“The Travel Yogi is about expanding your Yoga and your travel boundaries.”
Yes please. Where do I sign up?
Random musings on Facebook one day led me to the company “The Travel Yogi.” The name alone intrigued me to investigate further. My first stop to the website and a scan through the “about” section informed me that this was a small family operated company out of California. Jen, the master mind behind it, is supported by her husband and five-year old daughter whose agenda frequently consists of pack, travel, yoga, unpack, repeat.
Aside from the fact that this is my dream life and job, I was attracted to The Travel Yogi because of the authentic love for what they do, and the courage that it takes to live the life you’ve imagined (thanks Thoreau for the words). And I mean like really live it. Throw all your chips in and go for it with confidence and persistence.
Asking the question, where will your yoga take you? The Travel Yogi is prepared to take you to New Zealand, Greece, the Galapagos, Aruba, Hawaii and beyond. I reached out to Jen to 1) Ask her for a job 😉 and 2) Get her insight and advice for creating and working a job that you LOVE. So for this weeks Motivation Monday, my focus is on holding strong to goals and dreams. Recognizing the best way to predict the future is to CREATE IT. Thank you Jennifer for being an inspiration and example of living your passion!
Semilla Verde Yoga Retreat – Galapagos Island
www.thetravelyogi.com
How did the idea of the Travel Yogi arise? The Travel Yogi is a hybrid of two of my biggest passions – yoga and travel. I have been to some amazing places…the feeling of exploring a new place, whether it is a around the world or close to your home, is so similar to the feeling of exploration on the yoga mat. Combining the two seemed like such a natural idea – and from that, The Travel Yogi was born.
What were a few of your fears in starting your own company? I think I experienced fears any small business owner has…will anyone be interested? Will this be successful? I knew what I wanted to create, so that eased the fear somewhat, but it’s definitely a leap of faith to start your own company.
What were you most excited about? To open up possibility for people interested in taking their yoga on the road. Travel can be intimidating and having someone who has been there/knows how to help you prepare eases some of the initial fear people feel when they are planning their next big trip. I could spend hours talking with our yogis (teachers and students!!) about everything from what to expect in the airport to excursions that are unique to each destination. You can hear excitement build in someone’s voice as they start to imagine what their experience will be like in the location they’re considering.
Was the process what you imagined it to be? Any great lessons learned along the way? Is it ever as you imagine it will be? 🙂 Growing your own company is a lot of hard work and trial and error. I think it would be easiest to say that great lessons are learned every day – from listening to our teachers, the people we work with at each location and the yogis headed to and from retreat. It has been a process of continual growth and evolution, so I am constantly shifting and thinking ahead to keep up.
How do you go about exploring places for new retreats/adventures? I have been in the travel industry for years and have been traveling myself since I was a girl. There are many destinations around the world that I have been to and loved – so the key has been finding the right locations to send our yogis to. The travel community, similar to the yoga community, is all about connection, so I find that once I have my eye on a destination, finding the right location can be relatively easy as people want to make their accommodations accessible to yoga groups.
How do you form relationships with teachers? Like I said in the previous response, the yoga community is all about connection and building relationships. Whether I’m in a class, at a festival or reaching out to someone via word of mouth building relationships with my teachers is one of the highlights for me. I could spend hours talking to our teachers…and often do. 🙂
Advice in creating/working a job that you LOVE? Take the time to truly discover what your passions are – what do you live, breathe, want more of in your life? Take those things, look at how you can combine them and then get ready for the challenge. There will be trying days along the way, but ultimately it’s all about finding the adventure in what you’re doing and staying inspired.
What makes the Travel Yogi different from other retreat companies out there? We scout each location ourselves, so we know the ins and outs of each location before we send our groups there. This also enables us to walk each yogi through the travel process as they are considering a trip.
What is your ultimate vision for the company? Happy, intrepid travelers, one retreat at a time. Honestly I believe that we serve our yogis (teachers and travelers) the best when we concentrate on happiness. It may not be a business major’s vision for a company, but it’s definitely ours.
What keeps you inspired everyday? I draw inspiration from a number of places – my husband, daughter and family of furry animals of course, but also from each and every person I interact with over the course of my day. Whether I’m in the office or on the road, inspiration is everywhere.
What is the mission for Travel Yogi? Our mission is to encourage the natural bi
-product of travel and yoga: open hearts and minds….. and smiles 🙂
Check out The Travel Yogi’s website and scroll through their adventures. Let Wanderlust take over and get ready to pack your mat, passport, and neck pillow for the flight. 🙂
(photos courtesy of The Travel Yogi website & facebook)
