually stunning connected shape.
16. Temple Pose
Stand facing each other, arms overhead. Walk your feet back until you can hinge forward at the hips and press your palms together with arms extended, foreheads touching. Your bodies create an inverted V-shape.
Why it's great: Deep shoulder and chest stretch. Foreheads touching is an intimate point of connection. Communication about how deep to press is important.
17. Supported Fish Pose
Person A sits behind Person B. Person B leans back onto Person A's bent knees, which support their upper back. Person B opens their arms wide, letting their chest expand. Person A can gently hold Person B's shoulders.
Why it's great: An incredibly relaxing heart opener for Person B. Person A provides a stable, supportive base. Great for winding down a session.
Advanced Couples Yoga Poses
These require significant yoga experience, trust, and body awareness. Work up to them gradually.
18. Flying Bow Pose
Person A (base) lies on their back with legs extended up. Person B (flyer) places their abdomen on Person A's feet and extends into Bow Pose (grabbing their ankles behind them). Person A supports with legs and may hold Person B's shoulders for stability.
Why it's great: A dramatic pose that combines acro yoga with deep backbending. Requires excellent communication and progressive trust-building.
19. Double Dancer Pose
Stand facing each other. Both enter Dancer Pose (one leg lifted behind, held by the hand on the same side). Free hands reach forward and hold each other's. Find balance through mutual support.
Why it's great: Two people in Dancer Pose holding each other is one of the most photogenic yoga positions possible. The mutual balance support makes the pose more stable than solo.
20. Wheel Pose Stack
Person A enters Wheel Pose (Urdhva Dhanurasana). Person B carefully enters Wheel Pose on top, with their hands on Person A's thighs and their feet on Person A's hands (or shoulders). Spotter recommended.
Why it's great: An advanced pose that creates a visually stunning stacked arch. This is aspirational for many couples and requires significant strength and flexibility from both partners.
21. Flying Handstand
Person A (base) lies on their back. Person B (flyer) faces away from Person A. Person A places feet on Person B's lower back. Person B leans back, and Person A extends legs, lifting Person B. Person B extends into a handstand position with Person A's feet as the support.
Why it's great: Full-body strength, trust, and acro yoga skill combined. The flyer is completely dependent on the base's strength and stability.
22. Partner Scorpion
Both enter Forearm Stand (Pincha Mayurasana) facing each other, close enough that feet can touch overhead. Arch into Scorpion Pose, feet meeting in the air.
Why it's great: This is elite-level partner yoga. If you can do this together, you're in the top fraction of a percent of couples yoga practitioners.
23. Supported Headstand
Person A enters Headstand (Sirsasana). Person B stands behind and provides light ankle support, then gradually releases. The goal is for Person A to balance independently with Person B as a safety net.
Why it's great: Having a spotter for inversions builds confidence and allows longer holds. Switch roles.
24. Floating Paschi
Person A (base) lies on their back, feet up. Person B (flyer) sits on Person A's feet, facing away. Person B folds forward into Paschimottanasana while being supported by Person A's feet on their sacrum. Person A gently extends legs to float Person B.
Why it's great: A floating forward fold is deeply relaxing for the flyer and provides a unique stretch sensation. The base controls the angle and depth.
25. Star Pose (Acro)
Person A (base) lies on their back, legs extended up. Person B (flyer) stands at Person A's head, then leans forward, placing hands on Person A's hands. Person A bends knees, Person B hops up, and both extend — Person B balanced on Person A's feet and hands in a star shape.
Why it's great: The ultimate couples yoga pose. Full extension, full trust, full connection. When you nail it, the feeling of shared accomplishment is incredible.
Tips for a Great Couples Yoga Practice
Start Easy, Progress Slowly
Don't attempt Flying Bow Pose in your first session. Start with seated breathing, work through the beginner poses, and progress as trust and ability develop. The journey is the point.
Communicate Constantly
"Higher." "Lower." "More pressure." "Less." "I'm losing balance." "I've got you." Partner yoga without verbal communication is a recipe for injury. Talk through every transition.
Laugh It Off
You're going to fall. You're going to look ridiculous. You're going to end up in a tangled heap of limbs. That's fine. The couples who enjoy partner yoga the most are the ones who treat it as play, not performance.
Take Turns Being the Base
If your poses have a base and a flyer, switch roles regularly. Both positions offer unique benefits and challenges.
Use Props
Blocks, straps, and bolsters aren't cheating — they're tools. Use them to make poses accessible and comfortable.
End with Savasana
Lie side by side in Savasana (corpse pose) for 5-10 minutes. Hold hands. Breathe. Let the session settle. This is often the most intimate part of a couples yoga practice.
Why Couples Yoga Works for Relationships
Couples yoga isn't just exercise — it's a relationship practice. The physical trust required translates directly to emotional trust. The communication skills transfer to everyday conversations. The shared vulnerability — trying things, failing, laughing, trying again — mirrors the best dynamics of a healthy relationship.
Studies on partner activities consistently show that novel, physically engaging shared experiences increase relationship satisfaction more than passive ones (like watching TV together). Couples yoga is novel, physical, and deeply engaging. It's relationship therapy disguised as exercise.
Finding Your Yoga Partner
If you're looking for someone who'd be up for attempting Double Downward Dog on a Sunday morning, finding a fitness-minded partner makes all the difference. DateFit, the world's largest dating app for the fitness community, connects people who value an active, health-conscious lifestyle. Whether your thing is yoga, lifting, running, or all of the above, your partner in poses (and in life) might be one swipe away.
Ready to find your partner for yoga, fitness, and everything else? DateFit is the world's largest dating app for the fitness community. Download it today and start building connections that go deeper than the mat.