Goddess Pose

"When I squat into Goddess Pose / there is so much to reclaim –/ starting with birth. My birth. Your birth and all / the births before us... " - from Goddess Pose by Corie Feiner

Hello yogis, poets, and seekers of inspiration! 

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Have you ever practiced something you have never done before, like an inversion pose, and the presence of someone spotting you can magically create a feeling of confidence and calm? Well, that is what you are to me. When you subscribe and share this publication with others, you are like little angels on my shoulder saying, “Keep going!” 

And I hope I can do this for you, too. 

Goddess Pose 

Today’s poem is about Goddess Pose. This is a big one for me. It is about reclaiming all that was lost for me, and perhaps for many of us– birth, blood, breasts, and the divine within. I include my male readers, too, for we all contain both masculine and feminine energy and a sweet ferocity that is born of both the sun and the moon. 

This past weekend, I had the premier of my A Poem for Every Pose Tour. My partner, Jen and I created an interactive poetry yoga experience for the Bucks County Yoga Festival created by Trina Shumsonk.

Photo credit: David Applebaum

We moved through a variation of the Moon Salutation Sequence and invited everyone who showed up to consider themselves part of the experience and to move to the poems as well. 

Photo Credit: David Applebaum

When I shared the poem, Goddess Pose, with a room full of people standing together – arms and legs open wide– it seemed like time had slowed down and we could feel the presence of our hearts opening just a little more. 

So now, my dear readers, it is my honor to share the poem, Goddess Pose with you here—

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Goddess Pose

When I squat into Goddess Pose 
there is so much to reclaim –
 
starting with birth. 
 
My birth. Your birth and all 
the births before us that were full
of squatting and bleeding and grunting 
and knowing that we can 
make it through most any pain.
 
Next are our centers which we have been taught 
to either hide or give away. 
 
And next still are our breasts
which were made to be shown, 
to be kissed, to be sucked, to be loved. 
 
I have to stand like this—
hips, hands, and feet shining outwards 
 
as if I could become a goddess  
with nine heads and eight limbs, 
the sun as my crown, the moon 
as my core and dance 
 
a divine sexy mama dance 
that can create or destroy anything – 
 
this is the only way anything new
has ever been born. 
 
 

Sanskrit Name: Utkata Konasana

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When I asked my yoga community what they thought of when they thought of Goddess Pose, here is what some of my favorite people said: 

I think of strength, empowerment, confidence, groundedness. and compassion. - Robyn Byrne

For me it is strength, wisdom, invincibility, stamina and brilliance. - Carrie LaPorte

What do you think of when you think of Goddess Pose? 

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Audio

Paid-subscribers, stay tuned for audio of Goddess Pose this coming Tuesday! 

Bookings

I am taking the summer to be with my family, my garden, and my community, but if you have a yoga studio, run a yoga festival or are sponsoring another yoga-ish event, I am now setting up bookings for live interactive yoga-poetry readings. If you want to know more, you can contact me here.