Kate

14

The sun rose and everything fell. Alex Lobato, age forty-eight, was fed up with the overly complex yoga sequence, “Sun Salutation.” Dressed in grey basketball shorts and a shirt that read, “Jeopardy,” Alex was sweating intensely. Every time he had reached the third step of the exercise, he either fell face first into his purple mat or failed to reach his toes. How was this pose supposed to even remotely resemble a sun rising? What infuriated him even further was the enthusiastic support and attention of the young adults surrounding him in the sweaty room of “Yoga-Maniacz.”
“Come on Alex! Let’s do it again, you were almost there, huh?” the instructor, Mr. Vandelay, exclaimed. He motioned to the rest of the class, about eight other men and women, and they all nodded in agreement. “We all believe in you!”
“OK… Stop there. Stop it. Listen here, buddy. Just know that this has nothing to do with my own intentions. I’m just here because my doctor said it would be good for my blood pressure. And you know what? This? It’s ridiculous. Unreal. Doesn’t even help me. All this kale must have gone to your head,” Alex hostilely retorted.
He did feel absolutely livid about all this unnecessary… imagination that is related with yoga. Alex put his hand in his dark hair. Was it yoga even in the first place? The terms yoga, barre, pilates, and zumba were all muddled in his head.
The instructor crossed his arms with a resolute smile. “Alex, these are two free classes. Can’t you just give it a go? You won’t regret it-- it’ll change your life.”
Alex then furrowed his brows and tapped his large toe on the hardwood floor. The rooms were actually nicely air conditioned and comfortable for him. “Fine. Because it’s free... The most logical thing to do,” he sniffed.
Mr. Vandelay, despite Alex’s tirade, looked unruffled and continued his instruction of Sun Salutation, the sequence of the week. The other yoga students reformed their yoga lines and adjusted their mats and water bottles. The sun was shining quite pleasantly between the clouds outside the great veranda windows of the studio, which displayed a view of the town of Northern Lake Winnebago. As much as Alex liked the small suburban area, he thought of moving to a different city with less millennials. Young people… They were too loud. Too trusting. Too… Glancing over at the others bending in unison, Alex disapprovingly shook his head. They simply embraced crowd mentality. It was inevitable, he thought. However, there was nothing to do now, except to attempt the silly yoga poses to increase his flexibility and decrease his stress, as his doctor advised.
A few hours of agonizing and unnatural bodily stretching passed. Alex reached for the sky. He stretched. He leapt. He lunged. He was able to do everything that past Alex wasn’t able to do before. On the final step of the Sun Salutation, where he had to press his stomach outwards, Alex realized that he no longer felt sore. He felt whole and complete. Alex clearly knew that he was de-stressed, as he was no longer anxious about his cable bills or his kids’ hefty college tuitions. Instead, only yoga sequences and poses were engraved into his mind. As hard it was for him to believe, Alex was morphing into a yoga junkie.
“Alex-- I see you are embracing the yoga lifestyle. Man, I’m diggin’ your style. Talk about a perfect Sun Salutation!” Mr. Vandelay announced as the class was ending.
“Oh my goodness. Perfect. Alex, you have to join my spin class. With your speed, you’d be great. I have a new sweatband you can use,” a woman gushed.
“No no no no no. Lobato’s with me. He’s coming to Zumba and Crossfit. Mondays and Wednesdays. Don’t you see his potential? I’ll give you some protein shakes!” a man replied quickly.
“Hey hey hey hey. Guys. Let’s calm down,” Alex said with an air of satisfaction. “I’m gonna go with Yoga-Maniacz… if I choose to even continue these classes. I see I’m quite the sensation here. I have a new life ahead of me.”
The others agreed in respect of Alex and Mr. Vandelay dismissed the class.
“Now guys! We can continue if you come tomorrow, so please do! Let’s do it!” Mr. Vandelay told the men and women in a loud voice.
As Alex was packing up his duffel bag, he thought about continuing these yoga sessions. He thought about all the benefits. He was probably able to reach the top shelves of supermarkets to make the beef stroganoff he’s been craving. Stairs in his house would be easier. Alex chuckled. Yoga wasn’t crowd mentality. It was simply cooperation to benefit the body. He could become “in” with the young people and be a role model to all of Northern Lake Winnebago! Maybe he would even understand what was hip with his kids. Upon this conclusion, Alex walked out of the yoga studio to his Honda Accord and drove home.
The next day, Alex was dressed in full Lululemon Men's gear. With black running shorts, a gray sweatband, and a pristine blue shirt, he drove to Yoga-Maniacz with a pleasant demeanor. He had found his new passion and overcame all difficulties. Alex parked his car and sauntered over to the studio’s glass doors with his yoga mat. A whole new world of health benefits, friends, and fun was laid before him. Alex stared at the door handle and slowly turned the knob.