“Think of something that is undeniably true” whispers the omniscient ascetic Susannah Truth-Freedom (Let’s give my real-life yoga teacher this name). My hips are tight.
Before this class, I worked at the “job” from 7 am to 1 pm, then I carried the heavy head of a desolate man, and finally made the trek to Bhakti flow at 4:30 on a bright sunny day in Berkeley, California. They take yoga really seriously here. It’s the end of my practice and I feel that I’ve done all that a person can do in a day and yet, I fear I will have trouble sleeping all the same. What’s the point of all of this hard work if it doesn’t exhaust me, causing me to collapse dramatically at the end of the day?
“Not something that you think is true, but someone that just… is true”. Susannah’s voice reels me in again; my head spins like the office chair at the *****. I work the front desk and I do my best there, despite using the front desk computer to build my website “misschad.com” and the office printer to print out QR promo posters for my website “misschad.com”.
She repeats herself.
“Think of something that is undeniably true.” I’m tired. I don’t know what is true. Obviously, that love is real, but there’s something else. When will it be my time? I’m ready for my time. I pause to think of what is true for me.
Time blinks slowly. I know what’s true.
I think the clear thought:
I will complete E-nlightenment.
Immediately after, I hear:
“What is E-nlightenment?”
The music that is playing overhead plays a song with a woman speaking. She just said what I just thought!
I shoot my head up like an eager puppy, as if I’m the only one who can see the fairies, a disciple who saw Jesus rise in Jerusalem. Now, maybe the track said “enlightenment”, not “E-nlightenment”, and perhaps enlightenment is a common word to be said in a song that is played in a yoga class.
But I am no cynic. I am Miss Chad. And I believe in miracles.
Enlightenment is the name of my album.
My chest hurt during savasana and then I skipped home, e-nlightened.