My ears perk up at the idea of blocking ghosts and my heart rate slows. “Give me that,” I say, extending my arms and wiggling my fingers like an impatient preschooler begging for a cupcake.
She reluctantly places the heavy book into my outstretched hands, scooting closer to me so we can both read the text.
I flip through the ancient book, noting additional chapters of interest: “How to Cleanse Your Space from Negative Energy” and “Setting Boundaries.” Toward the middle, I find the chapter Corinne suggested.
Skimming through the yellowed pages, I can’t help but wonder how old the thing is. There isn’t any indication of who the original writer was or a date to confirm its age. It reads more like a journal than a book of spells, and that is most interesting to me.
“I was expecting recipes with mugworm and verbane.”
Lanie’s face screws up like she’s tasted something sour. “Mugwortand vervain,” she corrects me. I shake my head to sayI don’t care if I botched the words, which is met with an exasperated huff. “Both are extremely useful for various things.”
“I’m sure they are.” I bite my lip to hide my smile when Lanie crosses her arms over her chest, appearing to pout. The last thing I need to do is encourage Lanie to begin a lesson on the benefits of plants. We’d be here for hours, having read not a single page of this book.
“My point is, this is nothing like what I expected. It reads like a diary.” I continue running my finger down the page as I skim through the words.
“Out loud,” Lanie orders. “You never know when this could come in handy for me too.”
I lick my bottom lip to prevent an unnecessary retort and then dive in.
“I’ve come to find that mindful meditation is a medium’s best friend. It has aided in the ability to block spirits when I do not desire to converse. Close your eyes and focus on something that makes you smile. For me, it will always be my children playing in the creek behind my mother’s home. Focus on whatever image or memory makes you most happy. Now, visualize a warm light surrounding you on all sides, creating a bubble around your entire being. When you feel safe inside this cocoon of light, say to the spirit, ‘Go away.’ ”
Go away?
My nose screws up and I read and reread the passage, waiting for the punch line. I turn my head to Lanie, assuming she’ll be on the same page as me.
“Totally,” she says, bobbing her head as though it makes perfect sense.
“Totally what? Uninspiring?” I motion toward the offending book. “Come on, Lanie. This istotalcrap.”
She smacks her lips together, further irritating me. “I can see you’re disappointed.”
“Disappointed? That hardly cuts it. I don’t think these people have a clue what they’re talking about, and now I’m stuck with Billy the Idiot for life.”
I close the book, falling back into the cushions with a huff. For one short minute, I thought that book might’ve been the answer to all my problems. Instead, it was an epic letdown.
Lanie leans forward, getting into my personal space. “No. We won’t let that happen.”
“How, Lane? How the hell am I going to do this?”
She taps her chin, while I wait with bated breath for whatever is about to come out of her full lips.
Lanie’s watch chimes, and she lifts her wrist to read something on the screen. “More on that later. It’s time. Class starts in ten minutes. Get dressed.”
I groan. “I’m not going. I already told you I’ll die. Besides, this is all I have.” I gesture toward my ratty clothes that I’ve been wearing for two days now.
“You won’t die, and according to that book, yoga will be good for you. I’ll give extra time for guided meditation. You can practice.”
“I thought we already discussed that the book is useless.”
Ignoring me, she jumps up from the couch, jogging toward her bedroom loft while I continue to sit and mope about my spiraling circumstances.
Thirty minutes later, I’m dressed in a too-tight pair of leggings and a sports bra from Lanie’s closet, an outfit I wouldn’t be caught dead in if we were anywhere but this yoga studio.
I’ve been standing in Warrior 2 for the past minute because I’m afraid Goddess will result in Lanie’s Lulus splitting right in the crotchal region.
“Vinyasa,” Lanie calls out, in the most soothing voice she can muster.
I move through the motion, following it up with Downward Dog, because I can’t achieve Dolphin quite yet.
