A great exercise, and meditation [in movement], is the “Standing Crane” position. You stand, balanced, on one leg, while you lift the other leg up, knee bent. You place your hand out in front of you, palms facing the direction you are looking “towards.” This is not easy, and yet, when I pull it off, I do think of the Crane, standing in the water, on one leg. I feel a kind of peace, with that thought.
However, I just realized that the “Cranes” I have seen, in my geographic area, are not Cranes, but Egrets, which are Herons. The main difference between these two bird clans is that when the Crane flies he extends his neck and head out. He is a pencil. The Egret flies with his head pulled back, his neck a winding road. He is a crooked house.
But …. !?*%&^^%^#! The peace I felt seeing the Egret standing in the water, in a nearby creek, was real. I thought “crane”, and I remembered the mythological lore of the Crane in Asian countries - the cranes' beauty and their spectacular mating dances have made them highly symbolic birds in many cultures with records dating back to ancient times. In Korea and Japan, certain set of people peform Crane Dances. The crane is a symbol of longevity [often represented with other symbols of long life – such as pine, bamboo, and the tortoise].
When I’ve seen the Egret fly, it is like watching a sculpture moving through the air – that neck which stays – a stairway with steep steps. They astound me.
According to tradition, if one folds 1000 origami cranes one’s wish for health will be granted.
Could I have my wish granted - that I can think of the Crane’s myth, when I see the Egret? How different are these birds?
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