A Poem for Pyramid Pose

"So many false passages, so many tomb raiders, trip wires and booby traps, so much love and darkness on the way towards the light. " -- from Pyramid Pose by Corie Feiner

When I wrote my poem for “Pyramid Pose,” I imagined my body as an actual pyramid that I built, “stone by stone.”

As my calves sang in their soreness and sighed in relief, I thought of how the inner journey of getting to know yourself can be one of discovery, darkness, joy and full of “false passages.” That it can be elusive, confusing, painful, and hard—like the pose itself, where I've had my fair share of shaking, falling, giving myself a pep talk, and trying again.

In my poem, I call my heart a “catacomb” because I am obsessed with the passage of the Torah/Bible/Quran where Pharaoh’s heart hardens. In ancient times, there was no word for “brain.” There was only the heart. And when you think of it, when the heart opens, it feels love. When it closes, it is shrouded by anger, fear, and darkness.

The opening and closing, hardening and softening, expanding and contracting are necessary. But it is the breath of awareness that makes all the difference in how you live your life.

And there …