Yoga Magic - Part 1
Title: YogaMagic
Pairing: Merlin/Arthur
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 18,000
Summary: A concerned Morgana sends a stressed out Arthur to a yoga class where he meets yoga instructor Merlin. Arthur finds a bit more than peace and serenity.
Warnings: None.
Notes: This story came to me in a yoga class and revisited me in every class thereafter...So I wrote it. I’d love some feedback, especially with some con-crit because I am aware this could use some work. The whole thing is pretty much written but I'm posting as I edit because I'd really like some perspective!
YogaMagic - Part 1
“How did I let you talk me into this again?” Arthur asked Morgana, a brand new bright red yoga mat under his arm as they crunched through a sidewalk full of crisp fall leaves.
“Simply put, because I am a genius. You’re way too stressed dear brother. Uther is working you to the bone. At the rate you’re going you’re likely to have a heart attack before your thirtieth birthday.
“My how you like to exaggerate,” Arthur retorted. “I can hardly thing of anything more poncey than yoga…”
“It’s not poncey,” she defended. “It’s really relaxing. You’ll feel really great after and it’s even a bit of a workout. You, mister muscles, may even be sore tomorrow.”
“I doubt that Morg,” he replied with a sigh. They stopped in front of a purple door that said, “YogaMagic.”
“YogaMagic, huh?” Arthur asked with a smirk.
Morgana laughed back. “Yeah…kind of a lame name. But Merlin, the instructor, he’s amazing. He really knows what he’s doing.”
“I’m sure. I bet he’s quite the yoga wizard,” Arthur retorted with a sardonic grin.
Morgana whipped her rolled up mat out from under her arm and smacked him round the head with it. Arthur laughed quietly and drew out his own mat, wielding it like a sword and taking a defensive stance.
Morgana laughed at him and then sighed. “Can you please try to keep an open mind?” she asked turning serious. “All joking aside, I’m really quite worried about you. You need Arthur time.”
Arthur sighed and begrudgingly nodded. “Okay. I will keep an open mind. But if I have a really terrible time I’m not coming back.”
“I think you should give it at least three chances before you really decide. Promise me Arthur. Three classes.”
“Fine,” Arthur said, and pulled open the door to YogaMagic, ushering Morgana in before him. Arthur had always hated being the first one to enter an unfamiliar place. “But you do realize that you add at least 20% of the stress to my life, don’t you?”
Morgana led him up the stairs to the studio with a backwards glance and an evil smirk. “Sister stress is the good kind of stress, Arthur.”
She put a finger to her lips as they reached the landing. Silently they kicked off their shoes and hung their coats before padding softly into the bright open room. The walls were painted a light lime green and there were wrought iron Indian symbols at the center of each of the four walls.
A dozen or so people had already set up around the room. There wasn’t a spot where Morgana and Arthur could stay beside one another. Arthur felt his stomach seize in panic, positive that coming to this class had been a very ill advised plan. His borderline ulcer protested with a wave of anxiety as Morgana pointed him to a spot in the center of the front row while she took one in the back corner.
Arthur glared back at his sister as he unrolled his new mat, wrinkling his nose at the plastic-y smell. He looked around at the people on either side of him. They were all sitting cross legged on their mats. Some had their hands in their laps, others on their knees, and some had their hands pressed together in front of their chests, as though they were saying a prayer.
Mirroring the basic seating position, Arthur chose to place his hands on his knees, gripping them tightly as he gazed at the unoccupied yoga mat at the front of the room. He focused his energy on sitting up as straight as possible, hoping he didn’t look as out of place as he felt.
As he waited he felt like the entire back row was surely staring at him, wondering what on earth someone like him was doing there. As discreetly as he could, which was probably not so discreet at all, he turned around and let his gaze pass over the entire back row. Not a single eye was on him, not even Morgana’s. He sighed in relief and let his back curve down the slightest bit.
But then the door opened and shut and moments later a pair of bare feet skipped past him to the front of the room.
Arthur looked up and took in the yoga instructor. He was all lean muscles and gangly limbs. Prominent cheek bones and big ears. A mop of feathery black hair stuck out all around his head at odd angles.
He gazed around the room with a toothy grin and said, “Good evening everyone. How are we all doing this fine autumn Tuesday?”
There was a general murmuring of “good” and “well” and “fine”. Arthur didn’t say anything.
“Is there any particular areas anyone wants to work tonight?” he asked.
“Stress relief!” Arthur heard Morgana call from the back row.
“That we can definitely do, Morgana,” Merlin said with a fond smile in her direction. “Anyone else?” he asked, gazing around the room, making eye contact with all the yogis.
“No? Okay, let’s get started then.”
Merlin lead the class through some basic breathing exercises while they stayed in the same seated position. Then they had to roll their heads around and raise their arms up and down in the air.
