Thread the needle (hold)

Parsva Balasana

Yogaeasytimedno equipment

Tabletop twist: the right arm threads under the left arm along the floor, palm up, until the right shoulder and the right side of the head rest on the floor; the left palm stays planted and the hips stay over the knees.

How to do it

1. Start in tabletop: hands under the shoulders, fingers spread forward, knees under the hips, tops of the feet on the floor, spine neutral.
2. Lift the right hand and slide the right arm, palm facing up, under the left arm and across the floor to the left.
3. Keep sliding until the right shoulder and the right ear or temple rest on the floor, bending the left elbow as needed to lower.
4. The left palm stays planted (or reaches forward along the floor); the hips remain over the knees and level, not drifting back or sideways.
5. Relax the neck and upper back; gaze to the left. Hold, then switch sides.

Muscles worked

Supporting: shoulders, traps