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22

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The following day around noon Mr. Potter, the yoga teacher arrived at the Wood residence. He stood in front of the door and knocked.

Kathy got up from the couch and went to the door. She looked through the peephole and saw a man holding a set of rolled up mats that she assumed could only be Mr. Potter. She opened the door quickly. "Mr. Potter! Come in, come in!" She greeted happily.

Mr. Potter stepped in, smiling, and Kathy closed the door behind him.

"So you are... Mrs. Wood, I think?"

"Yes. Call me Kathy."

"Okay, Kathy. Where is my patient?"

"Well, your 'patient' is just through that doorway," She replied, pointing in the direction of the kitchen.

Mr. Potter nodded, put down his roll of mats he was holding, and made his way to the kitchen.

Spotting the back of Ed, he walked right up and placed a hand on Ed's shoulder.

Ed let out a shriek and jumped, causing his back to hurt.

Mr. Potter gasped. "Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to scare you, there." He walked so that he was facing Ed. At the sight of Ed, he recoiled a bit.

The bags under Ed's eyes were worse than ever and the expression, which he was carrying from being so excited about his writing, was somewhat disturbing.

Mr. Potter swallowed. "Um, I'm Mr. Potter..." He said, extending a hand towards Ed. Ed, partially in a trance did not shake so Mr. Potter put his hand away. "Okay. Well, how did you hurt your back?"

"Spoon," Ed replied, simply.

"Spoon?" Mr. Potter asked, dumbfounded.

Ed nodded vigorously. "Spoon."

"What did the spoon do to you? Umm... Well I mean how was the spoon responsible for your incident?"

"It was lying on the floor here and I tripped over it, then I threw out my back."

"Ahhh ok," Mr. Potter replied now understanding the situation. "So, have you ever done yoga before?"

"Nope."

"Okay. Well then I think you'll enjoy it very much. Not only will it fix your back, but it will also fix many other things that you didn't even know were wrong with you. Yoga is essential for cleansing the body, mind and soul. Your aura will be fully functional after experiencing the qualities of yoga. Your life will take on a new prospective. Your--"

"So will it fix my back?"

"Yes."

"Good."

"Yes, but you must understand that there is so much more to yoga than just its abilities to cure your bodily aches and pains. It can be used to justify so many other things. I mean, the time you spend doing yoga can fix things that people spend twice as long doing. Yoga is simply just a really great way of life. It can teach you so many values of life that aren't ever taught in schools, not that they would be able to be taught in schools, it's just that they are facts that you must go through rather than be told verbally. To learn these things you must intake them physically, emotionally, spiritually and so on. And that's what life is really about. It's just so filled with--"

Mr. Potter stopped at the sound of a clicking that was coming from Ed. He saw that Ed was typing on his typewriter.

"Mr. Wood."

Ed looked up. "Oh, I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I often experience these types of situations. Speaking of experiences and situations, the yoga experience is so vibrant and full of surprising situations. Did you know that before I found yoga I was crippled? I was crippled not physically, but mentally. I had refused to see how much life really contained, but then I discovered the magic ways of yoga and my life got turned around. I mean, with yoga there's so much to experience in life. I can't even begin to describe how much I've changed since I began yoga... But I can try. Well, first off it began when I was..."

Ed had fallen asleep while Mr. Potter was delivering his life story and Mr. Potter never even noticed. Ed only managed to awake towards the end of the biography and caught the grand finale.

"... and then with the new discovery I had realized that there was just so much more than what I had been doing all my life. There was a whole other world out there besides my own and with yoga I am able to visit that world whenever I wish. And that world... It's just breathtaking. It's more fascinating than anything you could ever imagine. It's so radiant and brilliant. Mr. Wood let me show you that world. Please. I know you'll enjoy it just as much as I did when I first found it, maybe even more. So, what do you say? Do you want to uncover the enchantments of yoga? Or do you want to live in this one-way trap of destitute illusion?" He looked at Ed.

