I inhale into my back bend as my mother and pregnant aunt do the same.

my mother’s toes begin to wiggle on their own

my aunt, eyes closed and belly full, mumbles along with the mantra

words that are unfamiliar to me

yet are home.

Keith prefers to be called Di Laoshi

but I call him Keith in private

even though he compliments me on my characters

and wants to send me to Beijing.

I smile because

xiexie is easier to pronounce than

wo bu zhidao.

my teacher

named for a province in Spain says

he has adopted himself.

the yoga DVD instructs to

drink from the well,

so I

call to Aunt Lakshmi

Di Laoshi

Master Ozuna

and I do.