Is Yoga Experience Required to Do Couples Yoga?

In general, no. There are beginner-level yoga classes available for individuals and couples, so experience is not a must to enjoy the practice. However, some classes may be better suited for intermediate or advanced levels (especially if there are inversions or other challenging poses). To ensure you will be comfortable and able to follow along, it’s important to pay attention to the difficulty level of a class before attending.

Is Couples Yoga Only for Romantic Partners?

This depends entirely on the class, and whether it is labeled a “couples” yoga class or a “partner” class. “Couples yoga is usually advertised to people who are romantically involved,” says yoga teacher Trin Perkins, RYT 200 , adding, “However, all [yogis] may be encouraged to attend.” Often, couples yoga classes can be taken by platonic partners as well, but it’s a good idea to read through the class description or contact the instructor to confirm this before involving a non-romantic friend if you want to avoid any potential awkwardness.

Does Couples Yoga Increase Intimacy?

Taking a yoga class with a romantic partner can increase intimacy in a few ways. If it’s partner-specific, then you’ll likely be physically touching each other throughout the class, which will help build a stronger connection, and possibly trust, depending on the positions you’re working through together. If you’re doing yoga side-by-side without physically touching, you are still strengthening your connection through a shared experience that will hopefully open you up to new conversations.

What Are the Benefits of Couples Yoga Compared to Doing Yoga Together?

There are physical and mental benefits to all types of yoga , such as emotional regulation, stress management, and increased flexibility, but for couples yoga classes, specifically, Perkins says romantic partners will increase their mind-body connection with each other. “Practicing together versus side-by-side requires you to listen to your body while paying attention to the physical and energetic needs of your partner,” she explains.

Best Couples Yoga Classes of 2022

Practicing yoga comes with a wealth of health benefits. The numerous physical benefits include increased muscle strength and flexibility, but there are also mental advantages, such as stress relief and improved mood. Clearly, there is value in practicing yoga as an individual, so why wouldn’t you want to share the practice with a partner you love? Even better, you can do it from home with the help of online couples yoga classes.

Partner or couples yoga is a great way to build a strong relationship foundation with someone, whether it’s romantic or platonic, or to bolster your existing bond. It offers an opportunity to relax and calm the mind allowing you to be more open and connect more deeply with a partner. There is a unique intimacy in practicing alongside someone and letting your guard down.

Depending on the couples yoga class you take, you may flow side-by-side, or you might work through a series of poses that require you each to do something a little different in order to support each other. Whatever it is that you’re looking for, below you’ll find some of the best couples yoga classes available online.

Best Couples Yoga Classes of 2022

Best Overall: Alo Moves
Best Budget: Omstars
Best for Beginners: YogaWorks
Best for Stress Relief: Yoga International
Best Quick Workouts: Glo
Best for Advanced Yogis: Yoga Download
Best for Different Partner Levels: Sky Ting TV

Best Overall: Alo Moves

Key Specs

Price: $20/month
Types of yoga: Ashtanga, hatha, kids', Kundalini, restorative, prenatal, and vinyasa, plus non-yoga classes
Live classes: No

Why We Chose It

Alo Moves has one of the largest libraries of partner yoga classes online, offering hours of practice in different formats and at varying levels for couples or friends.

Pros

Large library of partner-specific classes
Wide range of experience levels
Members have access to individual classes as well as multi-lesson series

Cons

Platform has significantly more solo classes than partner classes
No live classes

Overview

Alo Moves is a fitness platform that offers thousands of classes on numerous workout types—including partner yoga. Couples and fitness partners will find lessons ranging from basic stretching to acro yoga (a combination of yoga and acrobatics) classes. There are also a number of class options for every experience level, from beginner to advanced, ranging in length from a quick 10-minute workout to a 30+ minute in-depth flow.

The downside to Alo Moves is that even though there are some fantastic couples yoga classes on the platform, there are significantly more classes designed for solo practice (something we found to be the case across most of the online workout platforms that offer couples or partner yoga classes). That being said, if you don’t mind mixing in a little side-by-side flow now and then, Alo Moves has more than 1,000 yoga classes available to members, so no matter your experience level you’re sure to find plenty of non-partner lessons you can enjoy together.

Best Budget: Omstars

OmStars

Key Specs

Price: $18 or $37 per month
Types of yoga: Ashtanga, vinyasa, yin, power, guided meditation, restorative, hatha, Iyengar, pranayama, Jivamukti, kids', Kundalini, accessible, acro, dharma
Live classes: Yes

Why We Chose It

Omstars gives members a lot of bang for their buck, with access to more than 4,000 yoga classes, many of which are partner-focused, for only $18 a month.

