KICK IT | JENLISA

62

Lisa

I dragged my feet to the back of the room, my hands shaking to unroll my mat. The back wall was never more comforting as I sat and leaned against it. The room was almost dark, illuminated only by the hallway light streaming through the door. One by one, nineteen men set up around me. They shared the same muscular builds, military haircuts, strong movements, and waited in total silence until Jennie entered.

A few smiled but otherwise ignored my existence. I couldn't stop looking around. What the fuck was going on? I bet every guy here had a story.

The guy ahead of me moved stiffly and robotic. Was he in pain? The guy next to me - Mister Charming Smile - introduced himself with an outstretched hand. "Hey, I'm Tyler."

I shook his tight, firm grip. "Lisa."

"I know." He pulled a prosthetic limb from his pants, then continued in a tone so casual, I would've assumed he had peeled off a sock. "Lisa Manoban, right?"

My cheeks burned from not noticing his artificial, sock-covered foot earlier. What the hell was wrong with me? His simple action sped up my pulse. Heat radiated off the room's bodies, and the dark walls squeezed in. Short, sharp breaths left me. Tightness squeezed my chest, and I palmed it. He was a... were they all? Was this physical therapy?

From where Jennie sat with her chin tucked, she did not explain. The room sat in thick, and pensive silence. She wore a loose, short-sleeved navy blue shirt and leggings. Her usual bun, with a few short strands over her ears, showcased her bare face. Grey depressions sat beneath her eyes and gave her a tragic appearance. "Please sit up." she said without looking up.

In shuffled movements, the class slipped back into enraptured silence. Every eye and mind focused on her. Her accomplishing that in complete silence screamed volumes.

"Chakra..." she hummed out in a low, even tone. "...or wheel. It's the centre of energy in your body, believed to be continuously spinning as they influence how different organ systems operate and feel."

She palmed her chest. "Once they're blocked, they react like a cogged machine. Through mindful practice, we aim to keep these energies flowing, keep the wheels spinning."

Her pause held the room's raptured attention, and my breath. In one introduction, she hammered home why she hadn't wanted me here. Jedi energy coursing through my body? I would have laughed it off as nonsense, but now I was intrigued. Not by her philosophy but by how she spoke. The distance she normally projected was stripped bare, her voice transformed into a raw, vulnerable tone. Whatever this class was, it was serious.

Whatever the reason for her sombre projection, I couldn't look away. No, I couldn't blink. Surrounded by darkness, she turned on her candles until they glowed around her silhouette. Shadows danced on her high cheekbones and eye sockets, casting the illusion of seeing the skeleton beneath her skin.

Jennie was dragged down harder tonight. With slumped shoulders, her upper back was rounded. Her eyelids were swollen, and her cheeks puffy, but her voice was a cross between a mother's love and an angel of mercy. "Anja." Her fingers dented the skin between her eyes. "The sixth chakra for images, dreams, imagination, and visions. Called the third eye, it's the lens for your mind. Blocking it leaves headaches, difficulty focusing, or losing touch with your intuition..."

I frowned at the crack in her voice. "... and its demon is disillusion."

She took a slow breath that expanded her chest. She exhaled her stomach concave. "Trusting your gut instinct is strong but Anja needs more than that. It's keeping a feed of communication flowing between your mind and body, reinforced by mindful meditation. When we sleep, our bodies rest, but our minds keep working to reset all those internal functions. Only through meditation, purposely shutting down our thoughts, can we rewire our brains. It's called neuroplasticity, the brain's ability to reorganise and change. Changing the way all those neural synapses fire and creating new pathways. It's like a muscle." Her eyes flicked to mine and squeezed my heart with one glance. "By flexing the muscle of thoughtful attention, you change the shape of your brain."