The beach, Tuesday morning

[betterthanaplan]

Rey had texted to say she'd be back today, so Duke was out on the beach at his usual time, stretching his way through an easy warm up. He wondered if Nina would actually show up today. He doubted it, though he was sure she'd come up with something bizarre to report about yoga this morning either way.

Thinking about that was a lot easier than worrying that something had changed since Rey's text and she wouldn't show at all. . . .

[ooc: morning yoga is open!]

Comments

[betterthanaplan]

"Cool. So your hips are pretty bendy then." Duke nodded. "How are your shoulders? Can you do this?" He swung one arm up over his head, the other around his back, and linked his fingers together.

[bookbeltof_love]

"Yeah, that's no problem!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Nina said cheerfully, having never really considered that as being a thing people couldn't do while I grumble about having bad shoulders....

[betterthanaplan]

And I furiously miss my own flexibility!

Duke nodded again, wondering if this kid was all brag and no follow-through. "Alright. Let's try a tree pose, then. Balance on one foot, rest the other against your opposite leg, either calf or thigh. Not the knee." He demonstrated, pressing his hands together again over his chest. "Show me what you've got."

[bookbeltof_love]

"Why do you keep doing the hands-to-chest thing???????????????????" Nina asked, debating if she ought to take off her sneakers but, eh, whatever. Leggings worn to exercise were meant to get dirty after all.

She took a moment to shake herself out, center herself, and then, balancing on her left leg folded her right so that her foot was pressed against the inside of her thigh as she raised her arms above her head to press the palms together, feeling a bit silly.

The pose wasn't as crisp as his was--having not practiced it before, but... there wasn't even the hint of a wobble as she held it there.

[betterthanaplan]

Normally, Duke would definitely recommend removing one's shoes, yes. But he wasn't about to suggest to the girl who'd been convinced this activity needed a male chaperone that she start removing articles of clothing.

"I'm paying homage to the yogis who came before me," Duke said. "Or, if you want the less pseudo-philosophical answer, I'm using my hands to help establish and maintain my midline and keep my balance."

He looked over her pose critically, even as he held his own. "That's good. Make sure you keep your hips square, facing forward. Engage both your legs. Your thigh should be pressing back against your foot as much as your foot is pressing into your thigh."

[bookbeltof_love]

Good call, Duke! Also, it was kind of cold and being barefoot in November was madness.

Nina pursed her lips as she concentrated on making the adjustments he'd suggested. It wasn't hard, exactly, since Nina was well-trained (as if Lord Shu would let her go off poorly trained...) but it was different and that took her a minute to readjust her pose.

She still felt weird but, like, she couldn't deny it was kind of an interesting sort of stretch.

"Better?????????????????" she asked. "And is, like, a yogi a master of this sort of thing??????????????????"

[betterthanaplan]

She was definitely going to end up getting his 'mind's mastery over the body so you don't feel the cold' spiel at some point.

"A yogi is one who does yoga." Duke inhaled, raising his hands up over this head, and closed his eyes for a moment as he enjoyed the stretch.

"Alright. Keep your movements slow and controlled, and as you exhale, lower your foot back to the ground. On your next inhale, lift your other foot. We'll see if you balance as well on both sides."