In this post, you’ll learn easy, medium, and hard couples yoga poses that even inflexible runners (like us) can do.

These couples yoga poses were curated to boost strength, flexibility, fun, and relationship satisfaction.

Also included in this article are our free Couples Yoga Poses PDF and a 24-minute online yoga session to tie these partner yoga poses into a professionally designed couples yoga flow sequence. 

Some days, we have a hard time touching our toes. Still, we were able to safely practice these partner yoga poses. Get your tripod ready, because these two-person yoga poses are fun to photograph!

Practicing these partner yoga poses is a perfect way to strengthen your mind, body, and relationship together. Let’s get started while bendy is still trendy!

couples yoga poses

Although we practice yoga regularly, we are not yogis. Since we’re not yogis, we had several certified yoga teachers help with the poses and written instruction.

If you’re like us (not that bendy), review the written instruction to help you perform the couples yoga positions safely. These 38 partner and acro yoga poses are the best because they’re:

1. Safe but still challenging
2. Partner poses that test your balance, flexibility, strength, and communication
3. They stretch and strengthen the whole body 

We recommend you follow all 38 partner yoga poses in the order listed. Not only are they listed from easiest to hardest, but the moves are dispersed evenly so you’re not over-stretching one area or going into a deep pose before you’re warmed up.

With patience and practice, anyone can do these easy, medium, and hard yoga poses for two people. Most importantly: Have fun together, do your best, and high-five because you’re taking advantage of the amazing benefits of couples yoga.

We love yoga because it’s tough. Alex, in particular, finds the balance and flexibility a challenge, but that’s all the more reason to do it.

If it’s hard, it means you need the practice! The whole “Buddha on lily pad” zen-like feeling will have to wait for next time.

Before Starting The Couples Yoga Poses

Before trying these partner yoga poses, make sure you’re both warmed up. A few sun salutations, high knees, or stretches will suffice.

Next, be prepared to communicate during each couples yoga pose. Talk about when to start and finish the pose, and discuss how you are feeling throughout. Do not hold a pose if it’s painful for either of you.

If you want photos, get the tripod ready. Capturing these poses is a great accomplishment. Your photos might inspire another couple to start practicing yoga together. At the very least, you can laugh at your bloopers reel.

Lastly, feel free to download our Couples Yoga Poses PDF so that you can easily reference each pose. Print it out or keep it on your phone so you can practice couples yoga anywhere you go! Just make sure you read the instructions included in this article.

After Practicing These Partner Yoga Positions

While couples yoga poses are a great way to bond, stretch, improve balance, and take great pictures, they’re not the most effective way to advance your overall yoga practice.

Much of yoga’s challenge happens between poses, when you have to engage large and small muscle groups to maintain balance and control while flowing into the next pose.

Once you practice our 38 easy, medium, and hard partner yoga poses, we recommend you move on to our Couples Yoga Flow Routine. We partnered with a professional yogi and gymnastics choreographer to bring you this couples yoga flow sequence.

You can review the full details of the yoga video in our article, ‘Couples Yoga Flow Routine,’ or press play on the video below.

The online yoga session can be done at home, includes professional instruction, and is perfect for beginner to intermediate yoga couples.

For other ways to get fit and fall more in love with your partner, we offer the following:

• The Couples Workout Routine
• Pregnancy Workout Routine for Couples
• Partner Ab Exercise Routine

When we filmed the Couple’s Yoga Flow Routine several years ago, we didn’t know how it would be received. We were motivated because the other videos out there were all stretching, no strength, no flow, and could be done alone.

Now that couples have spent over 2,500 hours viewing our partner yoga flow video, we knew this was exactly what couples were looking for. And it doesn’t exist anywhere else.

Therefore, we created an innovative partner yoga routine to push couples to interact, work together, and get in shape practicing yoga as they’ve never done before. Not to mention, have a lot of fun. We hope to see you in our studio!

easy partner yoga poses

The following couples yoga poses are for beginners. These include partner yoga stretches and beginner yoga moves.

