The Gift of Yoga

For his birthday I gave my husband a private yoga session with my favorite yoga teacher, Tara. I knew it was a slightly coercive gift--maybe not the gift he fantasized about--but rather the gift I fantasized about. But, I reasoned, he is getting more serious, we are over 40 now and health matters, and he did his first back bend the other week. It is time for some instruction!

When I told him what I was getting him he was not happy.
"Really?" he said. "Have you already booked it? Is it too late to cancel?"
But then he caught himself, and said he would try if that was what I really wanted to give him. Pretty game. I did promise him that my teacher is leggy, blonde and hot!

I booked it. As the day drew nearer he asked why I hadn't just booked his yoga teacher--he does privates, too. And maybe I should have. I like him. He teaches Anusara at the Y, too.

Sunday morning came and I got the house ready. I swept and vacuumed the floor and rolled up the carpet. I laid out his thin, old, holey purple yoga mat inherited from my dead friend, put out some ice water, lit a candle, and whisked the boys off to the farmer's market to give him silence and alone-time with his hot yoga guru.

He loved it! And he loved her! His face looked ten years younger when I returned and his shoulders were back. He babbled on excitedly about yoga factoids he had never known. (Did you know you are not supposed to just fall to the ground on your belly when you come down from plank to chataranga--correct sanskit spelling here, i do not know--, he asked incredulously? Did you know you are supposed to hold your body four inches off the ground? Everybody in our class just comes crashing down.)

Today he came to my class at the Y and we did yoga side-by-side, panting in each other's ears, sticking our knees and elbows in each other's faces, and throwing each other off balance in half-moon. But he was great! He did three back bends and held his planks. His form is getting better and better. When he went to see his friend for lunch his friend said, "You look more rested than you have in years!"

He had the yoga glow.