Thread the Needle
Thread the needle is a kneeling upper-back stretch: from hands and knees you slide one arm under your body, lower that shoulder to the floor and let your upper spine rotate. It targets the thoracic spine (mid and upper back), the back of the shoulder and the muscles between the shoulder blades, which is why it shows up in so many warm-ups for lifters, desk workers and anyone who feels stiff turning to look over a shoulder.
Text version of this video
A written walkthrough of the clip. The video has no narration transcript or captions.
The clip on this page shows the threaded position from tabletop, with one arm slid under the body and that shoulder lowered toward the floor. The app uses the same file for double flat needle pose.
Step 1: Start in tabletop with hands under shoulders and knees under hips. Step 2: Inhale and reach your right arm toward the ceiling. Step 3: Exhale and slide the right arm under your left arm, palm up. Step 4: Lower your right shoulder and the side of your head to the floor. Step 5: Keep your hips stacked over your knees and breathe. Step 6: Press through the left hand to unwind, then switch sides.
Suggested dosage: 20 to 30 seconds per side.
How to Do the Thread the Needle
- Start in tabletop with hands under shoulders and knees under hips.
- Inhale and reach your right arm toward the ceiling.
- Exhale and slide the right arm under your left arm, palm up.
- Lower your right shoulder and the side of your head to the floor.
- Keep your hips stacked over your knees and breathe.
- Press through the left hand to unwind, then switch sides.
How long: 20 to 30 seconds per side. Do both sides.
Muscles Worked
Primary: Thoracic rotators, Posterior deltoid
Secondary: Rhomboids, Middle trapezius
Common Mistakes
- Shifting the hips back or sideways.
- Forcing the head and neck to the floor.
- Kneeling without padding on sore knees.
Easier and Harder Variations
- Easier: Thread only halfway
- Harder: Reach the top arm overhead
More About the Thread the Needle
It needs no equipment, only a mat or a soft surface for your knees. Because your hips stay stacked over your knees, the twist comes from the upper back instead of the lower back.
Thread the needle is a different stretch from the lying figure-4 hip stretch that some yoga classes give the same name. MoveWell covers that one as the reverse pigeon.
How to Do Thread the Needle
Start in a tabletop position with your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips. Take a breath in and, if you like, sweep your right arm up toward the ceiling to open the chest. As you breathe out, bring the right arm down and slide it, palm up, under your left arm and across the mat until your right shoulder and the side of your head rest on the floor.
Keep your left hand planted (or walk it forward for a little more stretch) and keep your hips level over your knees. Breathe slowly for 20 to 30 seconds, letting the upper back soften on each exhale. Press through the left hand to unwind back to tabletop, then repeat on the other side.
What You Should Feel
Most people feel a stretch across the back of the threaded shoulder and between the shoulder blades, with a gentle rotation through the mid-back. You shouldn't feel pinching in the shoulder or strain in the neck. If you do, don't thread the arm as far, or put a folded towel under your head.
Modifications
If kneeling bothers your knees, pad them with a folded blanket. If the full shoulder-down position is too much, stop halfway with your threaded hand on the floor and your forearm of the other arm down for support. For a deeper version, reach the top arm overhead along the floor, or wrap it behind your lower back to add more rotation. The reach through shoulder stretch and double flat needle pose are close relatives if you want to build on it.