“This is so stupid,” Arthur thought to himself. He felt incredibly ridiculous.
Merlin got up and turned on some weird new age music and had the class move forward onto their hands and knees. “Hands under shoulders, knees under hips. Try to make your back as flat as possible, like you’re a table, firm and strong.”
He paced back and forth checking the classes form. Arthur looked to the people beside him to gauge if he was doing it right.
“Okay we’re going to do cat and cow now,” Merlin said, dropping to his hands and knees on his mat, perpendicular to the rest of the class. “Breathe in and lift your sit bones up and draw your chest forward and look up to the sky, let your stomach round towards the floor. And breathe out, drop your sit bones back, your head down and curl your back up towards the sky, pulling your belly button in towards your spine.”
He did a few rounds with the class and then sat back on his heels, watching everyone with a small smile on his face.
Arthur found himself forgetting when to breathe in and when to breathe out, so he just matched the movements with his neighbors and chose to ignore his breathing altogether.
After a few more rounds Merlin had them move back into a table.
“Now we’re going to move into our first downward facing dog. So curl your toes under and push your hips up to the sky while your heels drop down towards the ground.”
Arthur froze and watched as his neighbors gracefully slid into upside down v’s. He tried to copy them, standing on his tip toes with his back rounded out and his knees bent. His heels were no where near the floor.
He felt pain instantly brewing in his shoulder region.
“Since this is our first down dog, peddle your legs out and make any adjustments you might need,” Merlin said as he got to his feet.
Arthur heard Merlin’s feet padding towards him and he craned his neck up. Merlin smiled kindly at him and squatted at his side. Arthur felt his face turn violently red with humiliation. His stomach churned and he felt nauseous. He knew this would happen.
Merlin placed his hand a few inches in front of Arthur’s and whispered, “Move your hands up to here and put your weight in your fingers and knuckles.” Arthur nodded and loudly slapped his hands forward one at a time, his balance wavering as he did so.
“Good,” Merlin whispered, “Now bring your feet back about 6 inches.” Arthur did. Merlin stood up and put his hands on either side of Arthur’s hips, tilting them back. Arthur swallowed back a gasp at the invasion of his personal space and inwardly cursed Merlin.
“How’s that feel?” he whispered.
“Okay,” Arthur whispered back, uncomfortably.
Merlin offered him that toothy grin and said, “Perfect!” before padding away.
Arthur felt better when he saw that Merlin hadmoved on to someone a few people down and corrected her downward dog as well.
As the class progressed, Arthur found that he was apparently incapable of getting into a single pose on his own. Even when he thought he’d gotten it right, Merlin would come over and grab his shoulders, hips or legs and rearrange them like he was a bloody Ken doll.
While he wasn’t the only one being adjusted, he was pretty sure he was the only one constantly being adjusted.
But as the end of the class he was beginning to get used to it and didn’t care quite as much. No one was giving him weird looks for his seriously lacking abilities.
Merlin padded to the back of the room after instructing everyone to lie down on their backs and prepare for savasana - final relaxation. He dimmed the lights and spoke in a lower voice.
Arthur closed his eyes and followed the soft instructions to let go. Starting with the feet, Merlin had everyone acknowledge each body part and then let them relax completely as they exhaled, all the while clearing their minds of any thoughts from the day. Arthur found himself able to do that while Merlin was guiding his focus, but eventually Merlin’s voice stopped and there was nothing but the quiet breaths of his fellow yogis.
Suddenly he felt a hand grab his ankle. He gasped and flailed upwards onto his elbows. His eyes flew open and focused on Merlin.
“Sorry,” Merlin mouthed, an apologetic smile gracing his pretty face. Arthur once again felt a deep flush rise into his cheeks as he lowered himself back to the ground. Merlin indicated that he was doing it to everyone and grabbed Arthur’s ankle again. Arthur closed his eyes and allowed himself to go limp to Merlin’s hands. Merlin lifted his leg and rotated it before laying it back down straight. He did the same with his other ankle and then came around to his head.
Gently he reached his hands under the crown of Arthur’s head and lifted it, pulling it slightly back so his neck straightened, before setting it lightly back down on his mat. Arthur sighed in relief as he heard his feet pad away to the next person, who did not have the same violent reaction as Arthur had to Merlin’s touch.
Arthur tried to regain the inner focus he had achieved moments before at Merlin’s soft voice, but it was lost.
First, his mind wandered to his morning schedule for the next day. He had a board meeting first thing, followed by a one-on-one strategic planning session with his father. He noted that he would need to prepare some notes for the board meeting as soon as he got home. Remember the pie charts, he chanted inwardly before remembering where he was.
