We’re leaving winter behind and welcoming
spring. This spring is particularly celebratory. I’m welcoming a new book. Bind
is the first in my series, the Lotus Detective Agency. I thought this month I’d share an excerpt with
you – and would love your feedback.
ORDER HERE
Here’s a little background:
Everything
that happens in a yoga studio is not Zen. Sometimes it’s grand larceny. Three
yogis, two cops, and one damn cute dog join forces to discover who’s stolen a Patek
Philippe watch from what was supposed to be a secure locker. Time is ticking.
And here’s the
excerpt.
From Bind
Ten yogis are in various stretches, twists,
meditations, and yawns when Kristi walks back into the studio. She forces a
smile, and the smile spreads of its own accord into her muscles, her bones, her
heart. This is her sanctuary. She is at home here. The rawness she feels is
still there, but it has moved to the edges now.
Today’s bind is a yogi squat. One leg is
extended; the other is bent. One arm goes under the bent leg; the other goes
around the back until they meet. In theory. Lexie can’t wait until this month
is over, and it’s only day three. Bhodi looks around the room to see if anyone
else has completed the bind. Surprisingly, Honey seems to have easily
maintained the squat and the bind. Bonnie begins the countdown until she can
come out of the contortion, which for her is a little squat and a hint of a
bind.
Kristi takes this opportunity to explain
the benefits of binds. “These poses allow muscles to release, relax, and open. You
can go deeper. You can also focus on alignment and flexibility while building
strength.” She breathes in.
“Dear God,” thinks Lexie, “there’s more.”
“If you make her stop,” Bonnie says to her
higher spirit, “I will give you my first born.”
Kristi continues to talk, and smile.
“Remember to breathe when you’re in the bind. Don’t tighten. And come out of
the bind if you feel any pain. Go to your edge, but no further.”
Archina isn’t sure where her edge is, but
she fears she left it behind several minutes ago. Woo Woo unbinds. She believes
in the mind, body, spirit philosophy of yoga, but enough of this shit.
If it’s one thing Kristi knows, it’s how to
read a room full of yogis. The edge has been reached. She tells everyone to
stand up, give themselves a hug, and as a special treat, this morning there
will be an extended savasana that includes a meditation. (Kristi always has a
guided meditation on her phone.) The room smiles, even Bhodi. Eleven bodies
move from the vertical to the horizontal. Archina grabs a blanket; Lexie puts a
bolster under her knees; Kevin, the newest member of the group, reaches for his
socks.
The Dalai Lama is midway through his
13-minute meditation on the disturbed mind when the studio door opens. Twelve
faces turn to look at the human who belongs to the shoes that just clomped into
their zen-like state. All twelve agree, zen is overrated. Standing at the
entranceway to the studio is a 6’2” man with ripped muscles, ebony skin, and a
three-day stubble. “He can bind with me any time he wants,” Kevin thinks.
It takes the intruder less than a second to
realize he has interrupted the class at an inopportune time. “I’m so sorry,” he
says. “I thought class was over.”
“We’re running a little late,” says Kristi
in a voice the class has not heard before.
“Please continue,” says Ripped. “I will
come back.”
“Too late now,” says Bhodi. He gets the
evil eye from most of the class.
“How can we help?” says Kristi introducing
herself.
Ripped steps forward, hand extended. “My
name is Michael …”
Before he can continue, Woo Woo interjects.
“No, it isn’t. Your name is Lewis.”
The demi-god looks at her in surprise. He’s
not alone. The whole class stares at Woo Woo.
“I’m so sorry,” Woo Woo says turning a deep
magenta. “I don’t know why I said that.” But she does. Sometimes a thought, an
image, a tickertape runs through Woo Woo’s mind. She knows it’s a message, and
she usually tries to convey it. On this occasion, she wishes she hadn’t.
Michael turns back to Kristi, leader of the
pack. “Terrell. Michael Terrell.”
“Did you want to join the class?” Bhodi
asks. The snark is obvious.
“Please,” thinks Kevin. “Please join.”
Terrell smiles. “It’s on my bucket list,
but today I’m here for a less pleasant reason. I’m a detective with the Halifax
Police Department. I’m looking into a watch that seems to have gone missing
from the gym.”
Kristi tries to control her breathing. No
one else tries to control anything. Lexie’s eyes fly wide open. Charlene gasps.
Bonnie recoils.
Honey farts.
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