Heron(s) doing yoga

[Celebration]

Okay, there are now some herons on a nearby lake, and I've taken so many pictures of them that I am on a self imposed moratorium for posting any more heron pictures in the photography group for a few weeks. But this one is interesting and appropriate for this group. This heron looks to me like it is in one of the "Salute to the Sun" postures. Notice the beak of the second heron in the lower right, also looking up! Keep in mind that herons *never* look up. They always look down at fish. Yet these are two herons looking up at the sky at the same time.

Also, the wing posture reminded me of the arm position in a yoga posture. Yes, I have heard that yoga postures came from observing animals. At the very least this is a morning "stretch."

[I Have A Dream]

1. This is lovely. I consider the blue heron to be one of my totem animals.

Whenever I see it, I feel as though the Universe is saying hello to me.

Thank you so much for sharing this here. I would love to see any heron pictures you want to post. :)

[RayOfHope]

14. How interesting, IHAD. I also consider herons as my totem animal n/t

[Celebration]

2. that's nice

Here are the two threads from Photography. I don't know much about totem animals but I sure am getting a kick out of these herons.

Stalking a Heron

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=280x69028

No More Stalking Herons!!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=280x69708

And, just one more (I happen to like this one)

[I Have A Dream]

3. These are absolutely spectacular shots!

Such a gift to you from the Universe and to us from you. Thank you!

[Celebration]

7. the universe gifted me big time

I get so giddy when I get good pictures of them. LOL, I can thank the universe for digital cameras too, because I would not have wanted to pay for this much film, plus developing it!

[PuraVidaDreamin]

4. downward heron!

Think I saw a common murre about a week ago. Didn't have binocs with me
so couldn't tell for sure. Birds are so cool.

[Celebration]

8. LOL--yeah that could also be Salute to the Sun!

I'm really not a good birdwatcher at all. I took a picture of an eagle and didn't know what it was. Turns out an eagle doesn't get a white head until about two or three years old. I had a picture of an immature eagle. So, I wouldn't know a murre until I took a picture of it first, and THEN looked it up in the book.

This one lake is teeming with wildlife--many different kinds of ducks, gulls, different kinds of geese, etc.

[winyanstaz]

9. I think those are lovely photos...

It may well be that the Heron is your Totem :)
They have certainly showed themselves to you in at least four ways...and did a few unusual things too :)

[I Have A Dream]

10. Good point. nt

[Celebration]

11. Thanks, could be

And I didn't even post the one of the heron flying directly towards me. It actually looks a bit scary. They definitely delight me, but mostly because they generally are shy, and this is a challenge. We have a little trailer on the Tennessee River, and rather than the usual fish theme, I decorated it with a heron theme. I even bought a "paint by number" heron (already painted) from Ebay. This was before I started photographing them. But I'm not that picky. I like taking pictures of birds, mostly because they move. This month's photography theme, Still Life, sort of drove me bonkers. Still lives are too still for me.

If a heron is my totem, what exactly does that mean?

A caveat to all this is usually herons don't let me get all that close! Only sometimes am I able to get these close pictures. That's why I love it, though--the challenge.

[winyanstaz]

13. We have traveled many lifetimes to be at the level of consciousness we are at now...

and we still have far to go.

We have all passed through the first four "kingdoms" of consciousness..the kingdom of mineral, the kingdom of vegetable, the kingdom of animal and we are now at the level of the kingdom of man.

The particular "line" or spirit group you passed through are your direct ancestors...and they are interested in helping us even now.

They are sometimes also called Spirit Helpers and Spirit guides can take a human form on the inner planes sometimes. Sometimes we only know them in a human form and those are most often just considered a Spirit guide of an ascended spirit. They all do the same thing..they help us.

They will teach you things and help you grow in spirit.

One of the ways they do this is by showing themselves to us in four ways and letting us know they are of Spirit...by doing something unusual..for example..you might "hear" them in the mind...or a land animal might fly, or the animal may do something out of the ordinary like a deer I once meet in the woods when I got my deer totem. She nibbled on every branch I touched right beside me as I was chanting and gathering sacred sweet cedar in a Sacred Manner.

I have a Bear Totem that teaches me some awesome things on the inner planes too. I call him "Bear that Stands Like a Man."

We need to learn all we can about our Totems and practice their gifts and attributes.

For example, a deer is innocent-trust and moves quietly in the woods/world and can leap over obsticles...etc.

Have fun with it. :)

[Celebration]

15. Great!

I'll look for more unusual heron activity. Two herons looking upwards toward the sky at the same time was a bit surprising. Maybe it is because I really have been thinking a lot about Salute to the Sun lately. Thanks.

[MorningGlow]

5. Beautiful, C!

Lovely photos--you are so talented!

I love herons--I used to live on a small lake, and it was always a joy to see a great blue heron or a green heron. Loved to watch them take off, too--so prehistoric-like.

[Celebration]

6. YES!!

I've been studying them. Prehistoric!! Yes, their feet are like dinosaurs. And lots of other things seem prehistoric. I have come to be fascinated by them--I have to say. They have the same wingspan as eagles. That is the biggest in the USA for birds.

At the Tennessee River they seem a bit more shy than at this lake, though I have to go to the lake when nobody else is around, and then just get lucky.

I get a bit giddy when I have a good day photographing them. I hope springtime doesn't bring so many people out that it scares them away. There are several lakes at the park, but this one is by far the most accessible.

[conscious evolution]

12. Standing Crane

is an actual type of tai chi in China.
It is very good for learning patience,among other things.

[Celebration]

16. Interesting

A whole type of tai chi, or a tai chi posture?

[conscious evolution]

17. both