A Poem for Mountain Pose

"Every day is a new day to relearn how to stand...." -- from Mountain Pose by Corie Feiner

Sometimes when I catch my reflection in a dark window, I am shocked to see my neck pushed forward and my heavy head angled over a screen.

Sometimes I see a hunch in my shoulders (especially when looking at my phone. If you have caught yourself in “text neck”, drop a comment here:)

Now that I have the tools of yoga and also a decent amount of self-love and self-respect, I work on gently moving myself into a posture of integrity. When I first learned about the seemingly simple yoga asana, Mountain Pose, I was not that taken with it because I was like, OK, I am standing. But it very quickly occurred to me, that how we stand is how we feel, how we perceive ourselves and how we are perceived. I invite you to ask yourself, How do I want to stand today?

Before reading my poem, Mountain Pose, I encourage you to take a moment and stand (or sit up) with as much integrity and self-love as you can muster. Then take a conscious breath, and think of a mountain, any mountain, that you have been to or seen…. and then take it in….

From left to right: Alpamayo in Cordillera Blanca, Peru: the Vinicunca, in Cusco Region, Peru, and Ama Dablam inHimalayas, Nepal.

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Mountain Pose

By Corie Feiner


Every day is a new day to relearn how 
to stand, to lift my head away from sink dishes 
and screens, to roll my shoulders 

from their good-for-nothing slouch, to hold 
my neck high as if there was a string 
from heaven pulling me upwards saying, 
You were born of us, too. 

Today, I stand like a mountain and tell myself, 
This is where everything begins. Still and solid
with arms that flow by my sides like wild rivers 
shimmering with life. 

Here, I become a witness to time itself 
watching my thoughts come and go 
like wind-swept clouds knowing no matter 

what storms come my way, my feet can hold me 
to the earth as I crumble and rise, crumble and rise 
humble and holy, dirty and divine. 

Sanskrit Name: Tadasana

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Audio for Paid Subscribers

For my dear paid subscribers, you can also listen to me reading Mountain Pose by clicking here.

For my other dear free subscribers, consider upgrading to paid. But if that is not in your script right now, no worries, I am grateful for you all!

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Announcements

Yogic Poetry Performance at Fly Free Living Yoga

Embodied Yoga, Somatic Poetry, & Community

Yoga inflused with poetry, collaborative writing, and kombucha… how can you resist?

Date: Friday, November 17, 2023
Time: 6 pm
Location: Fly Free Living Yoga, 1378 US-206, Unit 204, Skillman, NJ  
Cost: $45

You can register here.

About: The Yogic Poetry Experience is an interactive yoga practice where I intertwine yoga poems from my book, A Poem for Every Pose. The intention of this somatic experience is to create connection & presence with our bodies and in a safe community. If you are local to the Princeton area I hope you can come and be a part of it! Your mind/body/spirit will thank you!

The yoga practice is lead by functional yoga instructor, Jen Galgano.

The event is sponsored by Sole Kombucha who will be providing samplings of their drinks; and a portion of the proceeds goes to Yoga 4 Philly, a nonprofit organization dedicated making peace, love, and healing accessible through yoga and meditation.

You can register here.

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Information and Links about Mountain Pose

Mountain Pose Benefits and Tutorial from Adventure Yoga.

Yoga for Health Posture by Yoga with Adriene.

Mountain Pose magnets for sale from Liza Kobrazova.

Need a boost, check out these images of some of the most extraordinary mountains in the world!