The Best Yoga Poses for Valentine’s Day (Hint: They Involve Two of You!)

• Sit back-to-back in a comfortable cross-legged position. Both partners reach arms out to sides, palms facing away, arms parallel to the floor. Taller partner takes hands over, shorter partner hands under; press palms together.
• Coordinate breathing: On each inhale, lengthen through spine, and on each exhale, twist as much as feels good to the right, firmly pressing palms together. Come back through center and repeat on other side.

• Start seated back to back with knees bent and feet planted hip-width apart with arms linked at elbows. Press firmly into feet and against one another to lift hips off the ground with knees bent and thighs parallel to the ground. This is partner chair.
• Take a breath here, then try to reverse and lower butts to the ground, keeping contact with your backs and linked arms and elbows. Try this ten times, and don’t forget to breathe.

Stand side by side with hips touching. Reach behind partner’s back for their waist and hold with the inside arm. Then, take your own outside foot with your outside hand and place your foot inside your calf or thigh. Press the palms of your outside hands together at chest level (or for added cuteness, make a heart with your two hands!).

• Standing 1-2 feet away with backs to each other, take feet wider than mat-distance apart and forward fold.
• Reach arms through legs and grab a hold of partner’s wrists or forearms. Breathe here for several deep breaths, looking at each other, and swaying forward and back to where feels good.

• Stand back to back with feet no wider than hip-width apart and forward bend.
• Put hands on partner’s shins, and breathe into hamstrings. If this feels good, reach for partner’s shoulders or arms. If either of these are too intense on the hamstrings or back, soften knees. Breathe here for several deep breaths.

• Sit back to back. Touch soles of feet together and let knees fall apart (or cross legs). Take a few breaths with spines upright, leaning into each other.
• Partner 1, start to lean back as partner 2 is gently pushed forward into a forward bend. (Communicate with each other so you know what feels good.) Breathe here.
• Slowly return to start position and repeat with partner 2 leaning back and partner 1 forward bending. Breathe. Slowly return to start position.

• Partner 1: Lay face down, bend knees, and grab ankles. Keeping knees no wider than hip-width apart, press shins into hands, lift chest off the ground, and flex feet. Partner 2: Step over partner 1’s legs and sit on their flexed feet.
• Partner 2: Take hands to partner 1’s shoulders and lean back into their feet. If this feels good, you can take it a step further by holding partner 1’s upper arms and leaning back more. Come out softly.
• Partner 1: Lay face down; partner 2: Place hand on partner 1’s sacrum and massage lightly. Switch.

• Partner 2: Lay down on back. Hug both knees into chest. Lengthen right leg long and twist left knee to the right with arms extended to form a T with body. Partner 1: Stand over partner 2. Place left foot lightly on partner 2’s left buttock or top of thigh.
• Partner 2: Give right hand to partner 1. Partner 1: Take partner 2’s right wrist in right hand. Take a big inhale. On exhale, Partner 1 lean back, lifting partner 2’s right shoulder from ground. Breathe here, then slowly unwind out of pose. Repeat on the other side, then switch positions.

• Partner 1: Lay down on back, hug knees into chest, and release to savasana with feet mat-distance apart and arms relaxed to sides.
• Partner 2: Kneel behind partner 1’s head. Take hands to partner 1’s shoulders and lean into them lightly. Breathe. Release and take hands to both sides of partner 1’s head, placing thumbs along the sides of partner 1’s spine. Massage the neck. Take middle fingers to the ridge of partner 1’s skull and lean back a bit to lengthen spine. Release partner 1’s head. Lean hands into partner 1’s shoulders. Switch positions.