Chapter 44
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 of their 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 move one 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.
“You two are now physically and emotionally in sync, and it’s time for you to allow Audrey to fly.
” I glance at Noah skeptically and he looks back at me with a glimmer of something in his eyes.
I can’t tell if it’s humor or determination.
Lotus is unbothered as she continues. “Noah, lift your knees. Audrey, step up to meet him. Yes, like that. Audrey, take his feet and settle them on your hips. Make sure they’re on the bones, and not the stomach.
They’re going to support you in this soaring position. ”
My eyes bulge. “In the what now?” I’m not sure I’m strong enough to not just flop around like a ragdoll over his feet. This could all come crashing down on Noah, literally.
“Okay, grasp his hands and start to lean forward slowly.” I start to tip my upper body, putting my weight against Noah’s legs.
He’s sound under me, and when I look at him, he mouths “I’ve got you.”
In mere seconds my feet are floating off the ground, and Noah has my full weight. My eyes are wide as I get used to the feeling of flying. I quickly remember myself and pull my shoulders back, lifting myself with my back muscles. Lotus chimes in, “Keep lifting, keep lifting!”
A smile splits across my face. “Holy shit.”
This is straight up the yoga version of that scene in Dirty Dancing. I look down at Noah and I can see a mix of pride and desire on his face. He smiles at me, and I truly feel like nothing can stop us now.