The Do-Mates: Trying couples yoga techniques as seen online

We did our research and picked our poses, headed to College Green with yoga mats in tow and did our best. Here are a few of our favorite moves:

Double Standing Forward Bend

We started off simple with a "Double Standing Forward Bend." We were surprised by the difficulty of this one, but soon realized that we were trying to grab the other’s knees, when really we were supposed to reach for the elbows. We eventually got the hang of it with minor balancing issues.

Double Down Dog

Clearly we were riding the high of our initial success and went for a more challenging pose. The "Double Down Dog" presented its own difficulties. We couldn’t quite get the perfect right angle like we saw on Instagram, but we were happy with a slightly more "obtuse" version of the pose.

Down Dog Bow

Pleased with our accomplishments we marched ahead. Our attempt of the "Down Dog Bow" was well founded. We had the general idea of the pose, but executing it was another story. It’s harder than it looks to balance on someone else’s bum. We switched positions, but ended up crashing to the ground in a bundle of laughter and jumbled limbs.

Double Wide Boat

We returned to the ground for the next pose called "Double Wide Boat." The main struggle we face in this pose was the difference in the length of our legs and how far we could stretch them. While attempting to find equal ground we lost our balance and slumped to one side. Overall, this pose was the perfect way to stretch out your whole body all while trying to make the other person laugh with your funny faces.

Child’s Pose Lounge

Ahhh, the "Child’s Pose Lounge." One of our favorites. Look at that perfect form, look at how zen we were. All that changed when an ant crawled up to Jules, breaking our perfect concentration. In all seriousness, this pose rocked. We switched off positions and both felt the nice pressure on the back as well as a good full body stretch.

Yoga has powers far beyond exercise. 

We might not be the ideal pair of “yogis,” but we loosened our bodies, trusted one another and had a ton of fun pretending we knew how to be relaxed in the state of our bustling college town. Despite sharing sweat, mosquito bites and ant carcasses throughout our trials, we plan on practicing yoga together a bit more often. 

We encourage you to grab a close friend and use your own yoga practice as a means of becoming closer with one another and the world that surrounds you. Yoga may surprise you at how wonderful it can be. 

Namaste.

Juli Holbert and Sydney Otto are juniors studying journalism at Ohio University. Have suggestions for their next adventure? Let them know by emailing or tweeting them at jh673913@ohio.edu/@juliangela_ or so828613@ohio.edu/@sydneynotsydney respectively.