KICK IT | JENLISA

17

Jennie

Lisa was a fucking nightmare. And she was probably going to cost me my second job today. Margie humoured me about people whose egos directed their practice, but I had no first-hand experience. A newfound appreciation for my therapy class's humility swelled during the meditation silence.

For fifty minutes, Lisa was distracting, silently argumentative, and defiant. Her stubbornness could have torn her rotator and scapula. The most painful part to witness was the asshole smirking through her pain. Was she always an idiot or showed it off when I was around?

Although I had never encountered a cocky ego in my class, I fought it with my best efforts. She brought out the worst instructor in me. I pushed higher-level balance poses. Half my class couldn't touch their toes, forget while standing on one leg. It was Beginner Flow. They would've enjoyed Lisa and my petty stubborn showdown had they not gasped for breath.

That's why I showed options for restrictions or limitations. And Lisa ignored every fucking one. Introducing crow pose was a test, baiting her ego, and she fucking failed. Her shoulder was in no shape to support her weight. That's why she grimaced through the pose and fell on her face. The fact I enjoyed it? Completely unprofessional.

And Yuh-jung? Poor Yuh-jung suffered from IBS, giving her gas, bloating, and constipation challenges. Was I happy to help offer her some relief? Of course. Did I need to throw in every possible gas-relieving twist and tummy-pressure pose housed in my yoga brain for Lisa's detriment? Yup, I was petty as fuck.

Relaxation usually took over me by the end of class. Not tonight. After Lisa's dangerous display of asshattery, my muscles wrenched tighter than during traffic. My shoulders curled and crept up to my ears. Holding my journal in all ten fingers, the words I normally drew inspiration from blurred into nothingness.

At one point, I palmed my heated face, a rarity during meditation. Spilling over the edges of her mat, Lisa's eyes fluttered, and her fingers twitched. Her hands curled and uncurled at her sides, with the lavender face cloth I offered discarded to the side.

She was not relaxing. Big surprise. An occasional cough interrupted the 'music' I selected. Instead of my go-to soothing relaxation cues and soft piano music, at the expense of the entire class, I sat in silence and issued one last punishment for Lisa.

Seven uninterrupted minutes of birds chirping and babbling brooks should do it. Mother Nature's sounds were soothing, but the gurgling water was a recipe to drive my class straight to the bathroom.

The audacity of Lisa's presence was a violation of personal space. What started as another mindless, insomnia-driven click, one taste of yoga online swallowed me whole. It was the tether that pulled me out of life-crippling darkness, the tool I needed to refocus my mind, and got my ass out of bed.

Yoga wasn't exercise. It wasn't a mind-and-body connection that resulted in my toned abdominals and glutes. It was so precious, the only way I knew to honour its worth was by sharing it with others. Others with an open mindset.

A person like Lisa could never understand what she couldn't see, and I wasn't the person to rewrite her brain. Her concern was a means to an end.

One minute left, a few bodies wiggled. They shot up when I drew their attention. "Using a deep breath, take your time to sit up. Gently, slowly... alright." My hands prayed at my heart, and I dipped my chin to the seated class. "Thanks for sharing your time and practice with me. In peace and loving kindness, Jai Bhagwan. Namaste." (May the divine in you be victorious. I bow to you.)

A fast chorus of 'Namaste' rang out, followed by scuttled movements as girls grabbed their shit and packed up. I sighed at the fire drill line bolting to the bathroom. I deserved that.

A warm hand clasped my shoulder, guiding me to Yuh-jung's smile. "Thank you, Jennie." she gushed in a muted voice, while palming her stomach. Appreciation beaming in her eyes melted my guilt for gassing her at Lisa. "This was amazing. I can't tell you how much better I feel. It's like unplugging an invisible stopper."

"I'm so glad." I smiled, relaxing the tension pinching my cheeks and cupping her elbow. "Have a wonderful night."

Another participant wasn't as impressed. Diana approached me with flounced steps that jiggled her breasts. Pursing her lips, a pout protruded them as she applied gloss. "Jennie, that was... different."

"Always good to try something different." I rolled up my mat and slipped my feet into my rubber comforts.

"True..." she murmured with a pucker and smack of her lips. Her eyes flicked in Lisa's direction, who leaned against the back wall with her arms crossed. She bent one knee, resting her bare foot on the wall. At first glance, she was smug as fuck, but a closer look revealed a red flush on her cheeks and forehead. Ego high-five for me. The air warmed at how intense she stared at me, the same defiance teasing from a distance. Her focused attention crawled under my skin.