“Okay,” Arthur thought, “Focus.” He tried to bring his mind back to the yoga class. He brought the image of Merlin’s tight round butt pointed up to the sky for all the class to enjoy during all the downward dogs they had done earlier. And the way his tight calve muscles contracted as he moved in and out of the poses.
Arthur sighed irritably, as that line of thought was clearly not helping anything. He remembered that he was in a room full of people all trying to relax and his irritable sighs were probably unwelcome. Instead he gave up on trying to clear his mind, deciding it simply wasn’t something he was capable of.
A few minutes later, Merlin’s voice broke the silence, slowly guiding the class through some gentle movements, bringing them back to life.
Arthur was happy to be sitting up once again as Merlin bowed to the class and said namaste. The class bowed back, Arthur the last to do so and, chanted namaste back.
Merlin rocked back onto his feet and smiled at the class, “Thanks for coming everyone. Please remember to sign in before you leave.”
The quiet of the room was soon overtaken by the din of rustling mats and blankets being folded up. Arthur knelt down and tried to roll up his mat as tightly as possible, making sure the edges were completely aligned when Morgana came up beside him.
“What’d you think?” she hissed.
Arthur shrugged and continued his ministrations. As he finished rolling his mat to perfection, Arthur once again saw the boney bare feet enter his eye line and stop.
“Another wonderful, class Merlin,” Morgana said by way of hello.
“I hope it relieved all your stress as requested,” Merlin replied with a grin. “Although I must say I hardly expected to hear that one coming from you. You’re usually a hips fan, aren’t you?”
Morgana nodded. “It wasn’t for me. It was for my brother.” Morgana indicated Arthur who was just getting to his feet. “This is Arthur.”
Merlin smiled at him warmly and held out a hand. Arthur shook it and smiled sheepishly at Merlin, still mildly embarrassed over his poor performance. Arthur wasn’t used to being bad at things.
“Pleased to meet you, Arthur. Was this your first time doing yoga?”
Arthur nodded. “I hope it wasn’t too obvious.”
Merlin grinned and shook his head, “Not at all. I hope you enjoyed it and will join us again.”
Arthur just nodded again and gave a small wave as Merlin was pulled away by a very serious looking yoga student.
Morgana led him to the back of the studio where they signed in and Morgana put some cash in an envelope to pay.
“That doesn’t seem like a good way to handle bookkeeping,” was Arthur’s first comment as they exited the studio.
“Only you, Arthur,” she teased. “So what’d you think?”
“I don’t know…it was kind of embarrassing. I did everything wrong and I felt like an idiot doing it.”
“Well it was your first time…of course you’d do it wrong. Do you feel relaxed?”
“Maybe a little.”
“What’d you think of Merlin?” she asked.
Arthur shrugged, “He seemed alright.”
“I think he’s adorable. And he’s got such a calming presence doesn’t he?”
Arthur rolled his eyes and flagged down a cab. “Listen, I’ve got to get home, lots of work to do.” A cab pulled up to the curb. He leaned in and kissed her cheek, “Thanks for the yoga,” he said with a wave as he got into the cab. She waved back looking at him in a pitying sort of way before walking leisurely down the road to her apartment.
***
The following Tuesday evening, Arthur returned to YogaMagic. This time he was unaccompanied by Morgana as she tended to go to the early riser classes.
Merlin was hanging a poster on the bulletin board on the landing when Arthur arrived. He smiled at Arthur as he toed off his shoes.
“Arthur right?” he asked.
Arthur nodded.
“I’m glad you came back. Usually when a bloke is dragged to yoga by a sister, wife or girlfriend I never see them again.”
Arthur laughed quietly and confessed, “I promised Morgana three classes before I jump ship.”
Merlin laughed at his honesty and said, “Then I guess I’ve got only two more classes to enchant you,” as he placed the final tack on the bulletin board. He turned back to Arthur and said, “Get it…YogaMagic…enchantment…”
Arthur gave a sarcastic, “Ha ha ha,” but smiled sweetly at Merlin so he knew he was joking. Merlin chuckled and said, “Go get set up I’ll be right in.”
Arthur nodded and watched Merlin disappear into a small office before entering the studio and unrolling his mat. This time he grabbed a spot in the back row, but where he’d still have a good view of Merlin. For better seeing the positions, Arthur explained to himself.
This class went far better than the first. Merlin only readjusted him in about half of his positions. Additionally, being in the back of the studio left him feeling less on display and more willing to give into the more awkward looking positions, like the one Merlin called 'Happy Baby'.
After class Arthur slipped out as quickly as he could, not speaking to Merlin at all.
***
The following Tuesday, Arthur was actually looking forward to yoga. He hadn’t found the inner peace Morgana had been hoping he’d find, but he couldn’t deny that it did help him relax, if only marginally. He would of course never tell Morgana that.
