This is the time when people who are busy day and night can be the most themselves. Because you have limited time, you can focus on what you like and what is important to you, interact with people you wouldn't normally meet, and enrich your lifestyle. A new series of < B:MING by BEAMS > has started, which focuses on people who naturally enjoy such "morning activities". In the second installment, we spoke closely with Junya Kasuga, who is active as a model in magazines, advertisements, and catalogs, and asked him why he is so particular about morning yoga.

I started imitating the videos and before I knew it, it became a habit.

Q: First of all, what is the morning like for you, Kasuga?

``Until now, I had never thought about my eating habits, and I was living a chaotic lifestyle due to poor eating habits.But last year, I ended up drinking too much alcohol and ruined my body, and my wife even scolded me (lol). ) I decided to wake up early in the morning in order to correct my corrupt lifestyle.My children woke up at 7 o'clock.I thought that the time until then was my time that I could use meaningfully, so I have been waking up at 4 o'clock for about a year since then.''

Q: How did you start doing yoga in the morning?

``At first, I didn't know what to do, so I just casually watched videos of my hobbies like fishing and skating on YouTube.Then one day, a yoga video came up in the recommendations. I had also done hot yoga before, so I thought, ``I feel like I could do this myself,'' so I started doing it. Then, it felt better than I expected, and I naturally started doing it again. I imitated the song while listening to it with earphones so the kids wouldn't wake up. The teacher was a stranger in the video for a while."

Time to correct small changes in mind and body that you naturally notice.

Q: Also, has it changed your life as a whole?

"Since I started living in the morning, I have basically started sleeping in the bed with my child. I go to bed at 10pm, and my iPhone alarm goes off at 4am. Of course, I often get home late from work. But sometimes I go out at night and come back in the morning, but at that time I do yoga and then go to sleep.The yoga session usually lasts about an hour.First, I breathe slowly for about 5 minutes, and then I go to sleep for about 40 minutes. I do yoga for about 50 minutes, then sit again for the last 10 to 15 minutes.The moment I feel like I'm ready, it feels really good. Now, if I don't do this, I start to feel uncomfortable. Even when I go abroad for work, I find a space in my hotel room and spread out my bath towel."

Q: How do you maintain your morning motivation?

“The joy of being able to face myself during that time is connected to my motivation. By starting yoga, I have naturally started noticing small changes in my mind and body. I thought, ``That's a little strange,'' and I thought, ``Okay, I'll focus on relaxing this area today,'' and I'd come up with a menu. The things I do at work and the people I meet vary depending on the day, so I feel stress differently every day. It's important to do yoga every morning to get yourself in a flat state and start the day. I also think that the fact that I went to a yoga school through an introduction from an acquaintance was a big factor. So I practiced yoga once a week for 8 hours a day, which helped me concentrate and learned a lot. Movement is important, but by learning about the mental aspects of yoga and the philosophy of yoga, I have become more aware. I think most people think of yoga as just postures that move the body, but there are other things like breathing, meditation, and other things in a different order. By studying such basic things, you will be able to broaden your horizons. The way we approach things has also changed.”

It makes us realize that the obvious things are the best and what is important.

Q: How long do you think you have been doing yoga?

``The sight of Aki Akiyama, who is said to be Japan's first professional skater and is already over 60 years old, still skating is a goal and an ideal for me.Even if it's just a flop, it's okay. I don't care about that, I think yoga is necessary to maintain a body that allows me to be active in skating, surfing, and trail running even at that age.As I said earlier, my life is about to deteriorate. You can do as much as you want, and you're at an age where you're both physically and mentally exhausted.Yoga makes you feel better mentally, and it's connected to all aspects of your life.''

Q: Since last year, you have been living a double life with your parents in Shimane. Does this have anything to do with your morning routine?

“Currently, I live 50/50 between Tokyo and Shimane.The reason is simply because I wanted to raise my children in Shimane.If you take happiness for granted, but it continues every day, you won't feel happy. So, even though my family home has such beautiful nature right in front of our eyes, there are not only a few people who feel that way, but there are also people who find it a little annoying. That's because I started doing yoga.I thought, ``Oh, let's go home early.'' It makes me realize that the obvious things are the best, and how important it is to take time to face yoga.”