Thread the Needle
What Is the Thread the Needle?
Thread the Needle is an isolation exercise that primarily targets the back, stretching the rhomboids and the muscles around the shoulder blade while the upper spine rotates. It is a beginner-level yoga pose, known in yoga as Parsva Balasana, performed from a kneeling position with one arm slid under the chest and that shoulder and the side of the head resting on the floor.
The pose is used to restore rotation to a stiff upper back and to ease tension between the shoulder blades and across the back of the shoulder. Trainers often place it in a warm-up before pressing, pulling or rotational work, where a few slow repetitions per side prepare the upper back, and in a cool-down or yoga sequence, where it is held for several breaths. It also suits clients who sit at a desk for long hours and feel stiff through the mid-back and shoulders.
The threaded side gets most of the stretch: the shoulder blade is pulled wide across the ribs, which lengthens the rhomboids, the middle and lower trapezius and the rear deltoid. The arm left reaching forward on the floor adds a stretch along the latissimus dorsi and the outside of the upper arm. Keeping the hips stacked over the knees makes the rotation come from the upper back rather than the lower back, while sinking the hips back toward the heels turns the pose into a twisted version of Child Pose with a gentler shoulder stretch.
The pose sits naturally beside Cat Cow Stretch and Downward Dog in a floor sequence. Anyone who finds kneeling uncomfortable, or who cannot lower the shoulder to the floor yet, can build the same rotation lying on their side with the Open Book Stretch or the Lying T-Spine Rotation Stretch, where the floor supports the whole body.
Muscles Worked
- Latissimus Dorsi
- Primary
- Rhomboid Major
- Primary
- Deltoid
- High
- Lower Trapezius
- High
- External Oblique
- Medium
- Infraspinatus
- Medium
- Teres Major
- Medium
- Upper Trapezius
- Minimal
Instructions
- Kneel on a mat with your knees hip-width apart, your hips stacked over your knees and the tops of your feet on the floor.
- Walk your hands forward until your arms are extended in front of you, palms down, and let your chest sink toward the floor.
- Lift one hand and slide that arm under your chest toward the opposite side, palm facing up, with the back of the hand gliding along the floor.
- Let your upper back rotate as the arm travels, lowering that shoulder and the side of your head onto the floor.
- Keep the other arm extended forward on the floor and your hips over your knees, with most of your weight in the knees and the forward hand.
- Breathe slowly and let the stretch settle between your shoulder blades and across the back of the threaded shoulder.
- Press through the forward hand to unwind, sliding the threaded arm back out to the start position.
- Repeat on the other side.
Common Mistakes
Hips shifting sideways
Letting the hips drift off the knees during the twist moves the rotation into the lower back and loses the upper-back stretch.
Too much weight on the head
Collapsing onto the head and shoulder loads the neck and the threaded shoulder instead of letting them rest on the floor.
Sagging lower back
Letting the belly drop toward the floor arches the lower back while it twists, which compresses the spine and blunts the stretch.
Forcing the rotation
Pushing or bouncing deeper than the upper back allows strains the shoulder and neck rather than improving range.
Shrugging the top shoulder
Hunching the free shoulder toward the ear tenses the upper trapezius and neck, so keep it drawn away from the ear.
Holding the breath
Holding the breath keeps the trunk braced and stiff, while slow exhales let the upper back rotate further.
Injuries
Thread the Needle is a low risk exercise when performed with proper technique. The places that complain are the neck, when too much body weight rests on the head, the shoulder of the threaded arm, which carries load while it is pulled across the body, and the knees, which take pressure on a hard floor. Letting the belly sag also arches the lower back while it twists, which shifts the stress away from the upper back.
Keep most of your weight in the knees and the forward hand so the head and shoulder only rest on the floor, and keep the hips stacked over the knees. A folded blanket under the knees, and a cushion or yoga block under the head, take pressure off both. Rotate only as far as is comfortable and ease into the end position with slow breathing rather than pushing into it.
To make the pose easier, stop with the threaded forearm on the floor instead of lowering the shoulder all the way, or practice the rotation lying on your side with the Open Book Stretch. The Foam Roller Kneeling Upper Back Rotation is another supported option. To progress, move in and out of the thread with a reach of the free arm toward the ceiling between repetitions, or hold the end position for more breaths.
Stop if you feel sharp pain in the neck or shoulder, pinching at the front or back of the shoulder, or numbness or tingling down an arm. Anyone with a recent neck, shoulder, knee or back injury should get clearance from a healthcare professional before using this pose.
- Primary Focus
- Back
- Equipment
- Body weight
- Modality
- Yoga
- Difficulty
- Beginner
Alternative Exercises
Other Names for the Thread the Needle
The Thread the Needle is also known as:
- Parsva Balasana
Frequently Asked Questions
- Q: How long should you hold Thread the Needle?
In a cool-down or yoga sequence, hold the end position for 3 to 5 slow breaths on each side. In a warm-up, move in and out of the thread for 5 to 8 slow repetitions per side instead of holding. Always work both sides, and give the stiffer side an extra round if one feels tighter.
- Q: How is Thread the Needle different from the Open Book Stretch?
Both rotate the upper back, but Thread the Needle is done kneeling with one shoulder carrying some body weight, while the Open Book Stretch and the Lying T-Spine Rotation Stretch are done lying on your side with the floor supporting the hips and legs. Thread the Needle adds a stretch across the back of the shoulder blade, while the side-lying versions open the chest more.
- Q: Is Thread the Needle good for lower back pain?
It is mainly an upper-back and shoulder stretch, and the lower back should stay quiet with the hips held over the knees. Many people with a stiff back find it comfortable, but it is not a treatment for back pain, so stop if it brings on pain and see a healthcare professional for ongoing symptoms.
- Q: What if kneeling hurts my knees?
Fold a blanket or the end of your mat under your knees to cushion them. If kneeling is still painful, the Open Book Stretch trains the same rotation lying on your side with no pressure on the knees.
- Q: Should my head touch the floor?
Only if it gets there comfortably with your hips still over your knees. If it does not, rest the head on a cushion or yoga block, or stop with the threaded forearm on the floor, rather than straining the neck to reach the mat.