Once again, Arthur set up his mat in the back of the studio and sat cross legged with his hands on his knees, waiting for class to begin.
After the first sun-salutation, Arthur knew that this class was going to be different. His back felt extra tight and knotty, a result of having been in two full days of meetings with a dozen Chinese partners. He had been feeling the stress harder than ever.
As a result, he couldn’t seem to let go of any of the tension. In the last two classes the only pose he felt he could truly relax into was child’s pose. But that day, child’s pose was a slow cruel torture. Tension in his lower back was seizing him right between the shoulder blades.
Merlin instructed the class to focus their breath on any spots that were holding tension. Arthur tried to visualize his breath going to that spot, but to no avail, the spot throbbed painfully.
Relief spread over Arthur as they continued with their first sun salutation, but soon found the tension making itself known in all of the positions.
When they returned to the child’s pose, Arthur buried his face into his mat and gripped his fingers into it roughly. Utterly frustrated by his inability to relax into the most basic of poses, Arthur felt his throat tighten. Horrified, he discovered tears welling up in his eyes. He screwed them shut and stayed in child’s pose as Merlin had everyone else moving back up to downward dog, followed by a forward fold.
He breathed heavily as he tried to get a grip on himself, but he couldn’t. Seconds later the tears were slipping down his nose and dripping off the tip, landing audibly on his mat.
He sniffed hard and then tried to suppress a sob. But one came out. Quietly but he knew people could hear. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the woman next to him glance over to him in concern.
Hurriedly he got to his feet and fled from the suddenly stiflingly hot room. As he shut the door quietly, he heard Merlin say to the class, “Okay everyone, I want you to do four more sets of sun salutations at your own pace. Remember to follow your breath! If you finish before I get back practice your inversions!”
Arthur was fumbling into his shoes as the door opened behind him and Merlin stepped out into the hall. He was still fighting back his tears and turned away from Merlin.
“Are you alright?” he asked.
“Do I look alright?!” Arthur hissed.
“Not even a little,” Merlin admitted. “But its okay you know. This actually happens a lot.”
“What happens a lot?” Arthur said, leaning forward with his hands pressed into his thighs, back still to Merlin.
“People having emotional breakdowns during yoga. It’s completely normal. You’re hardly the first.” Arthur felt Merlin’s strong hand on his back, giving it a gentle rub. “Yoga’s the connection of mind and body…often when we let one go the other follows. I bet you usually keep all your emotions bottled up inside?”
Arthur didn’t respond, but swiped at his eyes, feeling his emotions calm down.
Merlin squeezed his shoulder. “Come back to class. You’re going to feel loads better when it’s over. I promise.”
Arthur straightened and turned around. He stared up into Merlin’s kind face and felt his resolve crumble. Arthur toed off the one shoe he’d managed to put back on, and Merlin stepped into his office. He quickly returned, a tissue extended out to Arthur.
“Thanks,” Arthur said, drying his eyes and briefly blowing his nose. He tossed it in the waste bin by the entrance and followed Merlin back into the class.
The rest of the yogis were still moving through the now familiar poses of the sun salutation. Arthur matched his pace with the woman next to him and tried with all his might to push back his embarrassment and focus once again on relaxing into the moves.
When class ended Merlin quickly got to his feet and approached Arthur before he could run off. He crouched beside him as he once again meticulously rolled up his mat.
“Better?” he asked.
Arthur nodded, smiling gratefully at Merlin, getting lost in his kind, crystal blue eyes.
Merlin cleared his throat and said, “Do you maybe want to go grab some tea? Coffee? Have a bit of a chat?”
“Oh,” Arthur said surprised. He stood up, tucking his mat under his arms. Merlin stood to, eyeing Arthur with a hint of nervousness.
“It’s just,” Merlin rambled on when he didn’t get more than the ‘oh’, “Seems like you might need someone to talk to? And there’s a great little café round the corner…”
Arthur smiled at him regretfully. “You know…I really would love to,” Arthur began. “But I’m buried in work. Almost didn’t make it here tonight,” he said regretfully.
“Oh, right…I understand,” Merlin said with a nod and made to walk away.
“Uhh,” Arthur fumbled for something else to say. Merlin turned back to him, a look of curiosity overtaking one of mild disappointment. “I don’t think you do…understand that is. I really do…wish I could. Could we…maybe…next week?”
Merlin flashed him a big grin. “Next week will be class number four. You’ll be back?”
Arthur smiled and nodded. “Morgana can be a pain in the ass…but once in a while she’s right.”
Merlin laughed. “Alright. I’ll see you in class next week then. Take care of yourself, yeah?”
“I’ll do my best,” Arthur agreed. “Thanks, Merlin.”
With a smile, Merlin reached out and squeezed Arthur’s arm. He released it with a wave and went to roll up his yoga mat.
