Page 78 of Red Zone Realizations
You can’t give this man an inch, or he’ll take you to bed.
“Babe, you ruin all my fun, but fine, let’s go. The surprise in my pants will still be here later.”
Chapter Forty-Three
NOAH
We pull up to a little storefront in Montrose. The front windows boast huge mandalas. I see hanging pathos just behind the windows. Their cheery green leaves cascading toward the floor. I’ve never been here before, but one of the trainers swears by the chakra cleansing they do.
Audrey beams at me. “What is this?”
“This,” I pause for effect, “is a private tantric yoga class.” She lights up. Her happiness cranks up to a ten. She claps her hands together in front of her.
“I’ve always wanted to do this!”
I smile back at her, my heart beating loud in my chest. I couldn’t frown at this moment if I tried. I would be lying if I said this wasn’t a gift for me too. I just started doing yoga, but ever since I’ve wanted to try something like this.
We hold hands as we walk into the studio. The smell of incense is strong, even in the front. A young woman with long, black hair stands behind the counter clicking away at the screen. She looks up when the chimes above the door jingle. “Good afternoon! Welcome to Twisted Bliss Yoga! I’m Lotus. Isthis your first time here?” We both nod. She clasps her hands together. “Amazingggg.” And theamazingsounds so feathery I wonder if she’s totally here with us.
Whatever this lady is smoking, I hope she’ll share.
Just kidding. I get drug tested all the time.
Audrey jumps in without missing a beat. “I’m Audrey, and this is my boyfriend Noah.” My already flying heart soars higher hearing the word boyfriend on her lips. My chest puffs a little with pride.
“Nice to meet you both, have you done couples tantric yoga before?” We both shake our heads. “Do you have a regular yoga practice?”
“We’re both members at Big Power Yoga on Waugh,” Audrey explains. If it’s possible, Lotus looks even more elated.
“Oh, great! You guys are basically pros. This will be so fun!” She steps out from behind the counter and starts walking toward the back. “If you’ll follow me, I’ll take you to the studio we’ll be using.” As she walks, she explains, “This studio has been here for twenty years. We offer everything from regular yoga, hot yoga, tantric yoga, yoga teacher certification classes, and more. This space is only fifteen-hundred square feet, so it naturally lends itself to smaller, more intimate classes. Today, we’ll be in the back room.” She dims the light in the small space with soft floors and a mirror along the front wall. It’s mildly heated and cozy. In the center of the room there are two mats, two blocks, and two bolsters.
Lotus walks in and spreads her arms open like a dancer. “Come in, please get settled, and we’ll begin.”
Audrey and I put our stuff down in front of the wall right by the door. I brought us two water bottles, not knowing how heated it would be. Audrey brought her mat, which doesn’tsurprise me at all, but the mat Lotus provided is huge. Way bigger than a single mat.
Lotus hits play on her phone, and slow spa music starts up over the speakers. “The most important thing,” Lotus begins, “is paying attention to your partner’s body and listening to what they need. Don’t be afraid to ask for more or less. This is meant to be enjoyable and amorous.” She gestures for us to sit before her.
I’ve never had this much attention from an instructor before, and I feel a little watched. When my ass hits the mat, though, I feel the comfort of the familiar rubber rush over me. I look at Audrey for a split second before we get started, and I see brown eyes full of excitement. Her radiance envelops me, and her sunshine scent fills my nose. In those skintight leggings and that high pony, she looks like a yoga goddess. I might have put myself in a world of hurt planning this little surprise.
Chapter Forty-Four
AUDREY
“Make sure your backs and entire spines are touching,” Lotus instructs us as we sit cross-legged, back to back on the mat. I feel Noah move closer to me and the heat of his bare back envelops me. I wish I hadn’t worn my long sleeves so that I could feel more of his skin on mine. Yoga is all about being connected to your body and the feeling of being in it, but including another person as part of that is incredibly intimate. Usually, you focus on the feeling of your feet on the floor or your forehead on the mat, but with Noah pressed against me—it’s him grounding me.
“Now close your eyes and take a deep breath in.” Lotus brings her arms in an arch above her head. Noah and I follow. “Fill all the emptiness in your chest with breath. Inflate the ribs to their maximum capacity. Feel your partner behind you.” I focus on Noah’s ribcage pressed against the back of mine as he takes in air. She pauses at the top of the breath and then continues. “Now, breathe out through your nose. As long as possible. We want a longer exhale than inhale for ujjayi breath. Picture your partner’s face in your mind’s eye. The color oftheir eyes and the shape of their smile. Let that warm feeling spread through your body.”
She walks a circle around us, making sure we’re perfectly placed to start whatever sequence she has planned. “Great. You guys are pros. Real yogis. Breathe in. Both arms back over your head. Now you’re going to twist to your right, both of you. Place your right hand on the other’s thigh and your left hand on your own knee.” We settle into the twist. “Breathe in to lengthen, breathe out to deepen your twist.” The sensation of the stretch coupled with the feel of Noah against me is surreal. It would be overwhelming if it wasn’t so comforting, so stabilizing. I twist farther and my pressure moves my hand along Noah’s thigh. I press my finger into the taut muscle there.God, that’s so hot.
Lotus walks us through coming out of the twist and switching to the left side. After that, we move on to deeper heart and hip-opening poses. “Both of you move a little to your left, so your right hips align.” She watches us as we scoot a bit awkwardly. “Great. Now tuck your right leg in and straighten the left. Place your bolster parallel to your extended leg. It should be close to the shin of your tucked leg.” I adjust the pillow in front of me. I’m not super open in my hip flexors, so I’m going to need the support. “Breathe in. Right arms up. Now fall gently onto the bolster in front of you.” She supervises our movements. Assisting when necessary.
Once we’re on the ground, laid partially over one another, I breathe in to the stretch. It’s made more intense by the assistance of Noah’s heavy torso over my thigh. I cactus my arms to open my chest and breathe. I melt a little when I feel Noah’s hand wrap around my foot. His thumb reverently strokes my arch as we lie entangled on the mat. I have an overwhelming need to touch him that I have to satisfy. I moveone arm over my head and let the one closer to him roam over his ribs. I can feel each individual rib covered by a layer of muscle. My fingertips dance along his body, delighting in every sensation.
Too soon, Lotus instructs us to move to the other side. This time I put my hands above my head and Noah allows his fingers to dance along my stomach, finding the small patch of bare skin between my leggings and shirt. The rough pads of his fingers trail along the cinch in my natural waistline. His long arms give him an advantage for grazing anything he wants. My whole body shivers at the touch, and I know he can feel every movement of it in our jumble of limbs.
After what feels like two, but in reality, was probably closer to five breaths, Lotus asks us to return to sitting cross-legged. Over the next thirty minutes she takes us through another series of hip and heart openers.
“Before we begin cooling the body down with stretching, we’re going to maneuver to our peak pose.” She moves around us again. “Noah, lie down on the mat. Audrey, please stand at his feet.” She clasps her hands together. Standing over Noah while he lies on his back staring up at me has butterflies swooping in my stomach.
