Ramiro Calle, meditation teacher, on cats: ‘They are natural yogis. They enter states of ecstasy with their eyes lost in infinity and relax like no one else’

The deepest friendship, spirituality, and mysticism can be born from the bond with an animal. This is the personal experience of 82-year-old Ramiro Calle, a Madrid native who has written numerous books on spirituality and personal growth, and is an expert in Buddhist doctrine as well as a yoga teacher. He is also a pioneer and leading figure in this ancient practice in Spain, as well as a great animal lover. Several dogs, cats, and a bird have passed through his life, leaving a lasting impression on him, and he considers them his teachers.

“I’ve had animals since I was a child because my mother adored them,” Calle explains. “From a Saint Bernard named Maya who died of old age at the foot of my mother’s bed, to several nomadic cats that came and went from our house; there was also a beloved Chow Chow named Yuga; and a Pyrenean Mountain Dog, Jafet. I have loved them all deeply.”

But among them all, there is one with whom he developed a very special bond, a white Angora cat with golden eyes that he adopted and named Émile, after the writer Émile Zola. Émile inspired his 2022 book Lo que aprendí de mi gato Émile (What I Learned from My Cat Émile), which is about to be released in its seventh edition.

“I discovered in him his Gandhian spirit, his mastery of the present moment, and his capacity for empathy. He never held grudges. He lived each moment knowing how to let go,” he describes in this book about his experiences with Émile, while also recalling how he met this cat, who has since passed away: “He came into my life after I was on the verge of death from a bacterial infection contracted in Sri Lanka, and he became my son, my friend, and my teacher,” adds the author, who is also a lecturer. He currently shares his life with a mischievous albino cat that was abandoned at a gas station when he was four months old.

The writer’s admiration and connection with cats extends beyond the confines of his home, as he also cares for a colony of homeless felines. “Stray cats inspire in me an infinite tenderness. Abandoned to their fate, victims of individuals who mistreat them, exposed to being run over by foolish people. Often hungry and thirsty, despised and ignored.”

Ramiro Calle has traveled throughout Asia and has a deep knowledge of the continent’s culture. For years, he sought teachers who could provide him with knowledge and guidance, but it was at home that he discovered the great guru of his life: Émile, who taught him humility, love, and how to live without resentment for 11 years. “I’ve always said in my lectures that he was the one who loved me the most because he didn’t judge me. When he died, a part of me also died with him. We grew old together, he more gracefully than I, and one of us had to leave first and break the other’s heart. Fate took him first,” he recalls sadly.

Cats are often labeled as selfish animals, detached from their human families. “There are many false stereotypes. Each one has its own personality. We should observe them as much as they observe us. They are very sensitive to their owners’ moods and possess a special primal intelligence; they are Zen masters,” says the yoga expert.

Understanding and respecting cats the way they are is part of the process of living with them. “They have a contagious tenderness, but they know how to maintain their mental space. They are animals of touching loyalty. But you have to be open to their psychology and accept them so that they will accept you,” he asserts.

For the writer, felines are great yoga gurus. “I have practiced for many years in the presence of cats. They are calm and relaxed because they are natural yogis. They enter states of ecstasy with their eyes lost in the infinite and relax like no one else,” he affirms.

But how do you make a cat happy? Respect and trust are key for these animals to feel comfortable at home. “They need to know that the humans they share their space with love them. They really enjoy company, contrary to what most people think, but only if their space and time are respected. They need to be pampered.”

For this meditation expert, who also studies the human mind, the feline brain is more complex than it seems. “I’ve spent hours and hours observing Émile and other cats. They transcend ordinary concepts, words. You have to connect with them through feeling, calmness, mindfulness, compassion, and tenderness. They are funny, ingenious, unpredictable, and yet predictable. They break your common thinking patterns and teach you what true mindfulness is, which is so fashionable these days.”

There’s a quote from the writer Mark Twain that alludes to cats, which Ramiro Calle recalls: “If man could be crossed with the cat it would improve man, but it would deteriorate the cat.” “Anyone who thinks they know a cat is arrogant,” concludes the writer.

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