PAGE ONE
Panel 1. A married couple (Jim and Inga) in their mid-twenties are lying in bed together. Inga is reading a paperback book, and Jim is flipping through a sports magazine.
Panel 2. Jim has dropped the magazine from in front of his face and is reacting with surprise and mild disgust as he looks in the direction of Inga’s feet. Inga is peering up from her book with slight interest.
JIM:
Ugh! What the hell is that?
INGA:
Mmmm?
Panel 3. Both of Inga’s feet have socks on that are spreading her toes beyond the reaches of normalcy. The socks are shaped to enclose each toe in fabric, and there is an insert of fabric between each toe spreading Inga’s toes.
INGA:
Those are just my yoga toe socks. They feel a little weird, but they really help.
Panel 4. Jim is looking disgustedly at Inga’s feet. Inga is swatting him with her book.
JIM:
It looks absolutely horrifying.
INGA:
Oh, shut up. Like your feet are roses in bloom.
PAGE TWO
Panel 1. Inga has her book in her lap and is looking at Jim thoughtfully now. Jim is trying to focus on his magazine, but his eyes are peering up and over in the direction of Inga’s feet.
INGA:
You should come with me.
JIM:
To what--yoga? I don’t think so.
Panel 2. Inga is grabbing Jim’s arm and leaning towards him. Jim is making a show of trying to pull away from her grasp.
INGA:
Why not? It’d be fun! You’re always saying how you want to get more exercise.
JIM:
Yeah, but I’m talking about playing hoops or running or something like that. Not yoga. All you do is sit around and stretch. That’s not exercise.
Panel 3. Inga has turned away from Jim and has folded her arms across her chest. She’s pouting a bit. Jim is interested now that the challenge has been presented.
INGA:
You’re such an ass. It’s not just stretching, okay? There’s more to it than that. I’m honestly not even sure you could do it.
JIM:
Hold on now--are you serious? It’s just yoga. It’s not like mountain climbing or something. I’m pretty sure I can handle it.
Panel 4. Inga is looking back at Jim with a sly expression on her face. Jim is pointing a finger at her with a taunting expression on his face.
INGA:
Uh huh. Sounds like you’re scared to me.
JIM:
Oh, for crying out--
JIM:
Okay, you know what? I’m going to go. I’m going to go do some of your hardcore yoga. How do you like them apples?
Panel 5. Inga has a satisfied expression on her face as she continues reading her book. Jim has a smug expression on his face as he continues to read his magazine.
INGA:
I like them just fine.
JIM:
You should. They’re pretty tasty apples.
INGA:
They are.
JIM:
I know.
PAGE THREE
Panel 1. Jim and Inga are standing in the yoga studio. It’s basically a spacious room with wood floors, shelves to hold shoes and other items of clothing, and large windows to let in plenty of light. There is also a shelf with blankets, and a pyramid of wooden blocks (each about half the size of a loaf of bread) somewhere in the room. The room is also filled with students in various stages of preparedness for class. There are only eight to ten people in the class, and all are female except for Jim. Some are unrolling their mats, other are stretching near their mats, etc. Jim and Inga have their mats unrolled, and are standing beside them. They’re near the back of the class. Jim is standing with a reluctant posture, his shoulders partially slumped.
JIM:
I don’t want to do this. Can I go home?
INGA:
What? No, Jim. You said you’d give it a try.
Panel 2. Jim is gesturing at the other students in the room. Inga is rolling her eyes at him.
JIM:
Yeah, but there’s nothing but chicks in here. And you’ve got a chick instructor. And I’m pretty sure I saw somebody I know walk by a minute ago and take a picture with their phone. If this goes out on the internet I’ll never live it down.
INGA:
Oh, shut up.
Panel 3. The yoga instructor, Petal, has approached Jim and Inga. She is a slightly older woman with a wiry frame. She is wearing an extremely tight leotard and has her hair tied up in an extremely tight bun. Her hands are folded in front of her, and she has bare feet. Inga has her hand on Jim’s shoulder and is smiling at the instructor.
PETAL:
Hello. Inga, is this a friend of yours?
INGA:
This is my husband Jim, Petal. He’s a first-timer.
Panel 4. Petal and Jim are shaking hands. Jim is shrugging his shoulders slightly, and looking confidently, almost arrogantly, around. Petal seems bemused by him.
PETAL:
It’s a pleasure to meet you, Jim. I always like to greet any new students before we begin. This is a fairly intensive class. Have you ever done yoga before?
JIM:
Nope. Can’t say that I have. I’m not too worried though. I play a lot of sports, so I’m in pretty good shape.
