As the morning sky turned from pink to flame, Kate planted one foot firmly on her orange beach towel, stretched upward with all her might, and strained not to fall over.
Down the beach, she could hear the waves washing the shore as the seagulls screeched overhead.
“Relax and breathe…,” Sunny instructed rhythmically. “Just like the tide in front of you. In. And out. And in. And out.”
“How am I s’posed to relax and stretch and breathe?” Maxi mumbled from Kate’s right. “Pick one, already.”
“Sunrise yoga was your idea,” Kate whispered, struggling to hold the position. “You said it was calming.”
“Well, yeah,” Maxi countered. “’Cause if you survive, you feel like you can do anything. Plus, Sunny’s outdoor classes are an excuse to hit the beach.”
“And down,” Sunny said. “Now, the Dead Man pose.”
“Finally, one I can do,” Kate said softly as everyone lay on their mats.
“Dead men don’t talk,” Sunny admonished with a wink. “At least, not the ones I’ve met.”
Most of the two dozen students wore bathing suits. Including Sunny herself, who was trim and firm in a baby-blue one-piece. And while some had dutifully toted yoga mats, others—like Kate and Maxi—showed up with colorful beach towels. “Easier to clean,” Maxi explained on their bumpy, predawn Jeep ride.
But the visitors from the resorts, who’d arrived en masse on a shuttle, sported matching yoga mats, headbands, and water bottles. They even carried identical navy-blue gym bags.
“It’s a cult,” Maxi said under her breath as the crowd disembarked from the small white van.
Kate had to admit, Maxi had been right about taking her first class on the beach. Between the exercise, the sound of the waves, and the sea air, she was so relaxed she was limp. It was all she could do not to fall asleep between poses.
But Sunny’s “gentle stretching,” which felt like a cross between physical therapy and Twister, was an ugly wake-up call. In New York, like here, Kate had hiked nearly everywhere. And a third-floor walk-up had been great cardio.
But flexibility, apparently, was a whole other carton of eggs.
Kate resolved to just give up and get through it. So what if her first yoga class was also her last yoga class?
Then something clicked. Literally.
As she exhaled a boatload of stress and worry, Kate felt her vertebrae shift and heard a crack. Then she pushed herself infinitesimally forward.
“That’s it,” Sunny encouraged, from off to her left. “Juu-st relax into it. Let everything go. Empty your mind. It’s just you and the beach.”
Kate focused on the skyline. Flame had turned golden as the sun rose slowly above the water, breaking through thin clouds. Beneath it, the Gulf was a calm deep blue.
Everything else faded. Kate could hear the rush in her ears, the waves in the background, and Sunny’s melodic instructions off in the distance. The air was cool and humid. The sand was soft and welcoming. At one point, two lemon-yellow butterflies tumbled by, almost as if they were chasing each other—playing. She could smell coconuts—someone’s sun tan lotion—and wild roses, growing just off the beach.
And then it was over. Kate had no idea how much time had elapsed. It was as if she’d been somewhere else. But she’d really been here—totally in the moment. It was everything else that had faded away.
“Now our class is complete,” Sunny said. “Go out and have a wonderful new day—and make the most of it!”
Kate stood up and rolled her shoulders. She felt happy. Energized and calm at the same time.
“What’s next?” she asked Maxi.
“Are you kidding?” her friend said as they watched their classmates run toward the surf. “This is the best part. Now we hit the water!”