What if we could wipe away all the old stories that no longer serve us?
The ones that run beneath the aquifer of our thoughts, that make us react, feel bad, blame and shame others, protect something deep and old in ourselves that no longer needs to be protected.
Old stories are sticky. And for a good reason. They give us a sense of history, ancestry, and belonging, but can also land us in the middle of a stubborn egoic sense of right and wrong, and suffering that maybe… just maybe… we can let go of… or work to let go of little by little every day.
I remember the day I woke up to my thoughts. I think my journal entry says something deep like, “Holy shit!”
Not exactly a holy light falling from the heavens moment, but a flash of how reality is “man made” and how with self-control, discipline, accountability, love, and will, we can not only rewrite and reframe our stories, but create new stories and new realities. And that we can transform our lives.
In my poem for Windshield Wiper pose, I ask the question, “What if we could wipe it all away?“
This is an invitation to myself and to you as well to move your body in this pose that has made its way into the yoga family. It may not be considered a “pose” actually but a twist, a stretch, a calling to move your body with the support of the floor and soothe the soreness of your sides. And to breathe.. and maybe, just maybe wipe it all away.
Windshield Wiper Pose
By Corie Feiner
What if I could wipe away the blinding rain,
the sudden storm, the streaks of dirt,
the pain in my back, my hips, my spine,
my heart? What if when I swayed my knees
from left to right, right to left, I could wipe
away every story I thought I had to own,
the chronicles of curved spines, cracked
hips, weak knees, swollen joints, and broken
wings? What if today, right here, when I stretched
and breathed into my body, there was no fog,
no glare, no myth claiming that it was too late
to heal? What if today is the day that when I gaze
out the window of my soul, I could see everything,
clearly for what it is and wipe the rest away.
Sanskrit Name: Supta Sucirandhrasana Variation
Paid subscribers can listen to me read an audio recording of my poem for “Windshield Wiper Pose” here.
If you want to learn more about Windshield Wiper pose, you can watch this informative instructional video by Substack writer and yoga instructor here.
And also, here is a video I made with the yoga instructor and wellness coach to show you what it would be like to hear my poem as you practice Windshield Wiper pose—
Windshield Wiper Pose is the 98th poem out of 108 poems written for my book, A Poem for Every Pose…
…and I am already working on poem number 99!
Every poem can be integrated into yoga practices and shared with anyone who teaches yoga, practices yoga, loves yoga, or just wants to feel inspired.
Yoga teachers who read these poems in their classes and on retreats often read them before, during, or at the end of class in place of a Rumi, Mary Oliver or John O’Donohue poem.
They serve as a bridge from the physical movements to the other more metaphysical aspects of yoga and open up the possibility for somatic self-healing, radical self-love, and grace.
I encourage you to read through my other poems to see which ones call you. If you are a yoga teacher and want a free pdf of this or other poems, please DM me.
I will be offering this service until the completion and publication of what will be a beautifully illustrated reference-style yoga poetry book of all 108 poems.
Thank you, as always, for your time and presence. Please leave a comment as one of the most wonderful things about this platform is how we connect and have conscious conversations with each other. I always respond.
With gratitude,
Corie
I love the windshield wiper pose after bridge pose! So refreshing and cracks a whole load of stress out the hips 😆
I ❤️that you used a shot of Janine Agoglia 🧘♀️