Pros

Members have access to partner-specific lessons and courses
Huge library of yoga classes for side-by-side practice
Live classes available

Cons

Live classes are only for second-tier members ($37/month)
Fewer options for partner-specific courses and lessons

Overview

When it comes to online yoga platforms, Omstars is one of the more affordable options—especially considering it offers more than 4,000 classes ondemand. While the majority of classes on the platform can be practiced solo or side-by-side, there are quite a few options for partners as well. Specifically, Omstars has one of the larger libraries of acro yoga classes, ranging from two-minute pose and form videos to 30+ minute flows meant for two people.

Omstars has two membership tiers: the first is the most budget-friendly at $18 per month. If you and your partner are looking for access to live classes, you’ll have to upgrade to the higher tier at $37 per month. No matter which tier you choose, though, you’ll have access to the full library of on-demand classes, which can be streamed on multiple devices. You’ll also be invited into the online community, where you can participate in challenges and connect with other platform members, which is a great perk for couples looking to expand their friend circle.

Best for Beginners: YogaWorks

Key Specs

Price: $19 to $49/month
Types of yoga: Acro, cardio, Iyengar, meditation, prenatal, Pilates, restorative, vinyasa, yin
Live classes: Yes

Why We Chose It

We love YogaWorks for partners who are just beginning their yoga journey because it offers several introductory courses as well as modifications in more advanced lessons.

Pros

Live and on-demand class options
More than a dozen introductory courses in acro yoga
Modification options in most classes

Cons

Access to live classes is only for higher-tier members
Equipment may be needed for some modifications

Overview

YogaWorks is a great option for couples who are just starting out with yoga. You have access to a library of more than 1,000 on-demand classes, including a series of introductory classes in acro yoga (which requires two people to practice). If you’re not quite ready for acro yoga, you can flow through one of the beginner-level classes side-by-side and even take advantage of the modifications offered until you feel more confident in your practice.

YogaWorks has two membership tiers. The first is $19 per month and includes access to all on-demand classes; the second tier is $49 per month and includes the option to stream live classes (there are around 25 live classes available per day). What makes this platform so great for beginners is that once you start to progress in your ability, there are still hundreds of classes at intermediate and advanced levels for you and your partner to work your way through.

Best for Stress Relief: Yoga International

Yoga International

Key Specs

Price: $20/month
Types of yoga: Acro, Ashtanga, gentle, guided meditation, guided relaxation, hatha, Iyengar, Jivamukti, Kundalini, mobility, pranayama, prenatal, postpartum, restorative, slow flow, vinyasa, yin
Live classes: No

Why We Chose It

Yoga International has a range of partner yoga classes, but we especially love this platform for stress relief because it offers gentle yoga, guided meditation, and slow flow classes.

Pros

Platform focused on yoga courses
Options for prenatal and postpartum yoga
New content added weekly

Cons

No option for live classes
Member courses are an additional cost

Overview

Practicing yoga of any kind is great for stress reduction. If that is your and your partner’s primary purpose for taking classes, then we think Yoga International is the best platform to use. Unlike a lot of fitness platforms, Yoga International is focused entirely on yoga, so you won’t have to filter through HIIT, barre, or Pilates classes in order to find what you’re looking for. There are also a lot of class options available for more low-key flows, like gentle yoga, restorative yoga, and even guided meditation.

Yoga International is available for $20 per month, and membership includes access to more than 2,000 on-demand classes as well as educational articles, podcast episodes, and 10% off courses and training that fall outside the membership. There is also the option to pay a $199 annual membership fee. For $499 per year, you can access a premium membership which includes a one-on-one yoga coach and unlimited access to in-depth courses, many of which earn teacher-training credits, that would otherwise cost extra.

Best for Quick Workouts: Glo

Key Specs

Price: $24/month
Types of yoga: Ashtanga, meditation, breathwork, barre, cardio yoga, mindfulness hatha yoga, HIIT yoga, Iyengar, Kundalini, mat Pilates, Pilates fusion, prenatal, postnatal, recovery, restorative, strength yoga, Tao Yin, vinyasa, yin, yoga conditioning
Live classes: Yes

Why We Chose It

Glo has a huge library of yoga classes, including hundreds of on-demand classes lasting 30 minutes or less, making this platform a great option for couples looking for a quick workout.

