How My Mornings Changed: From Yoga to Farm Life to Cats

For about fifteen years, my morning routine hardly changed. I’d wake at 5 a.m., have a coffee and maybe a couple of dates, then spend two hours doing dynamic Ashtanga yoga, breathing practice, and meditation. It was a steady, almost obsessive way to begin the day. Back then, if something interrupted that block of time, I’d often feel unsettled or frustrated for the rest of the morning.

Then life changed quite suddenly. My wife and I found ourselves on a mountain in Ehime, helping to run a dairy farm. The early start stayed the same, but the rhythm was completely different. Instead of stepping onto a yoga mat, we were walking down to the dairy shed before sunrise, preparing feed and bringing the cows in for milking. It was hard, physical work, and the morning was dictated by the needs of the herd rather than my own strict routine.

These days, things have shifted again. Now my mornings are largely organised by a rescue cat called Short.

He wakes me at 6 a.m. wanting attention while my wife enjoys another half hour in bed. The first part of the day involves feeding him, playing with him, making my wife’s lunch, and driving her to work. When I get home, Short usually demands a second round of serious play. If I ignore him, he has been known to appear in the middle of a Cafetalk lesson, loudly announcing himself with a toy in his mouth. Some students may already have met him.

What these transitions have taught me is that a morning routine doesn’t need to be an inflexible performance to be effective. I used to think I needed that two-hour block to function, but I’ve realised that being overly attached to a “perfect” schedule can create its own kind of stress.

For me, a better day still begins with a routine that grounds and centres me, but it is much more flexible now. It might mean an hour on the mat and zafu, or it could just as easily mean ten minutes of qigong before an early lesson. If the morning becomes busy, I can always move a longer practice to the afternoon, which is often a little quieter. It also means preparing lessons in advance and replying to messages promptly, so I don’t feel on the back foot or have tasks hanging over me.

Ultimately, it is less about the routine itself and more about finding the right rhythm for the life I’m living now: making a good cup of coffee, doing what needs to be done, and meeting the day as it actually is rather than being a slave to how I think it should be.

Language Support

Useful Vocabulary

set in stone – fixed and unlikely to change
unsettled – slightly anxious or mentally unbalanced
dictated by – controlled or determined by something else
grounded – calm, stable, and mentally steady
attached to – emotionally dependent on something
flexible – able to change easily according to circumstances

Natural Expressions

on the back foot – feeling behind or under pressure
→ “I started the day on the back foot after oversleeping.”

hanging over me – a task or responsibility that creates mental pressure
→ “That unfinished work is still hanging over me.”

start the day well – begin the morning in a positive and calm way
→ “A short walk helps me start the day well.”

fit around work – organise activities so they don’t conflict with responsibilities
→ “I fit my practice around work and teaching.”

meet the day head-on – face the day directly and confidently
→ “Even when things are busy, I try to meet the day head-on.”

find your rhythm – settle into a natural, comfortable pattern of living or working
→ “It took time to find my rhythm after the move.”

Nice Collocations