4 Person Yoga Poses: Try These Fun Group Acro Poses!

Exercising with friends can make dreaded workouts more fun. However, if group classes aren’t getting you motivated, 4 person yoga poses are a fun way to interact and get your workout in!

These fun group acro poses can be an enjoyable change of pace from standard yoga poses. Being able to move your body and engage with friends, your significant other, or even strangers, is a unique experience you won’t want to miss out on! 

What is Acro Yoga?

Acro Yoga is an exercise modality that combines both yoga and acrobatics. Promoting a wide range of physical and mental benefits, acro yoga has grown in popularity recently. 

Often utilizing a partner or multiple persons, yoga elements, such as breath and stability, mixed with acrobatic elements such as balance and athleticism, create remarkable movement patterns that blend performance and play. 

While acro yoga may seem daunting for the uninitiated, there are beginner 4 person yoga poses that are welcoming to first-timers and novices. 

How Common Are 4 Person Yoga Poses? 

4 person yoga poses may not be often seen in traditional yoga classes, but since acro yoga originated, four person yoga poses are becoming more commonplace. In fact, acro yoga schools and acro yoga teacher training have been growing exponentially over the last several years.

Benefits of Group Acro Yoga

What makes group acro yoga so attractive is the plethora of benefits it provides. Combining the physical benefits of yoga and acrobatics with the emotional benefits of having fun with friends and family makes acro yoga one of the most fulfilling activities. 

Improved Mental Health

Since group acro yoga still retains many characteristics of a solo yoga practice, you may see improved mental health. 

The linking of breath to movement that’s involved in many vinyasa yoga classes can boost mental clarity and groundedness by compelling you to focus on using your mind as a muscle. And like any muscle, the more you work it, the better it will work for you. 

All exercise also releases endorphins, which have been proven to elicit a better mood and a more positive outlook. 

Better Relationships

Yoga poses for 4 people require trust, communication, and openness, characteristics that form the foundation of any relationship. 

Using these tools in a shared activity (and an activity that improves mental health) can deepen your connections in an authentic way. 

Since four person yoga poses require confidence and support from your group to perform cool 4 person yoga poses, you naturally build better relationships as a result. A shared, fun experience is one that resonates deeply and increases your social bond. 

Back Pain Relief

Yoga is generally a fantastic technique to help eliminate back pain, and acro yoga is actually able to enhance your ability to find relief from back pain. 

With the help of one or more partners, acro yoga allows you to move your body into postures that you can not achieve on your own. 

Your partner(s), can use their hands and feet to push your back into further extension, opening up the thoracic spine, which can get compressed from extended sitting and poor posture. 

Increased Blood Flow

One of the best things about exercise is the physiological changes it can help make. With consistent exercise, your body will increase blood flow to help deliver oxygen to your muscles. This process keeps you stronger and healthier. 

What’s special about group acro yoga though, which could also include 2 or 3-person yoga, is that it often includes inversion that can stimulate increased blood flow to areas that are not often emphasized during exercise, such as the head and neck. 

Improved Conflict Resolution

When groups work together to achieve a common goal, there is nothing more rewarding. Unlike a traditional solo yoga practice, which is usually performed in silence, group acro yoga requires effective communication skills.

Since we all have different body types, different interpersonal skills, and different strengths and weaknesses, collaborating together towards attaining a physical posture organically improves conflict resolution. 

Being able to express yourself and what your body needs in a confident manner goes a long way towards efficient problem solving that leads to a more gratifying acro yoga practice. 

4 Person Yoga Poses Ideas

When performing 4 person yoga poses, the first step is to define your goals. This will dictate whether you want to practice cool 4 person yoga poses that are fun and creative, or beginner 4 person yoga poses for a more moderate routine. 

All group yoga poses involve flyers and a base, and a highly recommended spotter. For beginners, check out these video tutorials to help you determine who is best suited for which role. Then, it is best to start with more basic 2-person yoga poses to get acclimated before you dive into 4 person yoga poses. 

(Video link) Partner Yoga Poses🌎 Two Person Yoga for Beginners🌎 Acro Yoga 🌎 Teen Yoga Challenge 🌎 Yoga Ecuador - YouTube

If you are ready to progress to 3 and then 4 person yoga poses, safety is of utmost concern. Since these intermediate to advanced poses utilize more backbends, inversions, and balance, being comfortable entering and exiting the poses is key. This is a great video tutorial that demonstrates how to accomplish this. 

(Video link)  Three Person Acro Stunts - YouTub

But if you are already prepared to take on higher-level poses, watch this video. The strength, balance, and stability these guys display is exemplary. Even though acro yoga does require flexibility to achieve certain postures, this does not minimize the amount of core strength that is necessary for advanced poses. 

(Video link) Three And Four-Person AcroYoga Moves - YouTube

If looking to have more fun with your poses, here is a fun video that illustrates excellent creativity and joy. As you can see, the girls in the video are less concerned with the exercise portion of acro yoga, and are more inclined to laugh, be free, and let their bodies explore different possibilities. 

(Video link)  EVEN HARDER YOGA CHALLENGE *hilarious* - YouTube

How to Start Doing Acro Yoga

When you’re ready to start doing acro yoga, simply roll out your Yoga Strong Mat in an open space with an open mind and get ready to move!

However, you will want proper preparation and communication before starting your physical practice. There are a few standard best practices you should check off your checklist before diving into your acro yoga routine. 

Get to Know Your Partners

Like any team sport, every player has a different set of skills. They also have different communication tactics and perspectives. Thus, getting to know your acro yoga partners through active listening and transparent communication is vital. 

Listening without disagreement will encourage your partner to express themselves and you will be more inclined to work together towards your common goal. When it comes to getting to know your partners, it really helps to be curious and build an understanding of who they are and how they like to perform. 

Practice Basic Flying

You have to walk before you run. Practicing basic flying acts as a confidence booster and a physical test to prepare you for more advanced acro yoga. 

The flyer is the one who will be elevated off the ground, so practicing basic flying with your partner will help you earn each other’s trust and re-confirm you can progress. Here are the steps for basic flying with 2 people:

1. Lying on their back, the base flexes their hips and knees in a 90-degree angle and places the bottoms of their feet comfortably above the hips of the flyer. The base will then hold both of their arms straight up in a T-shape with their torso
2. Next, the flyer will comfortably lean their bodyweight into the base’s feet while reaching for the base’s hands. 
3. Once ready, both the base and the flyer should slowly straighten their legs, bringing the flyer off the ground, maintaining firm contact and stability in the hands. 

Start With Basic Poses First

Acro yoga poses are great hip and spine openers, but they can be very intense without a proper warm-up. Starting with basic poses first, such as Crescent pose and Warrior III, can activate your nervous system and gently load your key muscles and joints.

A complete warm-up with basic poses will help prevent injury, improve flexibility, and prepare you for the strength, balance, and focus required in group acro yoga. If you are able to rely on your body for peak performance, your acro yoga experience will be more fun and rewarding! 

Final Thoughts

To many, yoga has the connotation of a slow, traditional routine. While there are traditional studios and practices available, contemporary approaches that include acro yoga have become mainstream. 

These modern approaches to yoga do not strip the characteristics that define yoga, but instead do their best to innovate to represent different demographics that want to enjoy yoga in different ways. 

So next time you are ready to move your body, gather some friends, use your imagination, and enjoy some group acro yoga!