Thread-the-Needle

Setup

Start on hands and knees. Slide one arm underneath the body, palm up, reaching to the opposite side.

Execution

1. 1Lower the shoulder and side of the head to the floor as the arm threads through
2. 2Keep the hips stacked over the knees, don't let them shift
3. 3Hold at end range, breathing into the upper back and shoulder
4. 4Optionally extend the top arm overhead for added rotation

Key cues

• Keep the hips square and still
• Let the shoulder melt toward the floor
• Breathe into the stretch, don't force it
• Reach the top arm long for more rotation if comfortable

Common faults

• Letting the hips rotate along with the shoulders
• Collapsing onto the neck instead of the shoulder/upper back
• Forcing the stretch instead of breathing into it
• Losing the quadruped base entirely

Tweaks

• Add a reach-and-rotate flow (thread, then open to ceiling) for a dynamic variant
• Perform side-lying (open book) for a more supported version
• Add a few seconds of oscillation instead of a static hold

Muscles

Notes

Pairs well with cat-cow as part of a spinal warmup sequence.

Sources

• How To Do THREAD THE NEEDLE | Exercise Demonstration Video and Guide
• Thread the Needle Stretch | MNS Fitness Demo

Attribution: Common yoga/PT hybrid stretch, widely taught