Feel your partner’s warmth

My office has been promoting health and wellness lately and, to make it easier for staff to be healthy and well, they offer a variety of classes throughout the day.

In an attempt to quasi-complete my Chinese New Year’s resolution, I have been talking about healthy activities with others. Last year, my coworker, ROFL, started taking some of the yoga classes offered in the building. After a few sessions, he dropped out.

I asked why and he stated, “Maybe it was the couples yoga.” I was intrigued by his response, because I, too, might be a bit turned off by couples yoga with some of my coworkers. ROFL went on to tell me he was nearing the end of the ‘single person’ yoga class when the instructor announced they should partner up for some quick couples yoga.

Apparently another coworker quickly ran up to ROFLing to partner up. It started simply, with the back-to-back breathing exercises and quickly moved on to boat pose and “in the mood” statements, “Feel your partner’s warmth,” from the instructor.

Child pose was next. ROFL began glancing around the room, watching other ‘couples’ assume the pose. His mind, body, muscles, boundaries and spirituality were stretched to the max – the boat pose, in which “our bare feet were touching” nearly did him in. His ‘partner’ looked at him and told him, “I can’t do that, my back won’t take it.” ROFL told me, “Those were saving words! My soul couldn’t take it. After that, I never went again.”