Dancing With Red Bird

What can be more unexpectedly beautiful than the flash of a cardinal against a dreary winter landscape? In Mary Oliver's poetry, Red Bird has a message for us. We will unlock this message as we learn a meditative dance that will open your heart and bring harmony to your body and spirit. The movements are taken from qigong, tai chi, and other energy exercises and are designed to be healing as well as beautiful. The poems are printed in full below. On the following pages, you will find the poems broken down line by line, accompanied with photos and written instructions for the movements that are to be performed with each line. Feel free to improvise and make this dance your own! Holli Rainwater hhrainwater@gmail.com

Red Bird Explains Himself

Yes, I was the brilliance floating over the snow and I was the song in the summer leaves, but this was only the first trick I had hold of among my other mythologies, for I also knew obedience: bringing sticks to the nest, food to the young, kisses to my bride.

Red Bird Red bird came all winter firing up the landscape as nothing else could. Of course I love the sparrows, those dun-colored darlings, so hungry and so many. I am a God-fearing feeder of birds. I know He has many children, not all of them bold in spirit. Still, for whatever reason perhaps because the winter is so long and the sky so black-blue, or perhaps because the heart narrows as often as it opens I am grateful that red bird comes all winter firing up the landscape as nothing else can do. Mary Oliver

But dont stop there, stay with me: listen. If I was the song that entered your heart then I was the music of your heart, that you wanted and needed, and thus wilderness bloomed there, with all its followers: gardeners, lovers, people who weep for the death of rivers. And this was my true task, to be the music of the body. Do you understand? For truly the body needs a song, a spirit, a soul. And no less, to make this work, the soul has need of a body, and I am both of the earth and I am of the inexplicable beauty of heaven where I fly so easily, so welcome, yes, and this is why I have been sent, to teach this to your heart. ~Mary Oliver

Red Bird by Mary Oliver Red bird came all winter

Open the Doorstanding with feet together, arms down at sides, allow your hands to float up to shoulder height (its as if you have strings attached to your wrists and someone is gently pulling them up), bend elbows bringing hands in toward chest, then sink them down. This movement is a common opening in tai chi forms.

firing up the landscape

Red Bird Spreads its Wingsstep out with right foot, turn at the waist to the right, raise both arms up like a birds, hold for a moment, and sink them down. This movement was inspired by the photo at left!

as nothing else could.

Red Bird Spreads its Wings repeat to the left

Of course I love the sparrows,

those dun colored darlings,

Continue the Rhythmic Eights

so hungry and so many.

Continue the Rhythmic Eights

Rhythmic Eightshold your hands out in front of you like youre holding a chi ball, left hand on top, right hand on bottom. Begin making a sideways figure eight with the ballgo down to the right, then up and over crossing the middle of the 8, then keep going down on the left, then up and over back to the middle. Twist at the waist in the direction you are reaching and let your hips sway from side to side. This movement comes from Donna Edens Energy Medicine. It is good for relaxing the body and engaging both sides of the brain.

I am a God-fearing feeder of birds.

Spreading Good Wishesstep out with right foot into a lunge. Rest the back of your left hand behind you, on your right kidney. Hold your right hand at your waist like youre holding a tray. Circle your tray in a large clockwise circle. As your hand comes back toward your body, raise it up to shoulder height and make another slightly smaller circle. As your hand comes back toward your body, raise it up over your head and make a still slightly smaller circle. Essentially you are creating an upward spiral with your open hand. Pretend that you have birdseed in your hand and you are offering it to the birds. Lower your right hand, step your right foot back to join the left foot.

I know He has many children,

Spreading Good Wishesrepeat to the left

not all of them bold in spirit.

Sink the Chistarting with both hands down at your sides, raise them in an arc out to the side, palms facing up, and up over your head until palms are facing each other. Bring both hands down in front of your face, palms are now facing the ground. Let palms sink down the front of the body. Think of gathering chi as your arms arc out and up, and think of sinking the chi down through your body, as your hands sink down, any excess chi sinking into the earth.