Again, we recommend you follow these in order to make sure you don’t overstretch or move into a deeper pose before properly warming up. Have fun!

1. Stacked Child’s Pose

This first couples yoga position might be a new one for you. The stacked couples child’s pose is so photogenic you should probably Instagram this with your partner immediately.

Although funny looking, this duo yoga pose will relieve tension in your lower back. A padded surface would be far more comfortable than stone tiles. 

2. Partner Breathing

For this simple couples yoga pose, sit up straight back to back, lengthen your spine, and slowly breathe in and out through your nose.

Sync your breath so you can feel your partner expanding as they inhale. Rest your hands on your knees and relax.

3. Seated Partner Forward Fold

For this partner hamstring stretch, spread your legs out to the side and put your feet together. We are training for a marathon right now and, as you can see, our hamstrings are tight!

Don’t feel like you need to bend over to the floor to benefit from this pose. Without arching your backs, take turns pulling each other forward lightly until you feel a good hamstring stretch.

4. Partner Side Angle Pose

Side angle pose is an excellent couples yoga position for beginners. Make sure you alternate sides. Keep your feet perpendicular and gaze up at your hand. 

If you have a hard time reaching your partner’s hand, you can use a yoga strap, hand towel, or t-shirt.

5. Seated Cat For Couples

Engage your core, tuck your chin, pull your belly in, and lean back. You can pull away from each other to go deeper into the stretch. 

6. Partner Yoga Twist

To properly complete this easy couple yoga pose, lengthen your spine, sit up straight, engage your core, breathe, and enjoy the couples yoga spinal twist.

7. Child’s Pose And Fish

A padded surface is helpful for this couples yoga pose. While in child’s pose, you can experiment with your knees together or spread open, deepening the stretch.

8. Cheeky Forward Fold

This easy couple yoga pose gets a little cheeky.

In forward fold, don’t lock your knees. If you need to bend your knees (like Ryan), that’s fine. Focus on keeping your spine long instead of rounding your back. You can also do a wide-legged forward fold.

Although not pictured in our duo yoga pose, it’s extra credit if you get a little cheeky and bump buns with your partner. 

9. Triangle For Two

This standing partner yoga pose is another excellent hamstring stretch. Triangle is a beginner yoga pose that anyone can do. If you’re less flexible, touch your shin or knee instead of your ankle or the floor.

It’s important not to apply pressure with your hand, especially if it’s on your knee. You can also place your hand on a yoga block or water bottle to make the floor higher. Lastly, make sure your back foot is at a 45-degree angle and never lock your knees. 

10. Cobra Back Bend

This partner yoga pose stretches your lower back. For the person on the floor, it will also stretch their shoulders and chest. Take turns standing and lying down. Finally, make sure to engage your core. 

11. Partner Temple Pose

This is another great partner hamstring stretch. Stand apart facing each other. Then, bend over and grip each other’s shoulders (or upper back if there is a height difference). Move your feet closer or further as needed.

Keeping your knees slightly bent and core flexed, push each other’s shoulders toward the ground bending deeper into the hamstring stretch. For a deeper stretch, try to straighten your legs.

12. Duo Bird Dog Pose

Bird dog is an incredible pose to relieve lower back pain. Get on all fours an arms-length distance apart. Each lift your right arm placing your hand on your partner’s shoulder. You must keep your backs flat and flex your core muscles.

Once steady, lift your left leg so that it’s parallel to the ground. Keep your toe pointed down. You should start shaking with muscle fatigue, so make sure you encourage your partner. Then switch sides and repeat.

13. Partner Runners Pose

We’ll finish the easy partner yoga poses and stretches with one of our favorite hip flexor and calf stretches. Get in a narrow runners pose with your right legs forward and feet about one foot apart.

Lean forward so that your body, from the heel to the back of the head, is in a straight line. Put your palms together and push against your partner to engage more muscles and get a deeper stretch.

Partner Yoga Poses – Medium

These yoga poses for two are perfect for beginner to intermediate yogis. They are more challenging because they require more strength and balance than the easy partner yoga poses we just did.