Ed looked back at Mr. Potter, sheepishly. "Umm... the second one?"

Mr. Potter smiled at him. "Great! I knew you were a challenger. I knew it the moment I saw you."

"Yay?"

Mr. Potter laughed. "Okay. Well, let's get you out of that chair and into the living room onto your yoga mat."

"Mat?"

"Yes. Yoga is performed on a mat. There are many complex moves that wouldn't be suitable to be done on an un-matted surface. You could seriously hurt yourself, otherwise."

"Complex moves?"

"Moves, positions, poses. Whatever you want to call them. Yoga is made up of a series of many different ones. Some are easy; others are difficult to master... Well anyways, let's get started." He took Ed by the arms and hoisted him up, then supported him all the way out of the kitchen and to the middle of the living room. He slowly eased him down onto the floor, then began to set up the yoga mats.

Ed eyed him unsurely as he was doing so. When he finished, Mr. Potter gestured to the mat nearest Ed and said, "Now position yourself on your mat. We'll begin with a few simple moves for starters, then when you feel you're up to it, we'll shift into some more advanced moves. Then maybe if you get good enough over time, you'll be able to do some of the really advanced stuff."

"Over time? Mr. Potter, how many of these sessions do you think I'll need? Two, three?"

Mr. Potter laughed. "You're funny." Ed frowned at him and he stopped. "Well, usually people like to continue the yoga way all throughout their life, rather than abandoning it because it really is a great tool to incorporate into a lifestyle. But judging from your tone, I can feel from your aura that you're not as into yoga as others, so I'd say that you'd be lucky if you got away with doing at least five sessions."

"Five sessions! Mr. Potter, I'm an extremely busy man. I've got a script to finish writing by the end of the month!"

"Well, I'm sorry but don't blame me. If you want to blame someone, go blame that pesky spoon," He let out a chuckle. "Besides, after all those pages that I saw you had done in the kitchen, I'd say you have nothing to worry about. You're a very avid worker, you know."

"Why does everyone keep saying that! I've only done sixty-two pages in two days. That's peanuts."

"Sixty-two? Mr. Wood, are you sure you don't need a head doctor rather than a yoga teacher?" He chuckled at his own comment again.

Ed stared at him and Mr. Potter calmed his laughter down. "Sorry. Let's get started, shall we?" He helped Ed onto his mat, then went over to his own mat. "Let's start off with oh... let's try the Butterfly Pose. It's commonly used amongst beginners. I think it would be a good start for you."

Ed looked at Mr. Potter blankly.

"Okay, well just lie flat on your back..."

"I am."

"Yes. Umm... okay now place your hands on your hips and leave your arms out so that they form a circular shape. Then--"

"Hah. My wife always gives me this Butterfly Pose."

"Haha... yeah. Well, keep your legs straight and spread them out in a 'V' shape. Now you are... a butterfly! Take in a few deep breaths and imagine flying over an enchanted forrest, smelling all the lovely spring smells and encountering just everything beautiful on your flight."

"I feel like more of an idiot than a butterfly."

"I see... yeah, let's just hold this pose for a few more seconds and then we'll move onto the next one: The épaule-lévé. That's French for 'raised shoulder'."

Ed looked at Mr. Potter with a raised eyebrow.

"Alright, now return your arms and legs to their original position and take in a breath. Then place the flat of your right hand down on the mat to your side. Turn your head to the right as well, then try to lift your left shoulder off of the mat and hold the pose there."

Ed did as instructed then, when it came time to raise his shoulder he had difficulty. "I can't raise my shoulder."

"Oh, yes you can. You're not trying."

"Yes, I'm trying! I can't do it because my back's all icky."

"Think of a flowing river. Moving and moving, passing over rocks and just sprinkling down its path. The water is just trickling and passing and--"

"I have to use the washroom," Ed said, embarrassedly.

Mr. Potter's eyes went wide and he gaped at Ed. "Umm... okay. Never expected that kind of response," He said, getting to his feet and walking over to Ed. He helped him up and to the washroom. When Ed finished Mr. Potter helped him back onto his mat and proceeded with more yoga.

