If you are leading a teen or kids yoga class, group and partner poses can be a great way to build community, practice teamwork, and develop trust. Here are some exercises I use frequently in my classes that present a fun challenge for students to work together and find balance and strength.
Group Dog Train:
One student who feels really strong in downward
facing dog will be the first dog on the train. They well take dog pose on their mat and breathe. One by one students will form a train,
placing their feet on the hips of the person before them, planting their hands
firmly and lifting their hips.
Partner plank:
Partner 1 comes into plank position on their mat
(or dolphin plank). Partner 2
places their hands on partner 1’s ankles, engages their core muscles and places
one foot at a time on partner 1’s shoulders, making sure to chick in with their
partner as they go. Encourage both
students to keep their core muscles engaged and breathe together. The partner on the bottom will call
when the partner on the top needs to come down.
Three Person Pyramid :
Two students stand next to one another with a
strong, wide stance. Third group
member places a hand on each shoulder of their team members and steps high onto
the thighs of her group mates, coming into a standing pyramid shape. Stay for about 5 breaths then rotate
positions.
Three Person Dog Pyramid:
Divide students into groups of 4. Two students will line up the fronts of
their mats so they can come hand to hand in downward facing dog pose. The third person will place their hands
on the hips of one partner and their feet on the other partner. The 4th group member will
act as a spotter ensuring the person on top is safe. Engaging their core, the
student will stand up with the help of the spotter, lifting the hips to the
sky, coming in to dog pose on the top of the pyramid.
Handstand helper:
Partner 1 plants comes into plank position on their mat. Partner 2 stands at the back of the mat. Partner 1 lifts one leg at a time for partner 2 to grab by the ankle, arriving in a supported plank. Partner 1 spreads their hands, squeezes their core muscles and lifts their hips over their head. Partner 2 steps forward as partner 1 lifts into a supported handstand and stays for 5-10 breaths. If both partners feel strong, the pair can practice lifting from plank position to handstand and back repeating breath and movement 3-5 times.
Dancer Helper:
Partner 1 comes into dancer pose. Maintaining a
steady gaze will help to stay balanced. Partner 2 will find the outside bony
ridges of partner 1’s hips and encourage their hips to square toward
center. Partner 1 can spread their
toes on their standing foot and lift the heart, keeping a firm hold of the back
foot and taking 3-5 smooth breaths.
Partner shoulder stand:
Students lie head to head and lift both legs into
the air, coming into a shoulder stand. They will walk their hands down the back
ribs until they reach a place they can hold comfortably. Working together, students will connect
their shins and press the tops of their feet gently into their partners feet
and hold for 5- 10 breaths.
Group Pyramid:
Choose three people who feel really strong and
sturdy to be the bases and have them come into a table position, shoulder to
shoulder with one another. The
middle row will assume a table position on top of the base row, communicating
with the people underneath them to make sure they feel comfortable. The final person willplace a hand on
each of the hips of the middle row members and step on the hips of the bottom
row member to stand and assume a table position on top of the people in the
middle row.
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