Your pose for today is: Thread the Needle !
Thread the Needle falls under the category of “hip openers” in a typical yoga class, and focuses specifically on your “outer hips.” Most of our stress is stored in our hips, so it’s totally normal and common to feel frustration or to cry in hip openers. When you do this pose, you are releasing emotional stress from your body that is wayyy past overdue when leaving your physical body.
***Because hip openers can be such an emotional release, don’t hold your first Thread the Needle for too long, and do not push your body to stretch further then it wants to. Baby steps <333
P.S. Opening up the outer hips also helps with lower back pain + sciatica
How to get into the pose
1. Start at a wall (or at a bed, side of a couch, etc.), and lie down on your back about a shin’s distance away from the wall.
2. Extend both legs onto the wall.
3. Bend your right (R) knee, and place the R ankle on to the left (L) thigh.
Press your R thigh open with your R hand. ***I have my eyes closed in this pic but I recommend keeping your eyes open plssss***
super fun awesome variations
You can stay here, or, if your body is craving more…
Variation 1. Bend the the L knee in towards your chest. PLS MAKE SURE YOUR TOP FOOT IS FLEXED TY XOX
Variation 2. Come to the ball of of your L foot
Variation 3. Interlace your hands behind the L thigh and draw your legs in a bit closer **AGAIN, FEET FLEXED TY TY this will protect your beautiful knees :)
**Make sure your shoulders, neck, and head are fully relaxed on the ground so your body can focus on the stretch in your hips xox.
How Long to Hold + Breath
Hold for 3 breaths. When you’re finished, extend both legs back on to the wall, and repeat with the other L leg.
Breath Options
Whatever floats your boat! The first option helps expand the breath into the belly and hips (which is super great for digestion) and the second option is a relaxation visualization technique to help with muscle tension.
1. Visualize directing your breath into your hip/bum area. Inhale into your top belly (above the belly button), into the belly button, into your low belly (below the belly button) and into the hips. Hold your breath at the top, and exhale release the breath.
2. Pinpoint exactly where you feel tension and what the tension looks like to you (like a wad of gum, a stone, thick threads, etc.), and visualize the tension releasing (maybe it melts away, unravels, or is pulled out by a hand and leaves your body completely.)
How I feel During and After this pose
I usually feel frustrated in this pose, and have to take some time to breathe out the frustration stored in my hips. After the pose, I feel like a load has been taken off me emotionally. I like to practice this pose if I’m really angry and tense – my outer hips tend to be extremelyyyy tight when I’m in this mood ahh.
Hope this helps you !! Email any questions to strangeisbeauty@gmail.com
Lmk what helps and what doesn’t :)
All the information comes from my experience as a yoga practitioner and teacher, and from the 200 Hour Teacher Training I completed + from my mentorship so far in the 300 Hours Teacher Training at YogaWorks.