Going forward, these couples yoga positions will require more upper and lower body strength. To advance your yoga practice as a couple, don’t forget about cardio and total body strength training.

Our Couples Workout Routine is an intense HIIT routine that will help you accomplish both. Additionally, consistently scheduling more yoga together will also help strengthen your practice.

14. Partner Back Stretch

This two-person, beginner yoga pose feels fantastic. Plus, your partner is always more fun to stretch with than a stability ball.

Although it looks a little funny, it still works when a 5’4″ wife lifts her 6’1″ husband.

15. Partner Yoga Tree Pose

Couples tree pose is the classic couple balancing pose. It’s even more challenging to balance when you’re attached to your partner.

Depending on your flexibility, keep your foot above or below your knee to avoid putting pressure on your knee. 

16. Reverse Warrior Heart Pose

We thought this one was a lot harder than it looked. Put your right and left feet together at the center of the mat and lunge into Warrior 3. Place one arm behind your back and slowly lean back into reverse warrior.

Make sure you engage your core, gaze up at your elbow, and try to hold hands with your partner.

17. Kissing Bow Pose

For this two-person yoga pose start face down with your heads next to each other. Then, lift in to bow pose and kiss.

18. Double Dancer

Start by standing on the ends of the mat. Then lean forward and place your left arms on each other’s left shoulders. Then, fly your right arms and right legs back into dancer pose.

Be careful not to arch your back. You should feel the stretch in your hip flexor. Work together to balance. Once your finish, switch and stand on your right leg.

19. Couples Chair Pose

For couples chair pose, it helped us to start with our arms linked in a sitting position. Then, push with your legs against each other’s back and lift off of the ground.

Hold this pose until muscle failure, and make sure you communicate to your partner when you need to go back down to the floor. How long can you hold it?

20. Two-Person Warrior 6 Pose

Once again, stand far apart on the ends of the mat. Lean forward and place your hands on your partner’s shoulders or upper back if there is a height difference. Then lift your right legs into Warrior 3.

You can point your toes and balance together for as long as you can. Then, switch sides.

21. Couples Camel Pose

Another great back stretch, this pose emphasizes lengthening the quads and hip flexors. To safely complete this beginner couples yoga pose, follow these steps:

1. Put your knees together
2. Grab your partner’s forearms
3. Lean back into camel pose
4. Keep your chest open and flex your core by pulling your belly button toward your spine
5. It feels even better to relax your head and neck
6. Be careful not to turn your head to the side

If you notice tight hip flexors and quads during this couple yoga pose, we recommend you start using a standing desk. 

22. Partner Chair Pose Twist

Stand two arm’s length distance apart, hold each other’s left hand, and lower into chair pose. Keep your back straight, core flexed, and weight in your heels.

Then, twist and try to stretch your right arm behind you while keeping your knees aimed forward.

23. Partner Shoulder Stand

Support your lower back with your hands and engage your core. For safety, do not use momentum during this couples yoga pose.

Instead, use your core strength to come in and out of the pose slowly. Lastly, once you’re in the pose, do not turn your head from side to side. Extra credit if you bump buns!

24. Couples Yoga Catamaran Pose

Get it? Start in boat pose with your feet on the ground holding your partner’s hands. Move closer or further apart if needed. Then press your feet together and lift into boat pose. If you’re not super flexible like us, just do one leg at a time.

25. Downward Dog Upward Bow

This two-person yoga pose is a combination of downward dog and bow. First, if you can’t do bow pose individually (on your stomach), skip this pose or only do downward dog.

Second, while in downward dog focus on driving your hips up and flexing your core to help support your partners weight. Considering downward dog is one of the principal yoga poses, it’s not that easy for someone with tight hamstrings to keep their spine straight (ahem, Alex). Bending the knees and imagining a string pulling you up like a puppet will help.

Lastly, Alex (105 lbs.) didn’t try to support Ryan (175 lbs.) in this pose. While she probably could have supported Ryan’s weight, we didn’t want to risk it. Use your best judgment. If you’re uncomfortable, skip the position.

