Playing with Partner Yoga is a fun, healthy and heart opening way to share time with
friends and family anytime. Partner Yoga really is for every body – all we need
is a willingness to breath, connect and be creative together!
One of the simplest, yet most nourishing practices I enjoy teaching is ‘Back-to-Back
Sacrum Connection’. Rather than thinking of leaning into your partner (which can be fun
too, especially if you try coming to standing while pressing into your partner!), this
practice supports us to feel grounded by receiving support from each other and the
ground. Through the use of some simple alignment principles, the practice supports us
to open and stabilize the pelvis so we can easily sit upright with openness and ease –
which feels wonderful!
Here’s the instructions to try it for yourself:
1. Begin in a back to back seated position. Lean forward and shift your pelvis back until
you contact your partner’s pelvic bones. Slowly sit upright and align your torso on top
of your pelvic bones.
2. Squeeze the shoulder blades and exaggerate the lift of your sternum as you do this.
Maintain the lift through your sternum as you relax your shoulders, arms and face.
The shoulder blades barely graze your partner’s back.
Note: If you do not feel a solid connection between the sacrums, simply move through
these steps again, aiming to sit on the front side of the sit bones.
3. Relax as much as possible as you bring your breath and awareness to the connection
between sacrums.
4. Our partner’s presence supports us to bring more conscious awareness into the back
body while coming into a more expanded self-awareness. You may find it much
easier it is to still the mind while in relationship, receiving your partner’s presence
and support.
This practice is kind of like home base in Partner Yoga. Once you feel established here,
feel free to be creative and try out a variety of forward/backward bending movements.
You will appreciate the warmth, support and presence of your partner in wonderful new
ways.
For a free video of this practice visit: www.PartnerYoga.net

IMG_7587Elysabeth Williamson is the author of ‘The Pleasures and Principles of Partner Yoga’ and the founder of Principle-Based Partner Yoga™. She travels internationally training teachers in this healing art.