We’ve already written an article on yoga poses for two people – but the world of yoga doesn’t stop there.
Yep, yoga includes many modifications, variations and contemporary yoga positions that are designed to be performed by three people, too.
3 people yoga poses might sound a little crazy, but it’s part of a wider sect of yoga known as acroyoga – a type of yoga that combines traditional yoga poses with the balance, agility and teamwork of acrobatics.
As well as looking super impressive, these 3 people yoga poses boast countless other benefits.
Interested? Then keep reading…
…in this article on 3 people yoga poses, we’ll cover:
Let’s get into it!
The three roles in three person yoga
The roles of each person in three people yoga poses will vary depending on the specific posture and some poses won’t require all or even any of the below.
However, for the more demanding poses, it’s useful to keep the roles below in mind.
#1: Base.
This is the person who acts as the foundation of the group yoga pose who provides the stability for the other yogis.
Depending on the pose in question, this often involves assuming the most strength demanding position, such as lying on the back and supporting the other yogis from beneath.
#2: Flyer.
The flyer is the person who is not touching the floor with any body parts but rather is up ‘in the air’ supported by the other yogis.
#3: Spotter.
The spotter is the yogi responsible for observing the other yogis as they carry out the pose, to help them perform it safely and to minimise the risk of falls or injuries.
The spotter is often part of the pose, too. When the other two yogis are in their posture, the spotter will often enter the pose in a position that adds extra support and stability in the pose.
5 fun yoga poses for three people.
#1: Trio Warrior III
How to:
- All three yogis should position themselves in a triangle, approximately an arms length distance to one another and facing each other. Next, each individual yogi follow the rules below.
- Start by moving into a forward lunge with front knee stacked over the front ankle, back leg straight with heel slightly raised off the mat.
- Turn your pelvis forward so your chest and hips are parallel to the front of your mat, then lift both arms above your head.
- Move hands into prayer position, bringing them to your heart. Lean forward so your back leg lifts off the ground and rises parallel to the floor, gaze fixed downward.
- Stretch your arms forward and into the middle of the triangle, so that the hands of all yogis are stacked on top of each other. If you can’t quite meet in the middle, release the pose and start again in a triangle a little closer to each other.
- Each body here will be in a “T” shape with chest, back leg and arms parallel to the floor, keeping your standing leg strong and straight (be mindful of your knee and ankle here – don’t over extend!).
- Stay here for 3-6 deep breaths, then repeat on other leg.
#2: Trio Dancer Pose
Lord of the dance to the power of three! This is one of the acro yoga poses fit for beginners, just lift the back leg as much or as little as you like and focus on balance.
How to:
- As with the trio warrior pose described above, begin with all three partners standing in a triangle, facing each other and just over arm distance apart.
- Next, each individually, but coordinated with each other, follow the instructions below.
- Shift your body weight onto your left foot, then bend your right knee to bring your right foot up off the floor.
- Use your right hand to grasp your right foot, so that your right thumb is against the sole and pointing towards your toes.
- Next, raise your left arm up so your fingers point up to the ceiling, keeping it straight.
- Raise your right leg up and behind you, allowing your torso and left arm to move forward as a trusty counterbalance. Like in #1 above, stack your hands on top of each each others in the centre.
- Be mindful to prevent your right knee from moving to the side – keep it strong and straight.
- Next, kick your right foot firmly into the grasp of your right hand to raise your leg even higher and deepen the bend in your back. Engage your right foot and toes for extra stability.
- Note: the firmer you push against your right hard, the higher you will be able to lift your leg.
- Keep focusing on that fixed point, as your remain here for 3 to 10 deep breaths. Then release and repeat on other side.
#3: Leaning Double Side Bend
How to:
- In this yoga challenge, begin with all three yogis standing in line with each other, side by side.
- Next, the middle yogi should spread their legs approximately hip width apart, as the other two yogis move so that the sides of their feet are against the sides of the middle partner, as in the photo above.
- Following this, the two outer yogis should grasp the wrist of the middle yogi, as should the middle yogi with the outer yogis.
- Finally, communicate as the two outer yogis slowly start to lean to the side, keeping the lower back straight, using the bond with the centre yogi to support and stabilise them.
- Allow the arms to lift up for extra balance, as you stay hear for 3-5 deep breaths.
#4: Triple Downward-Facing Dog
This takes an easy yoga pose and transforms it into a challenging next-level deep stretch.
How to:
- Begin with two yogis on all fours on the mat in table top pose, shoulders stacked directly above wrists and hips directly above the knees.
- Note: They should be facing in the direction of each other with heads almost touching. The four hands should be in line with each other – i.e. one yogi positioned about a foot or two behind the other as in the photo above.
