“Breathe in… Breathe out… Breathe in… Breathe out…” chanting the movement of the breath toward the seven people at your morning yoga class. Ujjayi breathing fills the room with deep ocean sounding breaths awakening the souls of the men and women in the class. All sitting in perfect full-lotus positions. After several years with this group They have learned numerous beginner and moderate positions. A few of them even have the potential in time mastering advance moves if they so what to.
Looking up at the clock in the back of the room I realize our time is nearly over. I ring the little bell near where I sit. The class bows and awakens their eyes. Slowly moving upward and out the door at their own pace. Thanking all of them for attending and wish them luck for the weekend ahead.
My yoga, meditation, and health business has been going strong for a decade now. At thirty-seven years old I have a steady group of customers, and new business popping up at the start of the year that never stay more then a month. Then a few spread throughout the year that do stay on. My home is on the second floor of the building. Married early and divorced swiftly giving me money to open business after he cheated on me with a friend.
I lie in corpse pose feeling my breath. Waiting for the next group to start in half an hour for the late morning session. They are all normally sixty-ninety minute long pending on how active the group feels each class. I have two morning classes and two afternoon classes every day. Then one Friday evening Hot yoga class where I turn the heat up for ninety minutes with my special group of advanced students. First morning class and my last afternoon classes age range is between twenty-five to fifty-three where my later morning and early afternoon classes are elderly sixty five plus. My hot yoga class where the temperature goes up, and clothes start to shed I get a mix of my younger students twenty-five to forty years of age and only four students attend. All four happen to be women. Although I have been working on getting a couple guys to attend no takers yet.
Ring! Ring! Ring!
My cellphone goes off. Ending my practice I slowly sit up and rotate my body one hundred and eighty degrees to face the wall of mirrors I have set up for the class to see their postures. Unzipping my bag which is to my right to see one of my male students had called. Tapping a few buttons to call back I wait for him to pick up.
“Hello, Jamie I have big news for you” he says to me cheerfully over the phone.
“Yes, Aaron what is it?” I ask him calmly. I swiftly stand up prepared for his news. One of my best male students with a hot body I cringe to embrace me if only.
Aaron responded “I talked to my doctor this morning and he said with my health I could do it.”
Listening in to his every word uncertain what the big news is about. I was confused what he is talking about, but I continue to listen in.
“After months of hearing you and a couple ladies in class I am interested in tonight’s hot yoga class.”
I pause before responding grateful for this moment, but also hesitant that his ego might be clouding his judgment. When he first joined a couple years ago he was green to the practice, and a clouded ego on top of that. Eventually he learned to go with the flow as everyone else did and became one of my proudest students. “Don’t let your ego judge your mind Aaron” I remind him of what I tell all my students when they enter the class.
“Jamie your not going to talk me out of it now” Aaron is set on this decision “I will be there at seven.”
“Why don’t you come half an hour sooner so we can talk” I tell him not wanting to have his mind blown away. He has such a fragile ego at the age of twenty-eight. I started my practice at the same age as he joined my classes. Normally he is part of my late afternoon class, but with this news things could create new challenges and opportunities.
“Okay see you later, bye!” Aaron says agreeing with me before hanging up.
I hear a couple of elderly women coming through the front door in the other room for the next class. I grab a towel to dry the sweat from my face and bright red hair. Grabbing some water to prepare for the next class.