Yoga Magic - Part 2
Pairing: Merlin/Arthur
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 18,000
Summary: A concerned Morgana sends a stressed out Arthur to a yoga class where he meets yoga instructor Merlin. Arthur finds a bit more than peace and serenity.
Warnings: None.
Notes: This story came to me in a yoga class and revisited me in every class thereafter...So I wrote it. I’d love some feedback, especially with some con-crit because I am aware this could use some work. The whole thing is pretty much written but I'm posting as I edit because I'd really like some perspective!
YogaMagic - Part 1
“How did I let you talk me into this again?” Arthur asked Morgana, a brand new bright red yoga mat under his arm as they crunched through a sidewalk full of crisp fall leaves.
“Simply put, because I am a genius. You’re way too stressed dear brother. Uther is working you to the bone. At the rate you’re going you’re likely to have a heart attack before your thirtieth birthday.
“My how you like to exaggerate,” Arthur retorted. “I can hardly thing of anything more poncey than yoga…”
“It’s not poncey,” she defended. “It’s really relaxing. You’ll feel really great after and it’s even a bit of a workout. You, mister muscles, may even be sore tomorrow.”
“I doubt that Morg,” he replied with a sigh. They stopped in front of a purple door that said, “YogaMagic.”
“YogaMagic, huh?” Arthur asked with a smirk.
Morgana laughed back. “Yeah…kind of a lame name. But Merlin, the instructor, he’s amazing. He really knows what he’s doing.”
“I’m sure. I bet he’s quite the yoga wizard,” Arthur retorted with a sardonic grin.
Morgana whipped her rolled up mat out from under her arm and smacked him round the head with it. Arthur laughed quietly and drew out his own mat, wielding it like a sword and taking a defensive stance.
Morgana laughed at him and then sighed. “Can you please try to keep an open mind?” she asked turning serious. “All joking aside, I’m really quite worried about you. You need Arthur time.”
Arthur sighed and begrudgingly nodded. “Okay. I will keep an open mind. But if I have a really terrible time I’m not coming back.”
“I think you should give it at least three chances before you really decide. Promise me Arthur. Three classes.”
“Fine,” Arthur said, and pulled open the door to YogaMagic, ushering Morgana in before him. Arthur had always hated being the first one to enter an unfamiliar place. “But you do realize that you add at least 20% of the stress to my life, don’t you?”
Morgana led him up the stairs to the studio with a backwards glance and an evil smirk. “Sister stress is the good kind of stress, Arthur.”
She put a finger to her lips as they reached the landing. Silently they kicked off their shoes and hung their coats before padding softly into the bright open room. The walls were painted a light lime green and there were wrought iron Indian symbols at the center of each of the four walls.
A dozen or so people had already set up around the room. There wasn’t a spot where Morgana and Arthur could stay beside one another. Arthur felt his stomach seize in panic, positive that coming to this class had been a very ill advised plan. His borderline ulcer protested with a wave of anxiety as Morgana pointed him to a spot in the center of the front row while she took one in the back corner.
Arthur glared back at his sister as he unrolled his new mat, wrinkling his nose at the plastic-y smell. He looked around at the people on either side of him. They were all sitting cross legged on their mats. Some had their hands in their laps, others on their knees, and some had their hands pressed together in front of their chests, as though they were saying a prayer.
Mirroring the basic seating position, Arthur chose to place his hands on his knees, gripping them tightly as he gazed at the unoccupied yoga mat at the front of the room. He focused his energy on sitting up as straight as possible, hoping he didn’t look as out of place as he felt.
As he waited he felt like the entire back row was surely staring at him, wondering what on earth someone like him was doing there. As discreetly as he could, which was probably not so discreet at all, he turned around and let his gaze pass over the entire back row. Not a single eye was on him, not even Morgana’s. He sighed in relief and let his back curve down the slightest bit.
But then the door opened and shut and moments later a pair of bare feet skipped past him to the front of the room.
Arthur looked up and took in the yoga instructor. He was all lean muscles and gangly limbs. Prominent cheek bones and big ears. A mop of feathery black hair stuck out all around his head at odd angles.
He gazed around the room with a toothy grin and said, “Good evening everyone. How are we all doing this fine autumn Tuesday?”
There was a general murmuring of “good” and “well” and “fine”. Arthur didn’t say anything.
“Is there any particular areas anyone wants to work tonight?” he asked.
“Stress relief!” Arthur heard Morgana call from the back row.
“That we can definitely do, Morgana,” Merlin said with a fond smile in her direction. “Anyone else?” he asked, gazing around the room, making eye contact with all the yogis.
“No? Okay, let’s get started then.”
Merlin lead the class through some basic breathing exercises while they stayed in the same seated position. Then they had to roll their heads around and raise their arms up and down in the air.
