Thread The Needle pose (pictured above with the bind) is a beginner twist in yoga that improves spinal mobility and relaxes the body and mind. It’s one of my favourites for alleviating neck pain and pain in between the shoulder blades. It’s essentially Revolved Puppy pose. It can be a little awkward, so follow the instructions below to find a comfortable position for your top arm that works in your body.
THREAD THE NEEDLE POSE BENEFITS
- Stretches the back of the shoulder and upper back (rear deltoid, rhomboids) of your threaded arm, as it crosses under your body and that shoulder rotates into the mat.
- Opens the chest and shoulder of your top arm, if you deepen the bind by holding your top hand to your thigh.
- Releases tension in the neck and upper back.
- Improves spinal mobility, primarily through the thoracic spine, as you rotate into the twist.
- Relaxes the body, quiets the mind and relieves stress.
- Can help alleviate neck pain and upper back pain, by easing tension that builds up between the shoulder blades.
CATEGORY
SKILL LEVEL
- Beginner
INSTRUCTIONS
- Set-Up
Come to all fours with your wrists directly under your shoulders and your hips right above your knees.
- Action
Inhale, sweep your right hand up to the sky, look up to your fingertips. Exhale, thread your right hand under your left arm, palm facing up. Rest your head and right shoulder on the mat.
- Modifications
You can experiment with different arm positions—bring the palm of your left hand to your sacrum, take hold of your right thigh to bind the pose and deepen the stretch across your chest and shoulder, or reach your left hand towards the top of the mat to stretch your upper back. Move around in the pose until you find the release that you need.
- Duration
Hold the pose for 5-10 deep breaths on each side.
CONTRAINDICATIONS
- Avoid Thread The Needle pose if you have a knee, shoulder or neck injury.
MASTER THREAD THE NEEDLE POSE
If you’d like to practise Thread The Needle pose as part of a sequence, watch T-Spine And Scapula Mobility—a 15-minute guided practice designed to ease stiffness in the thoracic spine and shoulders. This video can be accessed along with my full library of 360+ videos as part of the 14-Day Free Trial.
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