Karen Watson Reeves demonstrates two variations of Thread the Needle Pose. Photos by Fred Padilla
By Karen Watson Reeves
[Contributor’s note: 2025 is the year we celebrate 12 years as The Yoga Place, and this calendar year the setting for each month’s pose will be a business in our town that has exhibited “stay power.”]
Some days feel like a spa day. The physical body feels good, the emotions are in check, and mentally we feel sharp. The day flows smoothly. And other days, we definitely feel like we need a spa day, because we are challenged in every way.
(Isn’t it fortunate we live in the Spa City, with no lack of amazing facilities to bring us back to the ahhhh sensations that we crave.) Yet again, it is all about balance. And yoga helps bring balance back into all aspects of our beings.
Like many of the yoga postures, Thread the Needle has several variations and modifications. Two of them are shown in this month’s featured photo. The first version is a little more like a spa day, as it is more easily approachable and it’s a good full body stretch. It opens the shoulders, neck, arms, chest and upper back. It provides a light twist in the spine. It releases upper back and shoulder tension. It stretches the thighs and hips. And perhaps best of all, it promotes a sense of calm in the body. Ahhhhh, right? Yes! This modification definitely represents a restorative pose.
On those days that are more demanding, and we just want to feel more grounded and steadier, the second version is a good one to practice. It becomes a balance pose (yes, there is that word again), which requires conscious awareness and focus. The grounded knee, ankle, and arms have to stay strong and active.
Balancing on one hand and knee requires core stability and strength. Exactly the same characteristics and qualities needed on those less-than-spa-like days. After practicing this variation for a few breaths, the body becomes more relaxed and less stressed. A regular yoga practice will incorporate the more relaxing and restorative poses with the strength and stamina ones. Because most days we experience the calms and the storms, and how we react makes all the difference.
{The Buckstaff Bathhouse, located at 509 Central Avenue, is the only bathhouse that has been in continuous operation since its opening in 1912.}
Karen Watson Reeves has called Hot Springs home since 2006. Owner of The Yoga Place, at 301 Whittington Avenue, she became a registered yoga/children’s yoga teacher in 2011. When not on the mat, Karen enjoys the beautiful outdoors of the National Park, especially from her bicycle. Please find more information about her studio and her schedule of classes at www.theyogaplacehs.com.
