A Poem for Half Lord of the Fishes Pose
A Poem for Half Lord of the Fishes Pose
"I lift, lengthen, and grow tall, / then taller than I thought I could,/ my head christened with the crown / that had been waiting for me all this time. " -- from Half Lord of the Pose by Corie Feiner
“In order to rise from its own ashes, a Phoenix first must burn.”
―Octavia Butler
When I went to write this poem for Half Lord of the Fishes Pose what struck me was the lore of Matsyendra — who was thrown into the ocean by his parents. This core rejection resonated with a part of me that felt cast away as a child, only to become so grateful for my journey years later as I looked back at all the perceived rejections to see how, although painful, that these were essential moments in my path to awakening, self-directed growth, and transformation.
What also struck me when writing this poem is the whole thing about twisting away old juju in the body. Have you ever done what is called a “spiritual bypass?” Only to have parts of your body — like your hips or back — speak to you and remind you that trauma is held in the body and that is takes work to loosen it, process it, feel it all, until you can let is go…
and then let it go again, and again, until it wears away like a rock beneath a trickle of water. Drip by drip.
As you read this poem, whether this pose is in your practice or not, may you take in the idea that you are lovable no matter what and that anything that gets in the way of that belief is a hurdle to overcome so that you can come home to your deepest most beautiful self.
Half Lord of the Fishes Pose
By Corie Feiner I twist my legs into the tail of a fish undulating through freshwater waves. I follow my breath like a disciple who says, Tell me the truth, trusting that somehow, I will not drown. My stomach wakes up to all that it has held since before I was born and seven generations of sighing mothers fall through me like water trickling from a well-worn rock. Then flowing. Then flooding. I savor it. Taste the tears shed in sorrow, then laughter, then joy, then release it all. I lift, lengthen, and grow tall, then taller than I thought I could, my head christened with the crown that had been waiting for me all this time. Sanskrit Name: Ardha Matsyendrasana
Paid subscribers can listen to me reading an audio recording of Half Lord of the Fish Pose here —
Final Days to Register for the Bodylove Poetry Writing Workshop
If you are a women longing to connect with your body in a loving way and harness the healing power of your innate poetic skills, then I invite you to sign up for the Bodylove Poetry Writing Workshop that starts this coming Wednesday, November 6th.
"Medicines and surgery may cure, but only reading and writing poetry can heal." – J. Arroyo
I have combined my background in curating empowering poetry workshops with my history as a holistic health coach and my deep love of yoga to create this workshop. We practice radical self-love and acceptance with breath and bodywork, learn solid poetic craft tools and read, write, and share our heartfelt poems in a genuinely loving and supportive community of women. If this sounds inspiring to you, then I encourage you to sign up now and reserve your space.
Here are the details—
Workshop Dates and Times
Dates & Times: Six Wednesdays from 6:00-7:30 pm ET (find your local time zone here)
Start Date: Wednesday, November 6, 2024
Space Limit: 11 Students (5 spaces left)
Location: Live online via Zoom
Cost: $197 $150
What to Expect
week one: Wednesday, November 6th: the history of our hands with Linda Hogan
week two: Wednesday, November 13th: odes to our feet with Laura Foley
week three: Wednesday, November 20th: homages to our hips with lucille clifton
~ Thanksgiving break ~
week four: Wednesday, December 4th: anthems to our bellies with kara jackson
week five: Wednesday, December 11th: the song of our thighs Desiree Dallagiacomo
week six: whole bodylove (Wednesday, December 18th): celebrating the rhythm of our whole beings with Maya Angelou
If you have any questions, I will be trying out that new Substack Live Video Feature this coming Sunday, November 3rd at 10 am ET where I will be reading poetry and answering any questions you may have about the workshop.
Thank you so much for your time and presence. It means so much to me that you are here! Please feel free to reach out, comment, ask questions, share your heart, start a conversation - connect!
