“Now move slowly from Chaturanga to Downward Dog, feeling the loosening of the joints and muscles, really focus on the movement. We want to get that good stretch.”

Teegan Norton took a deep breath and followed her own instructions demonstrating for her class. She felt her body shaking slightly. It really wasn’t up to this today apparently. She was exhausted having stayed up all night long comforting her best friend Ellie Smith who had just broken up with her boyfriend Jaden, again. Those two would probably patch things up before the end of the day, despite Ellie’s protest that this time they were really through. She wondered why Ellie continued to put up with Jaden’s crap and kept taking him back. He was a loser who was going nowhere and if she wasn’t careful he would take her down with him.

But Teegan was her friend and it was her duty to make sure that Ellie knew she had her back, despite how much she constantly tried to talk some sense into her friend to dump that creep.

Of course Teegan did not have much ground to stand on to give advice. Her love life read like some teenager’s letter to Cosmo. It had been almost a year since she’d dated anyone seriously, despite the fact that guys hit on her all the time. She knew she’d been blessed with good looks and she liked to think she was sweet and approachable, but ever since things went sour with Corey, she just wasn’t ready to get back in the game.

“Alright now just morph up into a plank position and hold that stretch. We want to hold it for twenty seconds,” Teegan continued.

She glanced back over her shoulder at her class who were desperately trying to keep up with her. A few of her more advanced students were doing fine but the beginners were having a tough time of it. She had to be patient, even when she didn’t want to.

Teegan moved out of her stance and went in the back to help a few of the stragglers. Amy and Kyle were a couple who had just started the class a month ago. They had both made great strides but they still needed some help.

Amy was having issues with the plank, which was especially hard on the core muscles and the shoulders. Teegan leaned down and placed her hand on Amy’s shoulder to alleviate just a little bit of the stress, but not enough that Amy probably even noticed that much. Amy smiled at her which came across more as an expression of grit and determination in the face of failing muscles.

Kyle dropped down to his knees without apology or shame, but Amy was determined to prove herself. Teegan appreciated when her students wanted to outdo themselves and impress her, but it was her job to make sure they progressed and did not hurt themselves. Yoga was a lifelong pursuit she kept telling them. She did not think of it as something that was ever really mastered. At least she hoped it wasn’t.

“That’s it,” Teegan said. “Alright now just push yourselves up and spread out into Warrior One.”

Teegan moved back to the front of the class and assumed the position, demonstrating for the beginners. This was one that most didn’t struggle with too much, but it could be intimidating looking if you didn’t have strong core muscles.

“Now, for you beginners if you feel yourself off balance you can pull back a little and just don’t sink down quite so far into the squat. But don’t go easy on yourselves; I want you to push. That is the only way you will grow, right?”

The beginners in the front kind of mumbled some sort of a reply. It had been a long exhausting session and they were all pretty much done for the day.

Teegan held the pose with them for another twenty seconds and then brought herself back to a relaxed position on her knees. She brought her hands together demonstrating the proper peaceful posture and focused on her breathing.

“Just breathe in and out slowly. It is time for your body to unwind from all of the work you just placed upon it. Your mind and body will continue to grow together and strengthen that bond. The spirit which connects the two will become stronger and stronger as you face the harsh struggles of the world around you. I wish you all peace, love, and joy. Until next time. Namaste.”

“Namaste,” the class replied in unison.

With that the class was over. Teegan briefly chatted with a few of her students as they walked out. She thanked them for coming and hoped to see them next time.

After the last student left the studio Teegan packed up her bag and quickly left, locking up behind her. She was exhausted and ready to go home to a nice quiet evening. She anticipated falling asleep in front of the television. A big container of ice cream may or may not have been involved.

Teegan had been a yoga instructor for the past year and a half. It was not exactly on the career path she had originally envisioned for herself when she was a student studying physical therapy, but sometime during her sophomore year in college she’d become very interested in the practice. And since then she’d managed to whip her body into amazing shape and it had translated over into all areas of her life bringing peace, harmony, and good tidings.

At least until she met Corey last year. Things had started off really great. He was the perfect guy. He was good looking, had a great job as a veterinarian, was really sweet, they had so much in common, and it felt like there was never a dull moment with the two of them. Teegan thought for sure they would get married one day.

But then she came home one day to find a lengthy letter waiting for her in her mailbox. It was a handwritten letter basically telling her that Corey had decided to go off to find himself and he wasn’t sure what lay ahead for him, but he knew that he couldn’t tie himself down to a relationship with her anymore.

And just like that he quit his job at the Animal Hospital and went about his merry way. She hadn’t heard from him since. Teegan still kept that letter in a drawer in her bedroom. She got it out from time to time to study it, looking for some sort of clue as to what might have prompted this horrendous decision. It just didn’t make any logical sense for a man like Corey who had everything going for him to just up and head out to travel the world.

Teegan had even reached out to his family for some sort of clue to this decision and they had no more information than she did. A million scenarios had gone through her mind. Everything from the idea that he’d ran off to join some sort of insane cult, to he’d been kidnapped, to he’d met some other woman who he decided to go to be with. But the more she thought about it she realized that Corey was a free spirit who had kept himself tied up too long and now decided was the perfect time to unleash that spirit and find out where it would take him.

She had to respect the decision. But she would never understand why he refused to take her along. She loved him so much. Not a day went by that the pain did not echo through her mind and tear at her heart. She would give anything to just hear his voice again.

