The Dali high-speed rail station will be aptly named "Erhai Station" and situated within 红山村 (HongShanCun) southeast of Erhai Lake and 3-4 km southwest of Dali Airport, not moved to the south of the lake near Dali City/Xiaguan as some have speculated.

As OP @penland suggested, the train will be operational this July.

Not sure if you're still searching for yoga class near the zoo, but I know there's one inside Green Lake, not far from the north gate.

Their classrooms are quietly nested across from the black swans (and their cartoonish floating abode in the middle of a pond). On early weekend mornings I've seen/heard Indian yoga instructors chant catchy tunes in their native tongue, a cappella style. Friendly, professional yogis perhaps.

Poster @Juli_an wrote about this place 6 years ago in another thread:

"There is a Yoga studio in the middle of Green Lake. It is called fashion Yoga. The atmosphere down there is quite good as it is attached to a tea house after the lessons you can sit next to the lake and drink some tea for free. The teachers are Yogis from India. I think they teach very traditional Indian Yoga. Lesson language is usually English. Only two of them speak Chinese so they will hold lessons bilingual. They have classes for different levels everyday. I think 60Yuan for one lesson is quite expensive. But that is how much you pay for Yoga in Kunming..."

www.gokunming.com/en/forums/thread/4463/yoga_in_kunming

You'll find above-mentioned Fashion Yoga in the official listing of yoga classes on GoKunming:

www.gokunming.com/en/listings/itemlist/kunming/yoga/

Yoga threads discussed in GoKunming forums:

www.gokunming.com/en/forums/all/?search=yoga

There are currently three Starbucks Reserve bars in Kunming (Nanya, ShunCheng, & ZhengYi Old Street branches).

They feature four brewing methods prepared by recently trained baristas: Siphon, Pour-over, Chemex and Clover.

The current seasonal small-lot coffees available for brewing:

1. Colombia (La Casiana) - Juicy acidity with milk chocolate notes.

2. El Salvador (San Marcelino Farm) - A hint of citrus with black tea notes

3. Guatemala (Flor Del Rosario) - Floral with redcurrant notes

4. Kenya (Karinga) - Citrus and blackcurrant notes

In defense of OP, our Spring City's new expatriate who already has achieved an established career, family, & world citizenry, not all life meanings henceforth would come solely from the pursuit of a job remuneration.

Perhaps teaching at the collegiate level in a field of one's interest could bring greater life purpose. A logotherapy concept developed by Victor Frankl.

"Argumentum ad populum" - the majority consensus of naysayers in this thread may not be correct in disillusioning OP's search for deeper, personal life meaning...

on the flip side, nor is the logical groundedness of religiosity practiced by majority of the world population, for that matter.

Speaking of birds, the pride of Yunnan, Yangli Ping's (杨丽萍) private Dali residence situated on a distinguished peninsula/islet at the edge Erhai Lake has been ordered to be expropriated.

Setting a good example, the legendary dancer/choreographer made a public statement in full support of the government's decision and efforts to protect the lake. Behind the curtains, Peacock lady’s feathers must be ruffled as her beloved and very expensive mansion will be turned over.

In more local news, say farewell to Kunming’s outdoor handicraft pedestrian street.

Started at 9am yesterday morning, the forcible requisition onslaught was on full display at the landmark Nanping Pedestrian Street bird & flower handicraft outdoor alley (景星街花鸟市场) behind Zhengyi Fang (正义坊).

The row of vendors along the South-North facing alley was blocked & appropriated by well over 30 men in black uniforms consisting of chengguan (城管), police, and SWAT (特警). Broken glass & wood cluttering the alleyway are what remain of these emptied shops.

The East-West alley of vendors across from the pearl market will face the same fate by this Friday, the 19th of January.

Distraught vendors that wish to continue their businesses in the vicinity must now rent spaces in the new “old street” building structure opposite them. Owners complained about the exorbitant rent of "200-300K per year"... most likely referring to ground floor spaces. Rent is probably much less in the basement level or upper floors.

In these two instances, compensations and manners of approach toward celebrity Yangli Ping versus vendor owners are drastically different.