I found on the net, didnt know until I saw in my apartment.
Good for all the couples, a must try one for good health.
Zen Yoga for Couples (The Zen of Two)
The world today is filled with an equal possibility for both harmony and strife. Sometimes, it would seem that an inharmonious state is the successor. There are a plethora of situations in everyday living that have the chance to bring stress into our lives and it is this stress that is often mirrored in our relationships, causing a breakdown in communication and connection with the ones we love. However, these breakdowns, in connection and closeness, hold opportunities for uplifting breakthroughs when the right tools are used to overcome them. One such tool is Zen Yoga, which can be the catalyst for positive change and healing in any relationship. It can bring in a greater sense of intimacy and understanding to an already loving union.
Zen Yoga is a gentle, healing art combining Shanti Yoga, Tai Chi, Qigong breathing, and Zen meditation. It facilitates the body, mind, and spirit into cohesion and balance. When these three aspects of our being are working harmoniously together, we have clear awareness and optimization of the body’s functions. When we are centered within, breath is calm and our spirit light, we are able to relate to the world in a truer way, a way that accurately reflects our true self. Zen Yoga is an effective technique for finding balance within, which fosters appreciation and love for who we are. When this self-love for ourselves is cultivated through Zen Yoga, we have the means to nourish another person more readily.
Working in tandem with another using specific yogic postures, breathing exercises, and graceful Tai-Chi movements is a great way to deepen a relationship. Zen Yoga for Couples helps two people learn how to work together, to share the harmony found within, and is a wonderful way to assist each other with stretching. Couple’s Zen Yoga is the perfect tool for nurturing a relationship and helping it to grow.
Many breathing exercises practiced in Zen Yoga are beneficial for people working in pairs. Qigong breathing exercises are especially effective for gathering chi into our bodies and even more so when practiced with a partner. The chi collected and distributed throughout the body while practicing Qigong is utilized for life force, keeping us full of vitality and life. The Microcosmic Orbit is one such Qigong exercise that allows two people to focus energy together and find each other’s rhythm.
To try the Microcosmic Orbit for couples, sit back to back to your partner with your legs crossed in a comfortable manner. Place your hands on your knees with your palms up and begin abdominal breathing. When practicing this exercise, place your tongue on the roof of your mouth and focus attention on your abdomen. As you inhale, visualize your breath rising up your back and over the crown of the head to the third eye center. As you exhale, the breath flows down the front of the body, down under the pelvis and again rise up the back with the new inhalation. When two are practicing this exercise with their backs touching, their breaths find accord and fall into rhythm. After a few minutes of breathing this way, you and your partner’s breath feel as though they are one, especially as the breath rises up the back. The breathing of both participants works in unison, moving chi throughout the energy centers of the body. After some practice, participants can allow their bodies to move together, rocking gently with the breath.
Along with tandem Qigong breathing exercises, there are many yogic postures that can be performed together to facilitate stretching and allow for fun and play in a relationship. Here are two variations of a couples’ yoga posture that helps to assist another with stretching. Sit and face your partner with your legs stretched, straight out in front of you to meet your partner's, grab hands, and gently pull each other back and forth. A variation of this is for both of you to extend your legs out in front of you in a “V” shape with your soles touching and hands clasped. These exercises are great for opening up your lumbar spine and loosening up the hips, which helps with forward bends.
Moving meditations have the ability to allow openness and deep connection for any relationship. These flowing movements create the space for intimate appreciation and allow one to really ‘see’ the significant other in their life. These moving meditations set the stage for finding harmony together. If you feel that you know your partner well enough, try this exercise. You might be surprised at the unbounded growth that the two of you can achieve together. Start by standing in front of your partner about four or five feet apart. Inhale, bringing your arms out beside you and up above your head. Bring your palms together and down your midline to your heart center. Look in each other’s eyes and bow. Next, place your right foot forward about a foot or so. Taking turns, sweep your arms and hands up and towards your partner and then back down in front of you. As you go forward, your right foot is flat and you move onto the ball of your left foot. As you move back, your left foot is flat and your right heel is on the ground. You are both making a sweeping, rocking motion toward and away from each other. While doing this exercise, keep eye contact and allow for five minutes minimum of movement.
Zen Yoga for Couples is a fun and appropriate way to bring vitality and connection into a relationship. Through practicing the exercises above, any two people will receive an introduction into a special art of relating to one another. Through applying the yogic postures, moving meditations, and Qigong breathing exercises of Zen Yoga, two people can find common ground through any obstacle. Couples’ Zen Yoga is a means for deep communication and harmony on many levels and is also great for assisting another with stretching. Practice these exercises with a healing and loving intent and feel the results for yourself.