Panel 5. Petal is slightly offended by Jim’s posturing, but Jim seems oblivious to it. He’s cocking an index finger and thumb at Petal as if it were a gun as he acknowledges her advice.
PETAL:
Mmm. I see. Well--if there’s anything you’re not comfortable doing, please feel free to sit in the lotus position on your mat. There’s no need to strain yourself.
JIM:
Sure thing.
Panel 6. Jim is whispering at Inga as Petal walks away. Inga is annoyed again.
JIM:
Petal?
INGA:
Oh, shut up.
PAGE FOUR
Panel 1. Inga is handing Jim a pair of large blankets. Jim is accepting them reluctantly.
INGA:
Okay, so here’s your blankets.
JIM:
Uh… okay.
Panel 2. Inga is now handing Jim one of the blocks of wood from the pyramid. Jim seems genuinely baffled by her offering.
INGA:
And here’s the block of wood.
JIM:
What the hell? Do they break one of your limbs if you mess up or something?
INGA:
Just take it and pay attention. Class is about to start.
Panel 3. Petal is standing in front of the class in the opening form of the sun salutation. She is standing upright with her feet together and her hands placed in front of her diaphragm with her palms pressed together as if she was praying. Jim, Inga and the other students are doing it as well, and Jim is groaning. Inga is hissing at him.
PETAL:
Let us start with a sun salutation. Remember to breathe, and think of the sun and her warm and loving embrace.
JIM:
Oh, god.
INGA:
Shhhhhh.
Panel 2. Petal and the other students are doing the downward facing dog position, the seventh image in the sun salutation.
CAPTION:
Twenty minutes later.
PETAL:
Descend into downward facing dog. You can feel the vitality and strength entering your body as your abdominal muscles stretch. Breathe and hold.
Panel 3. Petal and her students are doing the eighth image of the sun salutation now.
CAPTION:
Another twenty minutes later.
PETAL:
Raise your hips as high as you can, remembering to keep your abdomen tight and firm. Continue to breathe, and hold this position.
Panel 4. Petal and her students are in the wheel pose. It’s a lot like the pose in panel 3, with their hands and feet on the floor, with their limbs at straight as possible, and their waist and hips as high as possible. Only now they’re bent over backwards.
CAPTION:
Twenty minutes after that.
PETAL:
The wheel pose strengthens us by mimicking man’s first, greatest invention. You should be able to feel your abdomen and pelvis stretching as you breathe and hold. But try not to roll away.
Panel 5. Petal is now in firefly pose. Petal is balancing on her hands, holding her entire body up with her arms. Her arms are bent, as if she is doing a push-up, but instead of having her legs stretched out, she is bent at the waist and her legs are draped over her arms.
CAPTION:
And yet another twenty minutes later.
PETAL:
This will be our final form of the day. This is the firefly pose. Imagine you are a firefly, nestled between the fronds of a giant fern. Enjoy the leaves brushing gently against you as you hold this position.
PAGE FIVE
Panel 1. Inga is sitting in the lotus position on her mat, watching Jim as he performs the variation of the crane pose. Jim is in the form, but he’s sweating prolifically, and trembling slightly. Some of the students are the couple are doing the traditional crane position. Some of them are doing the variation, and some are just sitting in the lotus position on their mat like Inga.
INGA:
I’m so proud of you, honey. Even I can’t do that one. Are you okay like that?
JIM:
You kidding? If anything, this is too easy. I’m barely working up a sweat.
Panel 2. Inga has gotten up from her mat, and is looking down at Jim with an annoyed expression. The other students that were in the crane pose are getting out of theirs now. Some are already looking back in the direction of the argument.
INGA:
Ugh! You’re unbelievable!
JIM:
What can I say? Some of us are just athletically inclined.
Panel 3. Inga is storming out of the studio. Jim is calling after her, but the position he’s in makes it impossible for him to look anywhere but at the ground.
JIM:
I could hold this pose all day! In fact--I think I will!
INGA:
Jerk!
Panel 4. Petal is standing in front of Jim, looking down at him with a thin smile. All the other students are watching Jim and Petal openly as they speak to one another.
PETAL:
I must say, Jim--that is an extraordinary display for a beginner. I have never seen a newcomer hold the crane pose for quite so long.
JIM:
Well--thanks, Petal. I have to admit, this yoga stuff is tougher than I thought.
Panel 5. Petal has crouched down so that her head is closer to Jim’s. She’s balancing on her feet, with her arms wrapped around her knees. She’s smiling openly now. Jim is still looking at the ground, but he’s visibly distressed and ashamed.
PETAL:
Mmm, yes. You’re stuck, aren’t you?
JIM:
Yes. Yes, I am.
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