A Poem for Reverse Tabletop

"...to lifting the goblet of my heart into the air / and to toasting that I have made it / to this very moment, this very breath / this very day." -- from Reverse Tabletop by Corie Feiner

Sara Pam Neufeld of The Overwhelmed Yogi practicing Reverse Tabletop.

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To me, the table is symbolic of love, togetherness, communion, but also conflict.

It is where I have broken bread, fallen in love, nourished my family and friends, but also witnessed fights that were like mini explosions where anger overcame the bonds of love.

My first few drafts were focused on the conflict, the table upturned, and how challenging this pose can be for my body.

Until the toast to life started to form. And the rhythm started to emerge, which was quite unfamiliar to me. It was a fast yet slow poem to write because I found myself sitting back from it and asking it to instruct me on how to complete the rhythm of the poem so that it could stand up on its own.

But isn’t this the magic of writing or of pursuing any movement or craft? The struggle in the beginning of not knowing? The clinging to old stories of “I can’t” which can be gently witnessed, held, and then allowed to be put aside as we move forward and give ourselves permission to rewrite the stories of our lives?

I hope my poem for Reverse Tabletop gives you the permission to show up at the table of your life and to celebrate that you are here, now, whatever that looks like for you.

(If you are not a paid subscriber, I encourage you to read this poem aloud to yourself so that you can have fun hearing yourself play with the rhythm. If you are a paid subscriber, you can listen to me read “Reverse Tabletop” here.)

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Kathleen Berney of Kathleen’s Substack practicing Reverse Tabletop.

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Reverse Tabletop

By Corie Feiner


To the lift, to the knees, to the back,
to the throat, to the head, to the neck,
to the hard wood, to the clang of glass, 
to the knock of knives, to the water, 
to the wine, and the strength it takes 
to hold all my weight like this. 

To the hips, to the core, to the nicks, 
to the scrapes, to the stretch, to the aches, 
to the meals, to the grace, to the long spine,
to the answered prayers, to the shoulders’ shake, 
to lifting the goblet of my heart into the air
and to toasting that I have made it 
to this very moment, this very breath, 
this very day.  




Sanskrit Name: Ardha Purvottanasana 

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Paid subscribers can listen to me read an audio recording of my poem for “Reverse Tabletop” here.

Audio & Printable Version of "Reverse Tabletop" {for paid subscribers}

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If you want to know more about Reverse Tabletop…

…you can watch this accessible and informative instructional video by yoga instructor Janine Agoglia of the Substack Living Living 50 and Beyond.

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Read this poem to yourself, to your friends, and if you are a yoga teacher, to your class.

These poems are meant to take you into and beyond the pose, and have the potential to transform your relationship with your practice and with yourself.

They are inspired by my own self-healing journey and my commitment to self-directed evolution and love.

For years, I was a curriculum integration specialist focusing on how to use poetry as a tool to access and inspire students with special needs. I loved this work which took me to hundreds of classrooms where I gave students what poetry gave to me — connection, expression, and emotional safety.

I have also always loved to perform my poems on stage and to collaborate with dancers and visual artists to create multidisciplinary and transformative experiences.

And my vision now is for these yoga poems to be shared in yoga practices, classes, retreats, conferences, and festivals. To be read by me, by you, to create a massive convergence of harmonized hearts. And it starts right here, with you, reading this now.

Until the eventual completion and publication of A Poem for Every Pose, I am offering yoga teachers free printable PDFs of select poems.

“Reverse Tabletop” can be read at the beginning of your class to set a tone of presence and of toasting oneself, or it can be read during the pose itself since it is (intentionally) short.

If you are a yoga instructor, please DM me with your name, email address, and the name of your studio. I don’t charge for this. I just ask that you gently encourage people to subscribe to my Substack if they are called to do so. I include a QR code on the prints to make it easy. (It may sound cheesy, but it really does help!)

Thank you so much for reading my work and for your support! And please leave a comment on your experience with the pose Reverse Tabletop and how this poem lands for you. Connecting with you is my favorite thing about Substack. For real.

With genuine love & gratitude,

Corie

PS - Special thanks to Janine Agoglia for her yoga instruction on how to practice this pose safely and for giving me her editorial feedback and guidance on every single one of these poems! And thank you

PPS - Thank you to everyone who came to all my free Bodylove Poetry Writing Workshops! The full 6-week workshop starts this coming Sunday, February 15th, and I am so excited to explore the poetry of the body with these wise and eclectic women!