Tales from the Yoga Studio by Rain Mitchell

Author:Rain Mitchell [Mitchell, Rain]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Penguin Group USA, Inc.
Published: 2010-10-20T07:00:00+00:00

As Lee is about to go into the studio to start teaching, one of the assistants calls her over to the desk. Lee has a pretty good idea of what’s coming. Standing in front of the desk is Evelyn, a woman in her thirties who comes somewhat erratically. She has a fairly advanced practice, although she tends to treat classes more like endurance workouts and goes into certain postures with thrusting moves, almost as if she’s bench-pressing a barbell when she’s reaching up into warrior 1 or a crescent lunge.

What Lee finds annoying is that Evelyn always has an issue with paying for class. Either she’s forgotten her credit card or lost her wallet or has an elaborate story about having walked out of a class halfway and therefore is eligible (she believes) for a freebie.

Today, according to the studio assistant, the problem is a ten-class card that expired back in January. It still has three unused classes on it, and Evelyn feels she should be allowed to continue to use it. Lee is willing to go the distance for anyone who can’t afford classes or is in a temporary financial fix, but in Evelyn’s case it feels more like a game. Evelyn is a lawyer and is wearing a pair of designer yoga pants that Lee knows for a fact cost close to two hundred dollars.

After the assistant has explained the matter, Lee says, “Okay, Evelyn. I see what you mean, but I remember talking about the terms and expiration date of the pass when you bought it. You said the expiration would help motivate you to come to class more often.”

“It’s possible we said that, but that’s not how it worked out. So I really think the responsible thing to do is to let me use it up, Lee. There are three classes left on it. I mean, I hate that yoga is now all about money.”

It’s so unappealingly manipulative to try to guilt-trip Lee with this line, especially given the expensive pants. A surprising number of students insist that yoga should not be about money, which usually boils down to yoga not being about them spending money on classes. Although the whole thing feels like a game, there’s a little pleading in Evelyn’s voice that makes Lee think she partly just wants to be taken care of. It’s probably why she started coming to yoga in the first place, and while it isn’t exactly appealing, it’s a lot more forgivable than anything else.

“How about we compromise,” Lee says. “Use it today, and then we start fresh next time you come.”

“You’re a champ,” Evelyn says. “I knew you’d do the right thing. I’ll just hang on to the card as a souvenir.”

Certainly the card will reappear at the studio sometime in the near future.

There are about twenty-five people in class today, a good group, although Shane is at the front of the room. He’s a tall, hippieish guy with a bit of a paunch who seems to be allergic to deodorant.

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