Partner Heart Sequence

These are the yoga sequences Anodea uses in some of her workshops. 

PARTNER POSE SEQUENCE DONE IN HEART CHAKRA 

  1. Stand opposite your partner in your own vertical current, eyes closed, feel your heartbeat, left hand over your own heart.
  2. Open eyes, connect with partner, right hand over your partner’s left hand.

Compassion meditation: (can use your own words or say in any order)

Just like me, this person wants to be happy.

Just like me, this person has known pain and sorrow.

Just like me, this person is doing the best they can. 

Just like me, this person wants to love and be loved.

  1. Hands on each other’s should, massaging tops of trapezius. Bend at the hips, flat back, move feet back, pull apart.
  2. Massage down each other’s arms until holding each other’s wrists, as you pull farther apart, soft knees, flat back, lift head to look eye to eye. Open space between vertebrae, ribs.
  3. Holding at the wrists, move feet until they are toe to toe, lift sternum and arch back until arms are straight.
  4. Raise arms overhead, palm to palm with partner. Take a step back keeping arms straight, bending at hips, arching upper back.  Keep hands at least 12-18 inches higher than your heads.
  5. Kundalini kickers.
    A sits in dandasana. B sits behind and gently kicks lower spine, butt, moving up back. 
  6. Walking up the spine. A sits in dandasana. B sits behind and reaches for A’s arms gently pulling them back.  A walks feet slowly up the spine, massaging, especially around back of heart chakra.
  1. Assisted Cobra.
    Version 1 (easier). Straddle partner at hips, bend knees, grab each other’s arms at the wrists. Person on mat lifts toward cobra, person standing pulls back.
    Version 2 (more advanced). Standing partner (A) puts feet near armpits, put partial weight of butt on prone partner’s sacrum (B). (Make sure there are no lower back issues first!) A reaches around top of B’s shoulders, lifts back.  B raises arms and hooks them over the knees of A.  A arches back as she lifts B into cobra.
  2. Back Pack: Person carrying (A) takes wide stance, bends knees until person being carried (B) fits their butt into curve of sacrum of A.  A slips arms underneath  the arms of B until you can grab onto front of shoulders. B tightens arms as A bends forward. Do not pull arms from sockets but grab shoulders firmly.
  3. Cross-over.  A gets on all fours.  B arches over sideways, squatting down with one hand on hip and one hand on shoulder of A.  Slowly arch back, adjusting your back to get the stretch where you most need it.  When firmly “parked” on partner’s back, A does cat/cow arches.
  4. Handstand.  A does handstand, while B catches the legs. B turns back to A’s back, hooks knees of A on shoulders, grabbing ankles firmly. A tightens inner thighs, hooking on. B slowly bends forward, pausing midway for stretch, then lowers the feet of A to the ground.