Page 63 of The Thorne at My Side
"No, I'm worried that my boss will be upset that I'm not working, and that I brought my direct report with me to this ridiculous class." Technically she brought me but that seems besides the point.
"You know, they say the puppies seek out people who are in the most emotional distress. To soothe them and comfort them." Austin says as Elle instructs people to move into down dog. I watch him plant his hands on his mat and unfold until he's in an upside down V position.
I go to move my arms and get into the next pose, thinking the puppy will just jump off. But as I start to move I realize the puppy isn't. Then I see Elle's perfectly manicured toes come into view.
"Looks like S'mores here has fallen asleep," she says gently. "Usually when our puppies do that they've made a strong connection with the human. They've put their trust in you because they can sense you're a safe place."
"That's great but what am I supposed to do, I can't move."
"Can you breathe?"
"Yes," I respond slowly, fearful of what she is getting at.
"Then you don't move. You sink into the pose, let the pressure of your companion release the tension in your shoulders. Enjoy the forced break. Drift off to sleep yourself if you'd like."
With that Elle rubs a hand down my spine and walks away. As she instructs the class through the next set of moves I watch Austin's body flow fluidly from one position to the next. There is power and strength in his movements. Control. He's making it look easy and now I'm very glad that S'mores has camped out on my neck. If not, I'd be trying to do yoga moves and embarrassing myself in front of him.
My canine heating pad doesn't stop me from keeping my head turned in his direction though. The first time through the routine he was facing away from me so I could admire the view without fear of him catching me.
The second round has him facing me and I blush deeply every time he flicks his gaze to mine. His eyes soften as he watches me lay here with a puppy across the back of my neck like a travel pillow.
"Do you want me to move him?" He asks as he sinks into a chair pose. It looks challenging based on how his abs are flexing and he keeps rolling his toes.
"Nah, I'm good, this is the best workout ever." I say with a laugh and when I do S'mores stirs and slides backwards onto his butt and off my neck. He flops to the side and looks startled to find himself there.
I laugh as I slowly sit up and reach out to give him a good pet and scratch behind his ears.
"Start with a down dog," Austin says. "It'll feel good to stretch out your legs."
I nod and push myself up into position. It does feel goodalong the backs of my legs. I close my eyes and slowly sway from side to side to feel the way my muscles stretch with the movement. I’m starting to appreciate the benefits of yoga.
Suddenly there are hands on my hips and my eyes fly open to see Austin's feet planted just outside of mine. He’s holding onto my hips and pulling my ass higher into the air. The stretch travels from my legs to my back and it feels so good I almost moan.
"How does that feel?" He asks.
"Mhm, good," I say even though my throat is tight. "Are you qualified to do this?"
He leans forward over me and my arms start to feel the burn from holding both of us up.
"I think we both know I'm qualified to do this."
And then he stands and returns to his mat. Cold rushes into fill the space he vacated. I spy Sam through my legs behind me and her eyes have doubled in size.
“Get a room!” She mouths to me as she points between us.
“Shut up!” I mouth back but break eye contact right away. I can’t afford for Sam to see the desire he’s stirred in me. I was the one to end it but try telling that to my vagina. She’s crying for Austin like a kid being pulled past the ice cream truck by an overtired parent.
I look around and focus on copying what my fellow yogis are doing as Elle talks through different transitions. S'mores makes his way back over and plops down at my side as I attempt something called pigeon but I think I look more like a dying swan.
I am able to roll him over so I can lay down on my mat for the final resting pose. Yeah, this is the kind of yoga I could get used to.
As soon as I close my eyes, the pup climbs onto my shins and snuggles in. I lift my head and peek one eye open and I findS’mores lying on his back, mimicking my pose with his head balanced perfectly between my knees.
I let out a little chuckle and rest my head on my mat.
I'm not sure how long we lay there but the forced stillness to keep the puppy comfortable is more relaxing than I'd thought it would be.
My mind slows down to almost blank. I focus on the soft sounds of the music in the background. I hear puppy feet shuffling throughout the room. I feel one come and sniff at my hair before moving on.
