Here goes:
'Always my favorite part,' she thought,
gently spreading her arms at her sides in savasana, feeling
the firm pliancy of her mat yield slightly beneath her hips and her
breaths slow to a deep, tidal regularity. She closed her eyes as she
envisioned her breaths as strapped-bamboo rafts, riding the tidal
flow, and felt the firmness of the floor slip away from her back as
she lifted in the depths of solid meditation, her core resonating
outwards. She hadn't experienced such pleasant savasana
in months, and she allowed herself to enjoy the weightless sensation.
After a few moments, she began to ponder when the gentle chime was
going to signal the end of this session. Surely Amy wouldn't allow
her students to slip into sleep on the floor of the studio.
She
felt her body weight settle back to the floor and her thoughts began
to wander as she waited for the smooth, silvery sound. She was keenly
aware of a cool breeze across her ankles...curious in a warm yoga
studio. Perhaps a student had left early and the door caused a
breeze. She stretched her fingers wide and then clenched them
tightly as her reverie was disrupted by a harsh buzzing. She rolled
to her right, blinking open her eyes when her cheek scraped against
gritty concrete.
The
worn sleeping bag had slipped away from her feet. The earliest light
of dawn was breaking over the railing of the overpass, and she
struggled to prop herself on an elbow and grab the cell phone to
silence the blaring alarm. Fuzzy thoughts tripped through her
mind...foreclosure...car stolen...the kids' guidance counselor
calling concerned...foster homes. Freeing her legs from their shabby
covers, she shook herself against the morning chill and struggled to
stand on her stiff and aching legs.
This was visitation day, so she had but a few hours to get to the shelter, shower, and make her way the dozen or so blocks to the foster home. Shaking in her hurry, she clumsily rolled her makeshift bed and stuffed it in her backpack, steadying it on her back before gathering her phone and small bag of gas-station junk food and setting off for the shelter and shower facilities.
It only took a couple of blocks for her stiffness to wear off and her jerky gait become a smooth, determined pace. Adjusting the pack and pulling up her long auburn hair, she decided to cut across an alley behind some shops to save a block or two. Simultaneously pulling her phone out to check the time and stepping off the curb underneath an overhanging oak tree, her vision suddenly went black and she felt her body being viciously thrown through the air and landing with a crisp crunch. A warmth spread underneath her back as she tried to catch her breath. She vaguely registered sounds, shouting, screams, as she screwed her eyes shut and focused on steadying her breathing. Arms limp and outstretched, she felt herself rising from the asphalt, her body weightless, just like a good savasana. A good one....breathing deep and regular, consciousness slipping away as she focused on her chakra, now a smoldering deep crimson.
ding.......ding.....ding.....
The delicate silver chimes slid through the silent air of the wooden room, and women began to stir, rolling to stand and silently stretching, rolling mats, slipping out the back door with quiet murmurs and nods to one another. She sat up, shaking her head and rubbing an eye before following suit and making her way to the parking garage. Sliding into the driver's seat, she pushes over a pile of mail, selecting a large white envelope from Countrywide marked URGENT. Sliding a finger under the flap and pulling out the first page, a single sheet of crisp letterhead, she leaned her forehead on her hand as she read....and sighed, leaning her head to rest on the worn steering wheel.
This was visitation day, so she had but a few hours to get to the shelter, shower, and make her way the dozen or so blocks to the foster home. Shaking in her hurry, she clumsily rolled her makeshift bed and stuffed it in her backpack, steadying it on her back before gathering her phone and small bag of gas-station junk food and setting off for the shelter and shower facilities.
It only took a couple of blocks for her stiffness to wear off and her jerky gait become a smooth, determined pace. Adjusting the pack and pulling up her long auburn hair, she decided to cut across an alley behind some shops to save a block or two. Simultaneously pulling her phone out to check the time and stepping off the curb underneath an overhanging oak tree, her vision suddenly went black and she felt her body being viciously thrown through the air and landing with a crisp crunch. A warmth spread underneath her back as she tried to catch her breath. She vaguely registered sounds, shouting, screams, as she screwed her eyes shut and focused on steadying her breathing. Arms limp and outstretched, she felt herself rising from the asphalt, her body weightless, just like a good savasana. A good one....breathing deep and regular, consciousness slipping away as she focused on her chakra, now a smoldering deep crimson.
ding.......ding.....ding.....
The delicate silver chimes slid through the silent air of the wooden room, and women began to stir, rolling to stand and silently stretching, rolling mats, slipping out the back door with quiet murmurs and nods to one another. She sat up, shaking her head and rubbing an eye before following suit and making her way to the parking garage. Sliding into the driver's seat, she pushes over a pile of mail, selecting a large white envelope from Countrywide marked URGENT. Sliding a finger under the flap and pulling out the first page, a single sheet of crisp letterhead, she leaned her forehead on her hand as she read....and sighed, leaning her head to rest on the worn steering wheel.
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