Thread the Needle
Parsva BalasanaA kneeling twist with one arm threaded under the body and the shoulder resting on the mat. Rotates the thoracic spine and opens the back of the shoulder.
- 01Start on hands and knees with the knees under the hips and hands under the shoulders.
- 02Slide one arm underneath the body and across to the opposite side, palm facing up.
- 03Lower that shoulder and the side of the head to the mat, padding under the head if needed.
- 04Keep the hips stacked over the knees and press the top hand into the floor to deepen the rotation.
- 05Hold eight to fifteen breaths, then press back up and repeat on the other side.
- 01Hips stay high over the knees — do not sit back.
- 02Reach the bottom hand long across the mat.
- 03Turn from the mid-back, not from the neck.
- 01Sitting the hips back toward the heels, which removes the rotation and turns it into a shoulder stretch.
- 02Cranking the head to deepen the twist, which loads the neck instead of the thoracic spine.
- 03Collapsing all the weight onto the bottom shoulder, which pins the joint rather than rotating the spine.
Note: Reference material, not a prescription. Load, volume and whether this movement suits you at all depends on your assessment — if something hurts, stop and get it looked at.