MADCAP MORNINGS AND GWYNETH P (2/2)

Towards the end of my primary series practice, I nipped out for a pee. It was about 7:30am.

During ashtanga practice, yogis maintain a steady stream of Ujjayi breath, a chuffing guttural drawl that is said to calm the nervous system. Each pose also has a drishti, a point on the body where the gaze rests as opposed to, say, the butt of the hot person in front of you.

A trip to the toilet then is a highly focused, chuffing experience where the gaze remains low, withdrawn and introverted. On my return to the practice room (sometimes called the shala), a tall, willowy blonde held open the door for me. Funny, I thought, returning to my mat for final relaxation, she looked a lot like that woman from Sliding Doors, you know, the one married to the Coldplay front man. Lying down on my mat, my drishti wandered for the first time to the yogi on the mat next to me, also finishing his practice.

It was Coldplay front man.

And the woman who had held the (sliding) door open for me and who was now settling in next to him, was the lady from Sliding Doors, Gwyneth P.

For a moment, as they both stretched out for savasana, they held hands. He leaned across to her mat and whispered something. She laughed indulgently. They both closed their eyes.

It was strange to see a celebrity couple so at ease and intimate with one another. I felt a bit voyeuristic. So I closed my eyes.

Until Nick went up into Chakrasana.