I can do this. I will do this. I will not get bored, skip ahead, or dramatically collapse halfway through.
“We’ll start with Cat Pose. Come onto your hands and knees, press through your palms, and round your back gently as you exhale,” the instructor says.
Alright. Hands, knees, spine up like a stretching cat—easy enough.
I move into the pose, feeling a slight stretch in my back.
Okay. This is fine. This is actually… quite nice?
We repeat the pose five times before the instructor moves on.
“Now rise to Mountain Pose, standing tall, feet firmly rooted to the ground.”
I push myself up, straightening my spine, feet planted.
I take a deep breath.
Standing here, with nothing to do but breathe, my mind starts wandering.
Who am I?
I mean, really.
What do I truly like?
The instructor continues, leading me through the next steps. Each one gets repeated five times whilst inhaling through my nose and exhaling through my mouth.
“From here, move into Standing Forward Bend.”
I fold forward, reaching for my toes. My hamstrings protest, but I breathe through it.
The thing is… I don’t know what I like.
Not really.
I’ve always just kind of adapted. I went from being married to being single to serial dating without ever really pausing to figure out what I wanted.
“Step one foot back into a Lunge.”
I carefully shift, wobbling slightly, but managing to stay upright.
I’m forty-one years old, and I don’t even know what my own hobbies are. That’s insane, right?
I know I like brunch. And cake. And… what else?
“Move into Tree Pose.”
I press one foot against my thigh, finding my balance, arms raised.
I glance at the sofa cushion where I’ve hidden the remote, momentarily tempted.
No. Focus.
I take a deep breath, grounding myself.
“Next, we’ll stretch into Standing Side Stretch Pose.”
I extend my arms overhead and lean to one side, feeling the pull along my ribs.
