A Poem for Tree Pose

"...no matter what weather comes your way, you are capable of bending, twisting, flexing, falling, and still staying connected to it all." -- from Tree Pose, by Corie Feiner

When I was studying to become a health coach at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, I had the honor of hearing Julia Butterfly Hill speak. Do you know about her? She lived in a 1000 year-old redwood tree for 738 days to bring awareness to how were were decimating our last remaining ancient forests.

Julia Butterfly Hill living 180 feet up in a 1000 year-old tree.

I was enthralled as I listened to her speak about how one time, in the midst of a strong storm with 70 mph winds, she clung for her life on a branch that was being whipped around in the wind. She prayed as she felt Luna (the name she called the tree) thrash about, but still stay rooted in the ground — and this

was her greatest lesson, she said —

to stay grounded even if everything else

in this wild weathered life

is getting blown around by what feels like a never ending storm.

Trees are patient creatures. They live a long, quiet time, and they know how to stand firm through all the changes of day and night, climate and season.

— Zo Newell from “The Mythology Behind Vrikshasana”

This is a lesson we can embody as we take the shape of a tree in Tree Pose.

As a bonafide tree hugger and fellow human seeking inspiration, consciousness, growth, and balance, I am honored to share this poem with you.

If you are a yoga teacher, I hope you can use this poem in your classes. If you practice yoga, I hope this poem inspires you to feel more connected to this pose, and if you don’t even practice yoga, I hope you can find some tree loving wisdom here in these words.

A photo of me hugging a redwood tree.

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Tree Pose

By Corie Feiner


Imagine yourself as a tree, a lanky willow, 
a mighty oak, strong in your own way. 
 
Imagine your arms are branches extending 
to the sky, leaves fluttering in the breeze, 
your roots connecting you to the ground. 

Feel how stable your center can be
as your roots draw nourishment 
from the earth, your branches and limbs
suddenly feeling so alive. 

Feel the magnetic pull from the ground
drawing you closer to your source 
as you lift towards the sky. 

Remember, that even if your leaves rustle 
and shake in the wind, your trunk is strong, 
centered, patient and no matter what 

weather comes your way, you are capable 
of bending, twisting, flexing, falling, and still
staying connected to it all.




Sanskrit Name: Vrksasana 

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Audio for Paid Subscribers

For my dear paid subscribers, you can listen to me reading Tree Pose here.

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Announcements

Free Sample of the Bodylove Poetry Workshop

If you are a woman yearning to connect more deeply to your body and to hone your innate poetic skills, please join me on Sunday, April 28th at 10 am EST for a free one and a half-hour writing workshop online about the body— specifically, our skin.

Bodylove Poetry Writing Workshop
A free sample workshop + Q&A online via zoom
topic: approaching our skin with humor and love with Corie Feiner 

Sunday, April 28th, 2024
10:00 - 11.30am EST/ 9:00-10:30 am CST (find your local time HERE) 

Limit: 14 participants

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