Tabletop

Why Tabletop matters

Tabletop looks simple, but it is the starting point for Cat-Cow, Bird Dog, Downward Dog, Child’s Pose and many other poses. Getting the hands, knees and spine right here makes those poses easier and more comfortable. It is also a good place to check in with the wrists before taking weight onto the hands in Plank or Downward Dog.

How to do Tabletop

• Come onto the hands and knees, with a folded blanket under the knees if you like
• Place the wrists under the shoulders and the knees under the hips
• Spread the fingers and press through the whole hand, especially the knuckles of the index fingers and thumbs
• Keep a soft bend in the elbows rather than locking them
• Lengthen the spine from the tailbone to the crown, without the lower back sagging or the upper back rounding
• Gaze at the floor slightly ahead of the hands, and breathe evenly

Common mistakes

• Sinking into the shoulders, so the shoulder blades pinch together
• Locking the elbows, especially if the joints hyperextend
• Letting the lower back sag towards the floor
• Dropping the head or lifting it to look forward

Making it work for you

For sensitive wrists, roll the mat edge under the heels of the hands, make fists, or come down onto the forearms. For sensitive knees, fold the mat or add a blanket. If kneeling is painful at all, many Tabletop-based movements, such as Cat-Cow, can be done seated or standing with the hands on a chair.