Page 95 of Is This for Real?
“Partner yoga is all about creating a foundation for openness, confidence, and understanding with each other. Relationships can only grow if you are open and honest with each other and keep things lighthearted and fun,” Myrtle says.
That’s more profound advice than I expected from Myrtle.
“Okay, first we’re going to do seated centering,” Myrtle says. “Sit cross-legged, facing your partner, with your hands on each other’s knees. Look into your partner’s eyes. Truly see your partner. Take ten deep breaths in and out and allow for a deeper connection without words. We can get so busy in our daily lives that we forget the importance of truly seeing each other for who we are.”
Bernie and Myrtle are focused on each other, cross-legged. Actually, they look really cute together.
Rory and I stare into each other’s eyes. His eyes are deep blue, with green and almost gold around the pupils, his gaze a warm pool that’s making me melt as if I stepped into a sauna to relax. I can feel his breath softly on my face as we each breathe in and out. It’s intense looking into his eyes, baring.
“Now let’s do the seated cat cow. Reach for each other’s forearms, release your shoulders down and back. Release. Now inhale and lift your chest up to the ceiling,” Myrtle says.
Rory reacts slower than me, which means I feel like I end up sticking my chest into his face. Not directly into his face, but close enough. He raises an eyebrow as he leans his head back. Maybe our arms are not supposed to bend.
“Now exhale, drawing your chin into your chest, rounding through your upper middle back, and spreading your shoulder blades wide apart.”
I can feel the tightness of the muscles in my chest. It’s too much to keep it all in.
“Let’s do ten rounds of this movement. Use the support of your partner to find a sense of spaciousness in your chest andupper back.”
Spaciousness is not what I’m finding. Rory pulls me closer with his elbows when we inhale again, lifting our chests up to the ceiling. I snicker and Myrtle looks over. We’re inappropriate thirteen-year-olds. I school my face back into an expression of a woman in a mature relationship.
Rory smiles. I can feel him relaxing as I hold his forearms.
Myrtle then shows us how to do seated back pose where we lean against each other’s backs and squat. I’m short compared to Rory, so we have a bit of a time getting the hang of it. The thigh burn is real. And it’s weird to feel Rory’s firm butt against mine, his back against mine. Metaphorically, though, Rory always has my back.
Next position up is a seated forward backbend, where we sit back-to-back and I lean back while he leans forward. I drape myself over Rory.
“Comfortable?” he asks.
“Very. You?”
“Waiting for my turn.”
Yeah, stretching with Rory lying back on top of me is definitely pushing me farther than I want to go.
“Check in with your partner. Should they apply more pressure? Less pressure?” Myrtle asks. “Feel the physical connection.”
Rory lightens the pressure before I can even ask.
Now Myrtle instructs one partner to do child’s pose. I volunteer and curl over, grabbing Rory’s ankles. He has to do downward dog, reaching to hold my hips. His hands feel warm against my back. We switch.
And then we’re back to seated centering, staring at each other. I could get lost in Rory’s eyes. Can he tell that my eyes say, “I am in love with you”?
Myrtle claps, and I jump.
“Namaste.” Myrtle bows.
We all clap. It was so much better than I expected. I roll up my yoga mat. Rory rolls up his yoga mat next to me. A pit grows in my stomach. If it was just the two of us, I would have said “I love you.” It has released too many feelings. I breathe deeply.
“Are you okay?” Rory whispers.
I dart a glance at him.
“Yes.” I raise an eyebrow. “That was intense.”
Rory gives me a more probing look. “It was.”
The air pulses between us. Rory reaches out to take my rolled-up yoga mat and his hand brushes mine, a whisper of contact, which I feel everywhere. I look away at Myrtle in the front of the room.