But no one had heard from him for over a year.

As Teegan entered her empty apartment and turned on the light she found herself wondering if she would ever truly be over Corey. Was this just the way it was going to be forever? Did she really want to go through the rest of her life alone, done with romance at the age of twenty-eight?

The truth was she just didn’t know.

Teegan got settled in and sat down on the couch with a bowl of ice cream. She was just about to binge watch some episodes of “Orange is the New Black” when her phone rang. She groaned as she reached for her phone on the coffee table. She didn’t even have to look at it to know that it was Ellie. That girl’s mind went a mile a minute from one thing to the next and she didn’t believe in texting. At least not as a first line of communication. Anything Ellie wanted to say she had to say over the phone or in person.

“What?” Teegan answered.

“Well, hello to you to,” Ellie’s familiar voice echoed.

“Sorry. I just got home. I’m beat,” Teegan said.

“Oh that’s right. I forgot its Wednesday.”

Wednesday nights were Teegan’s busiest. She gave an extra class on those nights and an extra class first thing in the morning as well. She was hoping that eventually she would be able to fill up all of those spots so she could stop the half-filled afternoon classes and consolidate more students into a few classes.

“What’s going on? Did you and Jaden get back together yet?”

“No. I told you I am through with him. This time it is for real,” Ellie insisted.

Teegan laughed. “Yeah, right. You always say that and you never stick to your guns. I’m surprised you’ve lasted this long.”

“No way. I am through with him. He has done me wrong for the last time.”

“Well, I’m glad to hear it. Did you call me just to brag that you haven’t gotten back together with him yet?”

“Um, yeah… I’m really proud of myself. It’s like a record, right?”

Teegan laughed. “You are hopeless. You know that right?”

“I do know this,” Ellie said. “I thought you would be proud of me.”

Teegan shook her head. “I am very proud of you, especially after you kept me up until three on the phone with you talking about all the times that Jaden has screwed you over and cheated on you. I’m glad to see you are finally getting some self-respect.”

“Thank you,” Ellie said. “But that is not the only reason I called.”

Teegan waited. Nothing.

“Ok… what?” Teegan finally asked. Ellie loved to make people guess.

“There is this really cute guy who just moved into my building,” Ellie said.

“Wow, you are moving on that fast? That’s impressive, sweetie,” Teegan said knowing full well what Ellie was really aiming at.

“No, goofball. I meant for you,” Ellie said. “You can be so dense sometimes.”

“I’m messing with you,” Teegan said. “And you know I am not interested.”

“What the hell? It’s been forever since you and Corey. I know the whole thing messed you up, but you have to get over this ‘I hate men’ kick and move on already. Sitting home alone every night stuffing your face with ice cream and watching Netflix is not healthy.”

“How do you know that’s what I’m doing?”

“Because I know you way too well,” Ellie said. “What kind of ice cream is sitting on your lap?”

Teegan hated to tell Ellie how right she was. It was embarrassing.

“It doesn’t matter; I am just not ready to date yet.”

“I don’t think you will ever be ready. Want to know why?” Ellie asked.

“No, but I have a feeling you are going to tell me anyway,” Teegan replied.

“Because you like being miserable. That’s right, you love it.”

“Give that lady a prize,” Teegan said. She did not at all agree, but she hated getting Ellie wound up. Her love life was not something she wanted to talk about or think about right now.

And her ice cream was melting.

She put the phone down and turned it on speaker

to free her hands to devote her full efforts to her ice cream.

“I’m serious. You love being miserable.”

“I do not love being miserable,” Teegan said. “Who the hell loves being miserable?”

“Well, you must. When was the last date you went on?”

“I don’t know,” Teegan said.

“It was Jack Dawson. Three months ago and it was just coffee.”

“Why does any of this matter to you? Just keep focused on your own love life and I’ll keep focused on mine,” Teegan said. “I don’t need help. When I’m ready it will happen.”

“Ok, whatever. I tried,” Ellie said.

They chatted a few more minutes and Teegan was relieved when Ellie finally left to answer another call on the other line. It was probably Jaden; Teegan could almost guarantee it.

Teegan finished her ice cream and started up her show. She figured she would probably fall asleep before the end of the first episode.

Teegan realized that she had not yet checked her emails since leaving for work earlier that day. It had been such a hectic Wednesday that she barely had time to even wolf down a quick lunch.

It was then that she saw it. An email from Siri Park. Siri as he preferred to be called was a yoga teacher in Ronovia. Every year he ran an extensive yoga retreat where he invited top yoga practitioners to come and study with him for a week. They usually spent most of this time out in the woods away from all civilization just communing with the world around them. It was very exclusive. Teegan had been trying to get in for almost three years now.

She’d submitted a new video every single year detailing her dedication to the art of yoga, her skills, and her knowledge. This was the first time she’d been able to include footage of her own studio and class though. That had to be the thing that had cinched the deal for her. Because she was accepted.

She had to read the email three times to make sure it was not a mistake of some sort. But it was happening. She had been selected out of thousands of entries to be among the handful of yoga practitioners to get to study with Master Siri.

Teegan leapt up off the couch, nearly spilling the empty bowl of ice cream to the floor.

It was a dream come true. She was going to be in the presence of one of her heroes in less than a week. Her mind was completely blown.