Tabletop

Tabletop is easy to collapse into. The shoulders sink between the arms, the ribs hang, and the low back sags, and then every movement from here starts from a slumped base. A good Tabletop has the floor pressing away through the hands, the ribs lifted off the spine and the neck in line with the back, which is the first lesson in shoulder stability for most students.

To set a stable, neutral all-fours base with the shoulders supported, the spine long and the weight shared evenly between hands and knees.

1. 1Kneel on the mat and place the hands on the floor directly under the shoulders.
2. 2Stack the knees under the hips, hip-width apart.
3. 3Spread the fingers and press the whole hand into the floor.
4. 4Lengthen the spine from tailbone to crown, with the neck in line.
5. 5Draw the lower belly gently in and keep the ribs from sagging.
6. 6Hold for a few breaths, or move into the next pose.

Instead of searching for the “correct” position, notice:

• •Wrists under the shoulders and knees under the hips.
• •Spine neutral, with no sag in the low back or hump in the upper back.
• •Shoulder blades wide on the back, not pinched together or winged.
• •Gaze toward the floor between the hands, with the neck long.

Let the breath move freely into the back ribs. If the breath feels restricted, the belly is likely gripping.

Shoulders first. A student whose chest is sinking between the arms is hanging on the joints, and the cue to push the floor away usually fixes it. Next look at the low back for a sag, which is the sign that the core has switched off.

Reflect after practising:

• •Press the floor away so the shoulders stay lifted.
• •Pad the knees with a blanket if they are sensitive.
• •Come to the forearms if the wrists are sore.

Rather than mistakes, you may notice:

• •Rock gently forward and back to find the stacked position.
• •Practise with a block between the thighs to feel the legs engage.
• •Move from here into Cat-Cow to explore the spine.

• •Folded blanket under the knees.
• •Fists or forearms instead of flat hands.
• •Hands on blocks to reduce wrist load.

• ✓Sit back into Child's Pose or continue into the next movement.