“This is so stupid,” Arthur thought to himself. He felt incredibly ridiculous.
Merlin got up and turned on some weird new age music and had the class move forward onto their hands and knees. “Hands under shoulders, knees under hips. Try to make your back as flat as possible, like you’re a table, firm and strong.”
He paced back and forth checking the classes form. Arthur looked to the people beside him to gauge if he was doing it right.
“Okay we’re going to do cat and cow now,” Merlin said, dropping to his hands and knees on his mat, perpendicular to the rest of the class. “Breathe in and lift your sit bones up and draw your chest forward and look up to the sky, let your stomach round towards the floor. And breathe out, drop your sit bones back, your head down and curl your back up towards the sky, pulling your belly button in towards your spine.”
He did a few rounds with the class and then sat back on his heels, watching everyone with a small smile on his face.
Arthur found himself forgetting when to breathe in and when to breathe out, so he just matched the movements with his neighbors and chose to ignore his breathing altogether.
After a few more rounds Merlin had them move back into a table.
“Now we’re going to move into our first downward facing dog. So curl your toes under and push your hips up to the sky while your heels drop down towards the ground.”
Arthur froze and watched as his neighbors gracefully slid into upside down v’s. He tried to copy them, standing on his tip toes with his back rounded out and his knees bent. His heels were no where near the floor.
He felt pain instantly brewing in his shoulder region.
“Since this is our first down dog, peddle your legs out and make any adjustments you might need,” Merlin said as he got to his feet.
Arthur heard Merlin’s feet padding towards him and he craned his neck up. Merlin smiled kindly at him and squatted at his side. Arthur felt his face turn violently red with humiliation. His stomach churned and he felt nauseous. He knew this would happen.
Merlin placed his hand a few inches in front of Arthur’s and whispered, “Move your hands up to here and put your weight in your fingers and knuckles.” Arthur nodded and loudly slapped his hands forward one at a time, his balance wavering as he did so.
“Good,” Merlin whispered, “Now bring your feet back about 6 inches.” Arthur did. Merlin stood up and put his hands on either side of Arthur’s hips, tilting them back. Arthur swallowed back a gasp at the invasion of his personal space and inwardly cursed Merlin.
“How’s that feel?” he whispered.
“Okay,” Arthur whispered back, uncomfortably.
Merlin offered him that toothy grin and said, “Perfect!” before padding away.
Arthur felt better when he saw that Merlin hadmoved on to someone a few people down and corrected her downward dog as well.
As the class progressed, Arthur found that he was apparently incapable of getting into a single pose on his own. Even when he thought he’d gotten it right, Merlin would come over and grab his shoulders, hips or legs and rearrange them like he was a bloody Ken doll.
While he wasn’t the only one being adjusted, he was pretty sure he was the only one constantly being adjusted.
But as the end of the class he was beginning to get used to it and didn’t care quite as much. No one was giving him weird looks for his seriously lacking abilities.
Merlin padded to the back of the room after instructing everyone to lie down on their backs and prepare for savasana - final relaxation. He dimmed the lights and spoke in a lower voice.
Arthur closed his eyes and followed the soft instructions to let go. Starting with the feet, Merlin had everyone acknowledge each body part and then let them relax completely as they exhaled, all the while clearing their minds of any thoughts from the day. Arthur found himself able to do that while Merlin was guiding his focus, but eventually Merlin’s voice stopped and there was nothing but the quiet breaths of his fellow yogis.
Suddenly he felt a hand grab his ankle. He gasped and flailed upwards onto his elbows. His eyes flew open and focused on Merlin.
“Sorry,” Merlin mouthed, an apologetic smile gracing his pretty face. Arthur once again felt a deep flush rise into his cheeks as he lowered himself back to the ground. Merlin indicated that he was doing it to everyone and grabbed Arthur’s ankle again. Arthur closed his eyes and allowed himself to go limp to Merlin’s hands. Merlin lifted his leg and rotated it before laying it back down straight. He did the same with his other ankle and then came around to his head.
Gently he reached his hands under the crown of Arthur’s head and lifted it, pulling it slightly back so his neck straightened, before setting it lightly back down on his mat. Arthur sighed in relief as he heard his feet pad away to the next person, who did not have the same violent reaction as Arthur had to Merlin’s touch.
Arthur tried to regain the inner focus he had achieved moments before at Merlin’s soft voice, but it was lost.
First, his mind wandered to his morning schedule for the next day. He had a board meeting first thing, followed by a one-on-one strategic planning session with his father. He noted that he would need to prepare some notes for the board meeting as soon as he got home. Remember the pie charts, he chanted inwardly before remembering where he was.