Pros

Classes offered in a range of lengths
Good mix of low-intensity and more fitness-focused yoga classes
Members have access to both live and on-demand classes

Cons

Partner-specific classes are limited
Usually fewer than 6 live classes per day

Overview

Of all of the yoga class platforms, Glo offers the widest range when it comes to class length, with lessons lasting as little as two minutes to an hour or more. For couples who are looking to get a quick workout in during a lunch break or first thing in the morning, Glo has a huge library of on-demand classes to choose from, and many live-stream classes last around 30 minutes as well.

Couples who have worked their way through all of the partner classes offered can keep up their practice by joining live classes to get a group feel or choosing one of the many on-demand class options to flow side-by-side. You’ll find everything from guided meditation to vinyasa flow to prenatal yoga to barre and more. Glo memberships cost $24 per month and include access to both on-demand and live-stream classes.

Best for Advanced Yogis: Yoga Download

Key Specs

Price: $12 to $18 per month
Types of yoga: Anusara, Ashtanga, vinyasa, barre, Baptiste, bhakti, fusion, hatha, hot yoga, Iyengar, Jivamukti, kids', Kundalini, meditation, postnatal, prenatal, pranayama, restorative, yin
Live classes: Yes

Why We Chose It

Yoga Download is great for yogis at any level, but its easy search function allows more experienced partners to quickly find quality classes that will meet their needs.

Pros

Access to more than 2,400 yoga classes
Ability to stream using Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, and mobile/tablet apps
Membership comes with unlimited streaming access

Cons

Despite low cost, membership pricing can be somewhat confusing
Live classes tend to have low video quality

Overview

While most platforms offer classes for advanced practices, Yoga Download is one of the easiest to navigate, meaning couples won’t have to filter through a bunch of classes in order to find one that meets their experience levels. Each class clearly states its difficulty level and lets members see ratings and reviews from other members, so if a lesson’s experience level is incorrectly marked a user may be able to find that out before they’ve started the video. Not to mention, at $12 per month, Yoga Download has one of the most affordable memberships out there (plus it offers free live-stream classes).

A handful of the partner yoga classes available through Yoga Download are specifically meant for intermediate yogis and up. Otherwise, there is no shortage of amazing on-demand classes that partners can flow through next to each other, whether they’re looking for something calming and relaxing or for a class with more of a fitness vibe.

Best for Different Experience Levels: Sky Ting TV

Key Specs

Price: $20
Types of yoga: Katonah, slow/restorative, Pilates, prenatal, postnatal, meditation, Pyro Ting
Live classes: Yes

Why We Chose It

We love Sky Ting TV for couples with different experience levels because it offers a huge selection of open-level classes with modifications to make everyone feel welcome.

Pros

On the lower end of membership cost
Members get access to on-demand and live-stream classes
Option to take multi-class courses

Cons

Limited number of live classes available per day
Very few partner-specific classes

Overview

Sky Ting TV makes this list because it’s one of the best options for couples who want to practice yoga together, but who have different experience levels. The vast majority of classes are open-level and have at least two people on the screen who lead you through the class at different levels. One person does modifications for someone who may be more of a beginner while the other performs the moves at a more advanced level for those looking for more of a challenge. This is rare to find on online yoga class platforms, but it’s a really great way for a more experienced yogi to introduce a partner to the practice.

A Sky Ting TV membership costs $20 per month and comes with access to a library of on-demand and live-stream classes (however, there are a limited number of live streams available per day). Additionally, members have the option to participate in multi-class courses that allow them to go deeper into certain practice areas, which is a nice way for partners to build their skills together, no matter where they start from.

Final Verdict

With its affordable membership rate and a huge assortment of classes available, including one of the largest libraries of partner-specific yoga lessons, Alo Moves is our top choice for couples yoga classes. We love that classes range from under 10 minutes to an hour or longer and that partners are able to access an online community of yogis, offering connections that go beyond just the two of you.

For couples who are just starting their yoga journey, YogaWorks is also a top option. We really appreciate its large selection of introductory classes and that, thanks to its equally large library of intermediate and advanced classes, couples won’t have to find a new platform in order to continue to grow in their practice.

Guide to Choosing the Best Couples Yoga Classes

Are Couples Yoga Classes Worth it?

Couples yoga classes are great for romantic or platonic partners to share their practice with one another and to build a stronger bond through a shared interest. For romantic partners, yoga offers a unique way to spend time together while also practicing self-care (it’s good for you and good for your relationship, win-win!).