Still, for whatever reason

Celtic WeaveLift your hands beside your ears and about six inches away from them. Reach your hands out to the sides in a sweeping motion, then bring your hands back to cross at shoulder level. Keep crossing your hands until your wrists and forearms cross and your elbows almost touch.

perhaps because the winter is so long and

Celtic Weave (cont.) Swoop your hands back out to the sides and bring them back in to cross at about waist level. Then, bending over, swoop hands out to the sides again and . . .

the sky is so black-blue.

Celtic Weave (cont.) . . .cross them down near your ankles. Staying bent over, scoop chi up and over your head with your hands and as you stand up. Imagine the chi flowing over your head and down the front sides, and back of your body as you sink the hands down the front of the body. This movement comes from Donna Edens Energy Medicine and is good for balancing the bodys energy field.*

*Donna Eden notes that the Celtic Weave is an energy system of the body and is similar to what other traditions call the Tibetan Energy Ring, or the caduceusthe intertwined serpents on a rod used as a symbol for Western medicine. She says, Like invisible threads that keep all the energy systems functioning as a single unit, the Celtic Weave networks throughout and around the body in spiraling figure-eight patterns. It is a living system, continually weaving new crossovers, ever expanding and contracting. We can activate the Celtic Weave by tracing figure eight patterns over the body or by moving the body in figure eight patterns.

or perhaps

Smoothing out the Difficultiesholding your left arm out in front of you with palm facing up, wrap your right hand around the inside of your left arm, with your right thumb in your left armpit, your right fingers resting across the top of your left bicep. Run your right hand down the length of your left arm and off the pinkie finger like you are smoothing down the inside of your left arm. In this movement you are tracing your heart meridian, which is good for balancing and opening the heart.

because the heart

Smoothing out the Difficulties on the right arm

narrows
Smoothing out the Difficulties on the left arm

as often as it opens
Smoothing out the Difficulties on the right arm

I am grateful

Opening Your HeartBring your hands together at the heart center, palms facing up. Reach your open hands out to the front and open to the sides.

that red bird comes all winter

Open the Door

firing up the landscape

Red Bird Opens Its Wings to the right

as nothing else can do.

Red Bird Opens its Wings to the left

Red Bird Explains Himself by Mary Oliver Yes, I was the brilliance floating over the snow
Red Bird Raises Its Wings to the right

and I was the song in the summer leaves,

Red Bird Raises Its Wings to the left

but this was only the first trick I had hold of among my other mythologies,
Rhythmic Eights

for I also knew obedience: bringing sticks to the nest,

Rhythmic Eights

food to the young, kisses to my bride.

Rhythmic Eights

But dont stop there, stay with me: listen.

Sink the Chi

If I was the song that entered your heart

Heaven Rushing InBring hands to prayer position in front of your chest. With a deep breath, open your arms wide and lift them. Look to the heavens. Reach toward heaven as heaven reaches back to you. Know that you are not alone in the universe and you are worthy of this blessing from the heavens. You may feel a tingle, a buzz, or heat in your hands. Scoop this energy into your arms and bring your hands into the middle of your chest. There is a vortex here called Heaven Rushing In, and heaven rushes into your heart with healing, with a glimpse of your true nature, and with a peek into who you are in the larger plan. Even when you do not receive guidance or inspiration, know that they will unfold in their perfect time. (another movement from Donna Edens Energy Medicine)

then I was the music of your heart,

Connecting Heaven and Earthbring hands to prayer position in front of your chest. With a deep inhalation, separate your arms from each other, stretching your right one high above your head and flattening your hand back, as if pushing something above you. Stretch your left arm down, again flattening your hand as if pushing something toward the earth. This movement comes from the 8 Pieces of Silk qigong form, but they call it Separating Heaven and Earth. Donna Eden includes it in her book, changing its name to Connecting Heaven and Earthwhich I also prefer.