“Okay,” Arthur thought, “Focus.” He tried to bring his mind back to the yoga class. He brought the image of Merlin’s tight round butt pointed up to the sky for all the class to enjoy during all the downward dogs they had done earlier. And the way his tight calve muscles contracted as he moved in and out of the poses.
Arthur sighed irritably, as that line of thought was clearly not helping anything. He remembered that he was in a room full of people all trying to relax and his irritable sighs were probably unwelcome. Instead he gave up on trying to clear his mind, deciding it simply wasn’t something he was capable of.
A few minutes later, Merlin’s voice broke the silence, slowly guiding the class through some gentle movements, bringing them back to life.
Arthur was happy to be sitting up once again as Merlin bowed to the class and said namaste. The class bowed back, Arthur the last to do so and, chanted namaste back.
Merlin rocked back onto his feet and smiled at the class, “Thanks for coming everyone. Please remember to sign in before you leave.”
The quiet of the room was soon overtaken by the din of rustling mats and blankets being folded up. Arthur knelt down and tried to roll up his mat as tightly as possible, making sure the edges were completely aligned when Morgana came up beside him.
“What’d you think?” she hissed.
Arthur shrugged and continued his ministrations. As he finished rolling his mat to perfection, Arthur once again saw the boney bare feet enter his eye line and stop.
“Another wonderful, class Merlin,” Morgana said by way of hello.
“I hope it relieved all your stress as requested,” Merlin replied with a grin. “Although I must say I hardly expected to hear that one coming from you. You’re usually a hips fan, aren’t you?”
Morgana nodded. “It wasn’t for me. It was for my brother.” Morgana indicated Arthur who was just getting to his feet. “This is Arthur.”
Merlin smiled at him warmly and held out a hand. Arthur shook it and smiled sheepishly at Merlin, still mildly embarrassed over his poor performance. Arthur wasn’t used to being bad at things.
“Pleased to meet you, Arthur. Was this your first time doing yoga?”
Arthur nodded. “I hope it wasn’t too obvious.”
Merlin grinned and shook his head, “Not at all. I hope you enjoyed it and will join us again.”
Arthur just nodded again and gave a small wave as Merlin was pulled away by a very serious looking yoga student.
Morgana led him to the back of the studio where they signed in and Morgana put some cash in an envelope to pay.
“That doesn’t seem like a good way to handle bookkeeping,” was Arthur’s first comment as they exited the studio.
“Only you, Arthur,” she teased. “So what’d you think?”
“I don’t know…it was kind of embarrassing. I did everything wrong and I felt like an idiot doing it.”
“Well it was your first time…of course you’d do it wrong. Do you feel relaxed?”
“Maybe a little.”
“What’d you think of Merlin?” she asked.
Arthur shrugged, “He seemed alright.”
“I think he’s adorable. And he’s got such a calming presence doesn’t he?”
Arthur rolled his eyes and flagged down a cab. “Listen, I’ve got to get home, lots of work to do.” A cab pulled up to the curb. He leaned in and kissed her cheek, “Thanks for the yoga,” he said with a wave as he got into the cab. She waved back looking at him in a pitying sort of way before walking leisurely down the road to her apartment.
***
The following Tuesday evening, Arthur returned to YogaMagic. This time he was unaccompanied by Morgana as she tended to go to the early riser classes.
Merlin was hanging a poster on the bulletin board on the landing when Arthur arrived. He smiled at Arthur as he toed off his shoes.
“Arthur right?” he asked.
Arthur nodded.
“I’m glad you came back. Usually when a bloke is dragged to yoga by a sister, wife or girlfriend I never see them again.”
Arthur laughed quietly and confessed, “I promised Morgana three classes before I jump ship.”
Merlin laughed at his honesty and said, “Then I guess I’ve got only two more classes to enchant you,” as he placed the final tack on the bulletin board. He turned back to Arthur and said, “Get it…YogaMagic…enchantment…”
Arthur gave a sarcastic, “Ha ha ha,” but smiled sweetly at Merlin so he knew he was joking. Merlin chuckled and said, “Go get set up I’ll be right in.”
Arthur nodded and watched Merlin disappear into a small office before entering the studio and unrolling his mat. This time he grabbed a spot in the back row, but where he’d still have a good view of Merlin. For better seeing the positions, Arthur explained to himself.
This class went far better than the first. Merlin only readjusted him in about half of his positions. Additionally, being in the back of the studio left him feeling less on display and more willing to give into the more awkward looking positions, like the one Merlin called 'Happy Baby'.
After class Arthur slipped out as quickly as he could, not speaking to Merlin at all.
***
The following Tuesday, Arthur was actually looking forward to yoga. He hadn’t found the inner peace Morgana had been hoping he’d find, but he couldn’t deny that it did help him relax, if only marginally. He would of course never tell Morgana that.
Once again, Arthur set up his mat in the back of the studio and sat cross legged with his hands on his knees, waiting for class to begin.
