I’ll never forget what happened last year on Christmas Day or how it made me feel.

Christmas is a time for gift-giving, and I got an unexpected gift. It was delivered right inside the studio walls at Yoga Nyla.

I was teaching a class at the studio that morning, and the room was packed with community members, most of whom were people I know and who come to the studio often.

At the end of the class, I did what I always do when the movement ceases and everyone lies in Savasana; I sat up and witnessed them.

As my eyes scanned the room, I noticed something different from what I usually see, and what I witnessed then brought me to tears. I remember crying to the point I couldn’t stop. I was sobbing. I was doing my best to hold back the sound. I didn’t want to take people out of their deep rest.

I saw a man sit up from Savasana, grab the cold towel made for him, and use it to massage his wife’s feet. But it wasn’t just any massage. The way he touched her was one of the most loving touches I have ever seen between two people.

With every stroke of his hand, it was as if he was saying, “I love you, I am here, and I care.” He touched her so lovingly, so gently that I can still cry about it today. He poured his love into each stroke of his hand. He poured his heart through his hands into her feet.