that you wanted and needed,

Connecting Heaven and Earthbring hands to prayer position in front of your chest. This time stretch your left hand above your head and your right hand toward the earth.

and thus wilderness bloomed there, with all its followers:

Sweeping Waterstand with your feet about 3 feet apart, knees slightly bent. Curl your left hand into a loose fist and place it behind your back on your right kidney area. Place your right forearm parallel to your chest and about a foot in front, with your forearm parallel to the ground, palm facing down. Shifting your weight to the right, keep your forearm parallel to the ground as you sweep your arm out to the right sideleading with your elbow. Then open your arm out completely, moving your forearm until its extended to your right side. Slightly bend down as you continue sweeping your arm in a semicircle down and in front of you and scoop your arm up to the left side. Your weight will shift with the movement, first right, then center, then over to the left. Come back to the starting position and repeat one more time to the right. This movement comes from Deborah Daviss Womens Qigong for Health and Longevity. It nourishes the kidney energy. As you exhale, imagine releasing your fears and anxieties and replacing them with trust and faith.

gardeners, lovers, people who weep for the death of rivers.

Sweeping WaterRepeat the whole sequence described above two times to the left

And this was my true task,

Holding the Ballstand with weight on the right foot. Bending the left knee out to the left, touch your left big toe down just in front of your right big toe. Position your arms as if you were holding a big ball in front of your trunk. Your right arm will be curved over the top of the ball and your left arm will be cradling the bottom of the ball.

to be the music of the body.

Ward Offyour weight should still be on your right foot.

Pick up your left foot and step it out to the left. Step down on your heel first and let the toes follow. Your left toes are facing directly left. Your weight will shift to the left leg and your left knee will bend so that you are in a slight lunge. Your body will turn so that you are now facing left. The right leg will straighten and you can adjust your right foot so that it at a comfortable 45 degree angle. As you step to the left, you will bring your left arm from under the imaginary ball and let it float up to the left, still curved, until it rests in front of you with your forearm parallel to your chest and about a foot in front, with your palm facing your body. Meanwhile your right arm float down to hip level with the palm facing the ground.

Do you understand?

Grasping the Birds Tailbegin to straighten the left arm out so that your fingers are pointing to the
left, palm facing down. As you do this, your right hand will float up to meet the left hand, palms facing each other. It is as if you are grasping a birds tail between your open palms. Float both hands down in an arc across the front of your hips (your body will turn with the movement of the hands, opening up to the front) and continuing to arc up to the right. As you make this arc, the palms will stay facing until they cant any longer as the right arm floats up until it is pointing up to the sky to your right, left arm following behind and stopping at just above the shoulder.

For truly the body needs a song, a spirit, a soul.

Sink the Chifrom the last movement, continue arcing arms up over head until they are straight up above, palms facing each other. Bring both hands down in front of your face, palms are now facing the ground. Let palms sink down the front of the body. Imagine that your song, your spirit, your soul, is settling into your body, filling all the nooks and crannies until you are unitedbody, mind, and spirit.

And no less, to make this work, the soul has need of a body,

Separating the Cloudsat the bottom of Sink the Chi, when your hands are straight down, cross one wrist over the other and left your arms up over the head. Your palms will face the sky at the top. Slowly separate your hands and arc them out and down to your sides.

and I am both of the earth and I am of the inexplicable beauty of heaven

Red Bird Spreads its Wings to the right.

where I fly so easily, so welcome yes,

Red Bird Spreads its Wings to the left.

and this is why I have been sent, to teach this to your heart.
Sink the Chi, ending with hands in prayer position and head bowed.

Bibliography:
Davis, Deborah. Womens Qigong for Health and Longevity: A Practical Guide for Women Forty and Older. Boston and London: Shambhala, 2008. Eden, Donna. Energy Medicine: Balancing Your Bodys Energies for Optimal Health, Joy, and Vitality. New York: The Penguin Group, 2008. Oliver, Mary. Red Bird: Poems. Boston: Beacon Press, 2009.