Page 82 of Sol
That itinerant existence hid tall walls I’d constructed around me so no one could get in and no one could hurt me. Trent scaled my walls as easily as if it were an army training course. He made me step into a country I’d never been to—my own soul. With him, I was so far out of explored territory, because staying with him I had to find my way in a new land—that of my own psyche—which was harder to explore than any foreigncountry.
These thoughts flitted across my mind, but then he smiled. His broad, comforting smile. One of security I’d never feltbefore.
“I’m yourbase.”
Mybase.
“We don’t have to do this,” he said. “But I got you.” And this was true. I couldn’t find a sturdier man to lean on if Itried.
Ana, the instructor, spoke in accented English as she wove around the couples in the room. “Partner yoga is special. With the help and support of each other, you can go beyond the edge. Go beyond any limits. Extend beyond your comfort zone into a new place of flexibility. A newspace.”
I gave her a tight nod, steelingmyself.
“The base must have his or her back firmly on the ground. Completely flat. Hands down on his or herside.”
Trent obeyed, pressing his back into the floor, his legs bent so his feet were flat on the ground a short distance from hisass.
“Stand there, babe.” He pointed to the edge of the mat. Walking over, I positioned myself so that I was standing near his feet. My mint green-painted toes touched his groomed, masculineones.
Then those handsome toes reached up and rested against me, supporting the curve of myhipbone.
“Lean against the legs of your partner,” said theinstructor.
I did. And as I leaned into him, he raised hishands.
Ana walked around, checking positions. “The fliers and the bases should have their handstogether.”
I touched his hands, palm to palm. Energy pulsed from him to me and back again as his dry, calloused hands touched mine. Even though mine were so much smaller, we matched up, my hand a copy ofhis.
“The flier leansforward.”
I leaned into hisfeet.
“Andlift.”
With almost no effort, he pushed me up as I took a breath. And Iflew.
And in that instant, I knew. I could trust him. He’d never let me fall. He’d never let me get hurt. He’d care for me the way he’d beendoing.
Walking me to my apartment at night. Bringing me drinks of water. Giving me the home I didn’t haveanymore.
“As the flier is up in the air, your shoulders and hips should be aligned. With the help of your partner, you can go beyond the edge. Go beyond your limits into infiniteflexibility.”
With tiny calibrations, I shifted on top of him, allowing my body to go deeper and deeper into thepose.
“Feet out and pointed. Head up. Breathe. How does it feel to be upthere?”
It felt otherworldly. Like I was supported by something so strong, but constantlymoving.
“The base and the flier’s hand can move in one straight line. The base gets a nice back massage from the weight of the flier,no?”
Exhilaration came over me as the two of us entered into this deep yoga posetogether.
“Little by little, as you trust each other, the base can move the feet to the side, to allow the flier to move more. The flier can arch his or herback.”
I bent my legs up, letting Trent hold me until he set me back downagain.
When I landed on the ground, he pulled me into his lap. “What did that feel like,babe?”