- From here, both should move from table top pose to downward dog pose, so together they form an M shape made of two down dog triangle shapes to the floor.
- The third yogi should then position themselves to stand in between the heads of the other two.
- Next, the third yogi should place both hands against the base of one partners back and pressing against them slightly for stability, lifting one leg up at a time, rest both shins against the back of the other partner.
- Next, all yogis should communicate as the third raises themselves from table top pose into downward dog position, stacked on top of the other two yogis.
- If you’re feeling really confident and adventurous, engage the back muscles and try moving the third leg into three-legged downward dog by raising one leg up so that its straight and toes are pointing towards the sky.
#5: Triple Plank Pose
Basic yoga poses turn wobbly real quick when you add an element of gymnastics.
How To:
- The first person should get into a standard plank position on the yoga mat, keeping their core, uppwe body, and glutes engaged.
- The second yogi must a plank pose on top of no1 in the opposite direction, holding the first persons ankles, with the tops of their feet on the base’s shoulder blades, challenging their core strength.
- With engaged core muscles, the third person must top and tail once more, assuming the same position but on top of the second person.
Benefits Of 3 People Yoga Poses
There are so many great things about three people yoga poses – here are our favourite 4 benefits:
#1: Challenges you in new and dynamic ways
By using other bodies as malleable and responsive props, many 3 people yoga poses enable you to position your body in postures that aren’t achievable when practising solo.
By doing so, 3 people yoga poses will help to expand your body’s range of motion, uniquely targeting and challenging particular muscle groups in new and dynamic ways.
As such, yoga poses for three people are all over body toners, engaging and strengthening your muscle groups from tip to toe!
#2: Makes your practice safer
While many people perform yoga alone, practicing in the company of others can make your exercise safer.
Introducing 3 people yoga poses into your routine means you have buddies around to guide and help you as you carry out new and challenging poses such as inversions and assist you if something goes wrong.
While you each perform the solo poses or roles in your routine, take turns in your trusted trio to watch, critique and improve each other’s practice.
#3: Bonding, Trust and Communication
Third on our list of benefits is bonding and communication. From yoga partners and fellow yogis to best friends!
Clear communication, trust and teamwork are crucial in order to perform all partnered yoga exercises – and the more partners you have, the more important these components become.
By encouraging this communication, trio yoga demands listening, openness, understanding and light-heartedness – meaning it helps to bond and bring you closer to your partners as you practice.
#4: It’s fun!
Finally, trio yoga can be super fun.
Yoga in general is known for its amazing powers for stress relief and emotional balance. And practising with others is a great compliment to this.
Yep, exercising in a team can not only increase confidence but also fosters greater release of feel-good endorphin release when compared to solo exercise practices.
Safety Precautions Of Yoga Poses For Three People
While yoga poses for three people have many benefits, there are also various safety precautions to be conscious of:
#1: Pick someone you trust
Rule number one of 3 people yoga poses is always to pick people you trust.
Yes, yoga poses for three people are a great way to build trust, intimacy and closeness for one another, however, it’s important to have a certain level of these feelings towards each other before you start.
As communication is a crucial component of all yoga poses for three people, it’s important to already have some foundation of trust and respect to keep your practice safe and avoid injury or upset.
#2: Don’t jump in too fast
Second, don’t jump into challenging poses too quickly. With all the fun that trio yoga is, it can be easy to get excited and want to skip straight to the more advanced poses.
But, you must resist. If you jump straight into complex postures or strength demanding poses without any practice or warm up you are at increased risk of injury.
So, remember to always warm up before your triplet yoga practice and to start from the easier poses and once you have got them down, then slowly build up to more demanding poses.
Make sure you know the steps before you attempt the pose as it’ll be hard to read notes once you’ve already started. Perhaps try watching some free tutorials on YouTube yoga channels to help you.
#3: Learn how to fall
Many of the more advanced 3 people yoga poses require strong balance and strong balance requires practice. While you’re getting this practice, it’s somewhat inevitable that you’ll fall out of these positions from time to time.
But falling is a crucial part of the learning process and shouldn’t cause injury if you learn to fall safely.
The first step is to embrace the fall. Falling limber with relaxed muscles will help disperse the energy of the impact across your body and reduce the risk of injury.
Practice controlled falls and try to fall on the meatiest parts of your body with the largest surface area, such as your side, which will also reduce the impact of the fall.
Got the idea, but not the gear?
You’ve learnt a little about how to do yoga, but what about what to wear during your practice?
Check this out: Here’s What To Wear To Yoga Class
Or going to hot yoga? How about this: What To Wear To Hot Yoga: A Complete Guide for All bodies