Unfortunately, since most platforms only offer a handful of partner-specific classes, whether or not it’s worth investing in a membership will depend on the couple. If you and your partner are open to practicing side-by-side, whether it's through on-demand or live-stream classes, or both, then the cost of a membership is likely worth it (assuming you’ll use it, of course).

How to Choose a Couples Yoga Class

Choosing the best couples yoga class for you and your partner will depend on what it is you’re looking for. Are you hoping to find classes that will help you connect with each other? Do you want a platform that makes it easy for the two of you to practice together as well as separately? How much are you willing to spend? Are you both coming to yoga with the same level of experience or is one of you more advanced than the other? Would you do better in a live-stream video class or are on-demand sessions more convenient? These are all factors that will play into finding the best couples class for your situation.

Here are some other key considerations that you and your partner should keep in mind as you research to find the best classes for the two of you:

Class style: Are you looking for a class the two of you can take on demand, or would you prefer to join in virtually to a live class? Or, would you like the option to do both?
Types of yoga offered: Every online yoga class platform offers something a little different, so consider whether or not you want access to a lot of classes, whether they are partner-specific or not, if you’d prefer a platform with a lot of couples yoga classes, or if you’re looking for a certain format, such as acro yoga.
Cost of membership: Consider how much you can fit into your budget every month, as yoga class platforms range widely in cost.
Class lengths offered: While all of these platforms offer classes of different lengths, some have quick options while others have larger libraries of longer, in-depth courses.
Ease of use: Since online yoga class platforms offer so many different classes, it’s important that you are able to quickly and easily search for what you’re looking for.
Accessibility: Most online yoga class platforms allow you to stream classes on multiple types of devices, but some vary. Make sure whatever platform you choose is compatible with your device of choice.
Equipment requirements: For most yoga classes, all you need is a mat, but some classes require the use of bands, blocks, or bolsters.
Teacher experience: Most platforms have the option to browse through instructor bios. Take a look at who they have on staff. Are they well-trained? Do they have a lot of experience? What are reviewers saying?
Difficulty levels offered: This is especially important for beginners and advanced yogis. Make sure whatever platform you choose has a wide selection of class offerings at your practice level.

FAQ

Is Yoga Experience Required to Do Couples Yoga?

In general, no. There are beginner-level yoga classes available for individuals and couples, so experience is not a must to enjoy the practice. However, some classes may be better suited for intermediate or advanced levels (especially if there are inversions or other challenging poses). To ensure you will be comfortable and able to follow along, it’s important to pay attention to the difficulty level of a class before attending.
Is Couples Yoga Only for Romantic Partners?

This depends entirely on the class, and whether it is labeled a “couples” yoga class or a “partner” class. “Couples yoga is usually advertised to people who are romantically involved,” says yoga teacher Trin Perkins, RYT 200, adding, “However, all [yogis] may be encouraged to attend.” Often, couples yoga classes can be taken by platonic partners as well, but it’s a good idea to read through the class description or contact the instructor to confirm this before involving a non-romantic friend if you want to avoid any potential awkwardness.
Does Couples Yoga Increase Intimacy?

Taking a yoga class with a romantic partner can increase intimacy in a few ways. If it’s partner-specific, then you’ll likely be physically touching each other throughout the class, which will help build a stronger connection, and possibly trust, depending on the positions you’re working through together. If you’re doing yoga side-by-side without physically touching, you are still strengthening your connection through a shared experience that will hopefully open you up to new conversations.
What Are the Benefits of Couples Yoga Compared to Doing Yoga Together?

There are physical and mental benefits to all types of yoga, such as emotional regulation, stress management, and increased flexibility, but for couples yoga classes, specifically, Perkins says romantic partners will increase their mind-body connection with each other. “Practicing together versus side-by-side requires you to listen to your body while paying attention to the physical and energetic needs of your partner,” she explains.

Methodology

To create this list, we researched dozens of different platforms that provide access to online yoga classes, then narrowed down the options to those that offered partner-specific courses or solo classes with multiple instructors for modifications. From there, we evaluated what types of classes each platform offered, as well as how many partner lessons were available. We also considered the cost of membership for each platform, class length, and subscription benefits beyond couples or partner classes.

Edited by Ally Hirschlag

Article Sources

Byrdie takes every opportunity to use high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial guidelines to learn more about how we keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.