After the first sun-salutation, Arthur knew that this class was going to be different. His back felt extra tight and knotty, a result of having been in two full days of meetings with a dozen Chinese partners. He had been feeling the stress harder than ever.
As a result, he couldn’t seem to let go of any of the tension. In the last two classes the only pose he felt he could truly relax into was child’s pose. But that day, child’s pose was a slow cruel torture. Tension in his lower back was seizing him right between the shoulder blades.
Merlin instructed the class to focus their breath on any spots that were holding tension. Arthur tried to visualize his breath going to that spot, but to no avail, the spot throbbed painfully.
Relief spread over Arthur as they continued with their first sun salutation, but soon found the tension making itself known in all of the positions.
When they returned to the child’s pose, Arthur buried his face into his mat and gripped his fingers into it roughly. Utterly frustrated by his inability to relax into the most basic of poses, Arthur felt his throat tighten. Horrified, he discovered tears welling up in his eyes. He screwed them shut and stayed in child’s pose as Merlin had everyone else moving back up to downward dog, followed by a forward fold.
He breathed heavily as he tried to get a grip on himself, but he couldn’t. Seconds later the tears were slipping down his nose and dripping off the tip, landing audibly on his mat.
He sniffed hard and then tried to suppress a sob. But one came out. Quietly but he knew people could hear. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the woman next to him glance over to him in concern.
Hurriedly he got to his feet and fled from the suddenly stiflingly hot room. As he shut the door quietly, he heard Merlin say to the class, “Okay everyone, I want you to do four more sets of sun salutations at your own pace. Remember to follow your breath! If you finish before I get back practice your inversions!”
Arthur was fumbling into his shoes as the door opened behind him and Merlin stepped out into the hall. He was still fighting back his tears and turned away from Merlin.
“Are you alright?” he asked.
“Do I look alright?!” Arthur hissed.
“Not even a little,” Merlin admitted. “But its okay you know. This actually happens a lot.”
“What happens a lot?” Arthur said, leaning forward with his hands pressed into his thighs, back still to Merlin.
“People having emotional breakdowns during yoga. It’s completely normal. You’re hardly the first.” Arthur felt Merlin’s strong hand on his back, giving it a gentle rub. “Yoga’s the connection of mind and body…often when we let one go the other follows. I bet you usually keep all your emotions bottled up inside?”
Arthur didn’t respond, but swiped at his eyes, feeling his emotions calm down.
Merlin squeezed his shoulder. “Come back to class. You’re going to feel loads better when it’s over. I promise.”
Arthur straightened and turned around. He stared up into Merlin’s kind face and felt his resolve crumble. Arthur toed off the one shoe he’d managed to put back on, and Merlin stepped into his office. He quickly returned, a tissue extended out to Arthur.
“Thanks,” Arthur said, drying his eyes and briefly blowing his nose. He tossed it in the waste bin by the entrance and followed Merlin back into the class.
The rest of the yogis were still moving through the now familiar poses of the sun salutation. Arthur matched his pace with the woman next to him and tried with all his might to push back his embarrassment and focus once again on relaxing into the moves.
When class ended Merlin quickly got to his feet and approached Arthur before he could run off. He crouched beside him as he once again meticulously rolled up his mat.
“Better?” he asked.
Arthur nodded, smiling gratefully at Merlin, getting lost in his kind, crystal blue eyes.
Merlin cleared his throat and said, “Do you maybe want to go grab some tea? Coffee? Have a bit of a chat?”
“Oh,” Arthur said surprised. He stood up, tucking his mat under his arms. Merlin stood to, eyeing Arthur with a hint of nervousness.
“It’s just,” Merlin rambled on when he didn’t get more than the ‘oh’, “Seems like you might need someone to talk to? And there’s a great little café round the corner…”
Arthur smiled at him regretfully. “You know…I really would love to,” Arthur began. “But I’m buried in work. Almost didn’t make it here tonight,” he said regretfully.
“Oh, right…I understand,” Merlin said with a nod and made to walk away.
“Uhh,” Arthur fumbled for something else to say. Merlin turned back to him, a look of curiosity overtaking one of mild disappointment. “I don’t think you do…understand that is. I really do…wish I could. Could we…maybe…next week?”
Merlin flashed him a big grin. “Next week will be class number four. You’ll be back?”
Arthur smiled and nodded. “Morgana can be a pain in the ass…but once in a while she’s right.”
Merlin laughed. “Alright. I’ll see you in class next week then. Take care of yourself, yeah?”
“I’ll do my best,” Arthur agreed. “Thanks, Merlin.”
With a smile, Merlin reached out and squeezed Arthur’s arm. He released it with a wave and went to roll up his yoga mat.
Yoga Magic - Part 2