26. Double Decker Upward Plank Pose

First, both get your hands and feet into position but keep your butt down. Once you’re both ready, it’s easiest for the person on the top to lift their hips and assume plank pose. Then the bottom person. Do your best to make your body a straight line.

27. Hand Standing On The Dog

First, one person gets into downward dog. Then, the second person positions their hands before lifting their legs onto the downward dog. Their shoulders should be directly below their hips in a perfect, upside-down L-shape.

Take turns in each role and enjoy the upper body burn while in a handstand.

28. Partner Yoga Plank Up Dog

This yoga pose for couples requires considerable core and upper body strength.

Flex your core, and if you can’t maintain perfect plank form while supporting the weight of your partner, skip this position until you can increase core strength. Try doing plank holds until failure four times a week. 

29. Partner Yoga Plank

The same rules apply to this couples yoga pose. Try to do a full one-legged chaturanga on your partner.

30. Dos Equis Partner Side Plank

You can also do a forearm plank if the full side plank is too difficult. If you’re having a hard time balancing, move further apart.

Hard couples yoga poses

If you are wondering where to begin with acro yoga, start with these moves. These are hard couples yoga poses, so please be safe.

Increasing your total body strength will only help. Again, we recommend our total body, at-home Couples Workout Routine.

However, that routine uses only you and your partners body weight. Resistance training with free weights or resistance bands will be helpful for these acro yoga moves.

As always, be safe and make sure you stop if either of you experiences pain during these couples acroyoga poses.

31. Beginner Acro Yoga Pose 1 – I Got Your Back

This post was about sharing our favorite couples yoga poses with you. While we did our best to give each pose a correct name, we had to make up some of them. Here’s our first partner acroyoga pose.

Stand back to back and link your arms. One person bends over while keeping their spine long. The second person uses their core strength to lift their legs. 

32. Beginner Acro Yoga Pose 2 – Flying L-batross

This one is relatively simple, but it requires leg and core strength and balance. While on the ground, make sure you press your lower back into the floor to protect your spine. 

33. Double Decker Couples Bridge Pose

For this pose, it’s easiest to get your hands and feet into position first. Once the bottom person’s arms are straight the top person can lift into a bridge pose.

Lastly, the bottom person can lift their hips into bridge pose and lift their heels for added difficulty. In bridge pose, make sure your back is flat, core is engaged, butt is flexed, and knees are not flared out.

34. Kissing Down Dog Plank

Once your partner is in plank pose, do a downward dog with your feet on their lower back. Then go in for the kiss.

35. One Arm High-Flying Whale Pose

Start by holding both legs with both arms and then experiment with one. This hard yoga pose for two people will test your balance and core strength. If you need a spotter, recruit a friend. 

36. Couples Crow Pose

Challenge your upper body strength with this hard partner yoga pose. Although it might be tempting to turn your head to the side and kiss your partner’s cheek, do not. 

In many yoga poses, such as camel pose or plow, it can be extremely dangerous to turn your head to the side as you could tweak your neck. 

37. Yoga Airplane Pose

When you are comfortable with this acro yoga pose, let go of each other’s hands and try flying. We weren’t quite there yet, so we’ll keep practicing. 

38. Couples Throne Pose

Couples throne pose is hard to get into and out of, but easy to maintain. We used a spotter for this position. 

Advance your partner yoga practice

We hope that you enjoyed our favorite couples yoga poses. If you did, feel free to share your favorites in the comments.  

If you and your partner have enjoyed practicing these partner yoga poses together, we cannot recommend our Couple’s Yoga Program highly enough.

We had a blast practicing and filming these innovative and challenging couples yoga classes.

We hope to see you in our couples yoga studio!

You Finished The Couples Yoga Poses

Congrats to you and your partner. If you have any questions or feedback, please share them in the comments section below.

For more resources for couples, such as how to give your partner a good massage or our Partner Core Exercise Routine, check out our Healthy Couples Page.