Partner Yoga as Couples Therapy
Pretty much no relationship is immune to the occasional rough patch. During these times, many couples turn to couples therapy. However, in situations where couples feel disconnected and regaining connection through conversation seems impossible, partner yoga may be a useful exercise. Even with healthy, happy couples, partner yoga may serve to enhance the relationship further.
Keep reading to learn more about partner yoga, its benefits, and why partner yoga may be as effective (or more effective) than traditional counseling.
What is partner yoga?
Simply put, partner yoga is regular yoga with the assistance of a partner. Traditionally, yoga is viewed as a profoundly personal, individual practice, intended to deepen one’s spirituality and inner peace. Yet, more and more couples are finding partner yoga effective at joining two souls, breaking down barriers caused by disagreement, and deepening the connection in a romantic relationship.
Why might partner yoga be an effective form of couples therapy?
Studies show that body-oriented psychotherapy, like partner yoga, can reduce stress and decrease symptoms of depression. Additionally, partner yoga can enhance sexual intimacy and cultivate compassion in a relationship, which can contribute to increased relationship satisfaction.
Too often, in relationship lock jams, individuals become entrenched in their side of the argument, getting stuck in their head and distant from their partner. Partner yoga allows couples to get out of their heads and into their bodies, reconnecting with one another in the process.
Ready to get on the mat yet? If you’re not convinced yet, here are a few more concrete reasons partner yoga may be an excellent solution for your relationship.
Partner yoga can boost communication.
Performing at-times challenging physical poses with another person requires communication. If you need the other to move a certain way, you must tell them. In relationships where communication barriers have been put up, partner yoga forces those walls down. In this way, it can be an excellent way to relearn how to communicate your needs to your partner.
Partner yoga can ease relationship tension by building trust.
We all know that yoga can do wonders for easing physical, mental, and spiritual tension in individuals. Why wouldn’t it do the same for two people? Just as partner yoga encourages couples to communicate, it enables them to rely on one another for support. In relationships where trust may be diminished, this practice can do wonders for rebuilding the emotional trust that they once had.