"Now where was I? Oh yes. Right hand flat to your side, head to the right, left shoulder up."

"And where was I? Oh yes... I can't get my shoulder up!"

"Think of the power of a river, how it can move objects even though it's liquid. A river can carve through stone, given enough time! A river can--"

Ed thought of how nice it would be if Mr. Potter would just shut up and he raised his shoulder. "I did it! Look! I did it!"

"Bravo, Ed. Bravo. The river always gets me, too."

"Yeah... river..."

"Now hold this pose and imagine yourself being swept away in that powerful river. Just being carried away to paths unknown. The invigorating feeling of being free from all domains... now take in a deep breath, let it out, and revert back to the original pose so we can do the Pressure Point."

"Oh, no. That sounds complicated... What's that?"

"Well, we'll do it together. Alright put your head back and your chin in the air. Then place your right hand underneath your head, your left hand under the small of your back. Then push upwards with both hands, thrusting your torso upwards as well, thus focusing on the pressure point -- And if you think you can't do it, think of the power of a river again."

Ed tried, and felt pain crawl all around his back area. He winced and forced himself up even though it hurt tremendously.

"Alright! I got it! What now?" He asked.

"We take four long breaths and think about leaves being swept up into a wind. They're just blowing around, traveling the skies in the breeze. Not a care in the world, only wondering about when the next breeze will come to sweep them away again." He waited a moment. "Okay, now return to the original pose."

Ed returned to the original pose, and felt a bit better.

"So, how's it going? Do you feel good?" Mr. Potter asked.

"Yeah. I feel somewhat better. Not completely fixed up, but certainly better than before."

"That's good," Mr. Potter said, nodding. "Let's try the Sphere now. Do you think you can sit up?"

"Let me see..." Ed tried to rise, but could not rise more than a few inches off the ground. "How about you help me?"

Mr. Potter came over and helped Ed sit up. It hurt Ed a lot to perform the action, but he wanted to get better so he had no choice.

Mr. Potter returned to his own mat. "Now place your arms out straight like you're reaching for something, but keep your hands flat, palms down."

Ed did so, painfully.

"Good. Reach out as far as you can and keep the pose."

Ed did so, painfully.

"Take in a deep breath, hold it in for ten seconds... one... two... three... four... five... six... seven... eight... nine... ten... release. Now spread your legs and lower your arms so that they're directly on top of your legs and even. Lower your head slowly as far down as it can go and hold that pose. Let out a breath." Mr. Potter surveyed Ed's pose for a moment then decided it was good enough. "Now stand up."

Ed looked up at Mr. Potter from his pose. "What?"

"Stand up."

"Are you silly? I can't stand up, I've thrown out my back."

"Just try."

Ed got out of his pose. "Fine, but you'll see that I clearly can't stand u--" He got to his feet and stood. "Oh, my! I'm standing!"

"Yes. You're standing."

"But... just a while ago I was practically unable to move!"

"Ahh, well my friend, you've just experienced the magic of yoga."

"The magic of yoga...? Ya don't say..." Ed raised his arm and belted Mr. Potter a friendly slap on the back. The action caused a throbbing in his supposedly cured back. "Ow!" Ed yelled, rubbing at his own back. The pain was spreading quickly. "Hey, I thought this yoga fixed me up, why am I still in pain?"

Mr. Potter chuckled. "Oh, Ed. You really think one session will cure you? I told you it'd take at least five. Maybe more."

Ed frowned. "Aww. Okay."

"Well, anyways, that's enough for today. I'll see you tomorrow, I guess."

Ed continued to rub at his back. "Yeah. Tomorrow."

Mr. Potter rolled up his mats and put the roll under one arm. "I'll show myself out," He said and made his way over to the front door. He unlocked it, stepped outside and waved. "Goodbye Ed!" He called, and closed to door behind him.

"Goodbye..."