30. “A Friend of Mine Teaches Yoga. She Hasn’t Eaten In Two Days.”

Friend of Mine – Her smile hides hunger. So does her tank top.

She’s the picture of peace.
Long braid. Soft voice.
A playlist full of wind chimes
and women humming in Sanskrit.

Every morning,
she unlocks the studio,
rolls out the mats,
and guides strangers
into gratitude.

“Breathe into abundance,”
she says,
on an empty stomach.

“Release what no longer serves you,”
she says,
with eviction notices in her bag.

She thanks everyone
for showing up for themselves.
Then stays behind to mop the floors
and drink free lemon water for dinner.

Her job feeds other people’s souls.
It doesn’t cover her rent.

But she’s “part of a wellness brand now,”
so she posts smiling selfies
in borrowed leggings
and tags the studio for visibility.

She’s been working through it.
Working past it.
Working despite it.

Because what else do you do
when your options are
“align your chakras”
or ask for help from people
who think your job is a vacation?

She’s learned
that stillness is cheaper than therapy,
and nobody wants to hear
that their spiritual guide
can’t afford groceries.

She hasn’t eaten in two days.
But she still knows how to say
Namaste
with a steady voice
and trembling hands.