“Are you two ready for your class today?” she asked.
“Um, yeah?” I muttered.
Her smile fell for a moment before she looked over and saw Wyatt chuckling. “She doesn’t know, Sandy. I’m sorry. I thought it would be a fun surprise.”
Just like that, the smile was back. “Oh! I love a good surprise. You’re in for quite the treat, Ember! You two can just follow me, and we can get started.”
“We can get started?” I whispered to him. “What did you do?”
He gave me his innocent face that spoke volumes. “I don’t know what you mean, little flame. Let’s go see what Sandy is talking about.”
I blew out a breath as we walked into one of the smaller studio rooms. I hadn’t been back here before, and I realized quickly it was because it was for private classes, which I’d never once thought to do, or had a reason to do.
Wyatt slipped the strap off my shoulder, taking my yoga mat out of the bag and rolling it out across the floor for me—no—us apparently.
“You booked us a couples yoga class?” I shot out as it suddenly fully clicked what was going on. “Is this a…” My words trailed off as I looked around, refusing to get emotional over something so damn small, that reallywasn’tsmall.
“Yes, yes it is. Now, slide your shoes off and come sit with me.”
Sandy smiled softly as I listened to the man, sliding offmy shoes and setting them next to his. I sat cross-legged in front of him, his posture matching my own.
“Okay, Wyatt, Ember,” she said, softly bowing her head towards each of us as she spoke. “We’re going to start class today by sitting back-to-back in the middle of your mat.”
We rearranged ourselves as she requested, and I tried not to giggle when I could feel him inhaling behind me.
“Perfect. The most important part of yoga is your breath. Slowly inhaling, then exhaling, repeating the cycle until your breathing matches up together as one,” she said softly.
We sat, back-to-back, as I felt his inhales and began to match his exhales. It took us a few breath cycles, but once we finally reached it, it felt so natural, effortless even.
“Good. The purpose of today is to meet your partner on a more spiritual level. To be and feel fully connected in a way you may not typically be. Next, I want you to lean forward, Ember, and Wyatt, you’re going to lean back onto her. Give it a nice big stretch, but remember to keep breathing together.”
I reached my fingertips towards the edge of the mat, but when Wyatt fell back onto me, his deep inhales coinciding with mine, I sank deeper into the stretch.
“Wyatt, you can reach your arms up and to the sides if you want Ember to help you stretch them out as well,” Sandy added. Wyatt’s arms lifted above his head, and I reached up to grab them as they fell to either side of us. “Good Ember, just a gentle pull down.”
This went on, back and forth stretches, focusing on our breathing together as we went. Everything from partner forward folds to seated twists, where I had to twist using one of my knees and one of his knees as leverage.
It wasn’t until we started venturing into acro-yoga posesthat we couldn’t hold together a single, serious bone in our bodies.
“Okay, so her hips are sitting on my feet?” Wyatt asked. “And I just grab her hands and lift her ass up in the air?”
Both Sandy and I were cackling by this point. The look on his face was everything, and my face actually hurt from smiling so much.
“More or less, yes. Look, just lie flat on your back, legs up, and match your feet up with her hips,” Sandy instructed as Wyatt did as she asked. “Good, now Ember, set your hip bones against his feet. Once you feel solid, grab his hands, and Wyatt, extend your legs up.”
We did as directed. I tried to keep my core engaged as he lifted me into the air and kept my squeals to a minimum.
“Perfect!” Sandy exclaimed. “Okay, now Ember, if you’re feeling up for it, let go of his hands, tighten your core, and send your arms back and out from your sides.”
I felt my eyes widen, and I stared down at the smirking man beneath me. “Am I feeling up for it?”
He shrugged. “Sure, why not?”
I tried not to laugh, determined to keep my body balanced on his feet as I slowly released his hands, my arms coming back by my sides.
“We’re doing it!” I said with a giggle. However, then he started chuckling, and before I could correct myself, I slipped from his feet and went crashing down into him, my leg landing right between his thighs and my chest landing on his.
“Fuck,” he groaned, his arms now around me as he fell to the side.
