Jaye Marie and Anita Dawes

I wouldn’t necessarily have been able to tell. I mean, she seemed like a typical almost-teenager. A little unfocused. A little unbalanced. A little tired. Okay, maybe she appeared more than a little tired, but it was easy enough to overlook. What kid her age isn’t a little tired…

“Is this the time when we get to sleep?” the girl asked with unmasked enthusiasm as we prepared for savasana.

I think that’s the moment when my heart started to break.

“Her shoulders are all knots. They always are,” declared her mom when she came to pick her up after class had ended.  “She’s too stressed out. That’s why she needs yoga. I was so glad when I saw the class in the newsletter. I have a meditation app that she uses to help her get to sleep, but it isn’t enough.”

I looked around at the near-empty room and thought,