A Poem for Pigeon Pose
When I slide one leg back and fold the other / in front of me, my legs become like a claw / that can find balance on any surface / no matter how hard. -- excerpt from Pigeon Pose by Corie Feiner
How to explain that this bird
that was the only bird I grew up with in the streets of NYC,
that was the bird I was told to call, “a rat with wings,”
that this bird, like all birds and all flowers,
is amazing.
Pigeons have been our companions for so long that you can find their image carved into cuneiforms and ancient hieroglyphics.
They have fought with us in our wars.
They have delivered our messages.
They have carried our mail.
They can hear the low frequency sounds of a distant storm.
And some say, Noah’s dove was not a dove, but a pigeon. Yes, a pigeon.
And pigeons, no matter where they are, can always find their way home.
It is with this that I was inspired to write, “Pigeon Pose,” as a way for us to embody this ancient bird of loyalty and peace. To open our hips, stretch our lower backs, activate emotions that may be sluggishly sitting at the bottom of our bellies and surrender. I write this with the faith and the strong belief that if you are feeing lost, that you can find your way back home.
And by this, I mean home.
Pigeon Pose
By Corie Feiner
If I want to know if a storm is near,
I turn off the news and look
for a pigeon instead.
If it flies towards its coop or a deep marble ledge—
I follow it – and hope it will teach me the art
of surviving anything.
When I slide one leg back and fold the other
in front of me, my legs become like a claw
that can find balance on any surface
no matter how hard.
When I lift my heart from the ground
it is as if my chest is full of feathers fluttering open
and every hope and every fear flap and fly away
and I coo and coo and coo for my hips to unlock
and to finally trust the compass inside
my navel and bones that has always
led me back home.
Sanskrit Name: Ardha Kapotasana
Paid subscribers can listen to me reading an audio recording of Pigeon Pose here.
To Learn More About Pigeon Pose
To learn more about how Pigeon Pose is a tool in the practice of surrender, you can check out Janine Agoglia’s post about it here.
If you are looking for a beginner’s guide to this yogasana, you can read more about it here.
And if you are enticed to learn more about the mythical and spiritual history of Kapotasana, you can read about it here.
News
For those of you who missed the free sample of the Bodylove Poetry Writing Workshop, we had so much fun writing about our skin and creating such an intimate writing experience.
For those of you who are interested in connecting with your body in a deep, poetic, and meaningful way, you can learn more about my 6-week workshop starting on Wednesday, November 6th here or feel free to chat me with any questions you may have!
In the meantime, another free sample from my somatic workshop series is in the works. Please chime in and let me know if this is something you would be interested in!
Corie Feiner’s Poetry workshop was fantastic. I learned about myself, connected with the other participants, celebrated my body through poetry, and grew in my acceptance of my body. Corie is patient, skilled, inspiring, talented, kind, and 100% present as a teacher and poet. If you have a chance to take this workshop, do it!
- Kelly Romero, World Language Teacher, Nex+Gen Academy
Thank you for reading and supporting my work. If you are able to upgrade to becoming a paid member, that would be amazing and you would receive audio of my work and discounts on writing workshops. But either way, whomever you are and wherever you at at, may you find some light, love and laughter in your day. And spread the word!
I too grew up (in nyc) and it seemed to me the only wild bird I knew. So I love this.
Corey,
I often feel these poses when reading your descriptive content-a very enjoyable experience that evokes my love of yoga. This is a pose that Janine often teaches in her classes as as a senior, I appreciate that I still have the ability to open my chest to the sky and have the flexibility to stretch out my back when bringing my chest down over my knee. Gratitude to you and Janine both 💜