As a girl from a small country, I always liked traveling, getting to know other cultures, and embracing adventure. Upon finishing my yoga teacher training in my home of Serbia, I had a thought: could I teach while traveling? The idea lit me up immediately, and I realized I would be over the moon if it was possible.
During my very first trip afterward, in Spain, I started posting on social media about teaching yoga at a local park. The weather was amazing, and I saw a lot of people doing sports and activities there. However, since nobody knew me, and my social media following wasn’t very impressive at the time, only two people were interested in my yoga classes. Nevertheless, I taught those classes and felt so happy I could fly! There was something magical about being in a foreign country and sharing what I love with complete strangers. The energy exchange, the laughs, the ambiance – I was in love with the concept.
But then, I had to go back home to Serbia. I started researching how I could teach and travel simultaneously. Enter Yoga Trade (thanks, Google)! I was amazed by the number of wonderful opportunities to teach all over the world. However, coming from a small European country that’s not part of the EU significantly impacted the number of countries I could travel to.
I didn’t let this discourage me. I applied to almost every job posting out there (Aries-Sag over here). When I saw a posting in Costa Rica, I could literally see myself there, in the lush greenery, surrounded by exotic birds and plants. I was invited to go, but I realized I couldn’t afford to spend a whole month there, as I didn’t have enough vacation days at my job. I also couldn’t afford to lose the job, so I declined the invite after much thought.
Then, COVID hit. I struggled mentally more than physically, like pretty much everyone else, and I was desperate because I couldn’t travel anywhere for fun, let alone apply for traveling yoga jobs. In the meantime, I changed jobs and didn’t have much time for my personal yoga practice, which made me even more stressed. After almost two years, I decided to leave the corporate world and take a small break without any plans. I was tired, burnt out, and just wanted to take a few months off everything.
After a few months of doing pretty much nothing (I started freelancing, but it was a part-time gig), I realized I had saved up some money and could finally start applying again on Yoga Trade, as most travel restrictions were lifted. And that is what I did. I sent many applications and was about to give up, when I saw the perfect posting: “teach daily yoga at our eco-resort on one of the world’s best islands.” I was wowed by the photos of the resort and its story about sustainability and the farm-to-table concept. The resort was located in the Philippines, on Palawan, one of the most beautiful places on Earth, and I just couldn’t resist. Time passed, and I almost forgot about the application when, suddenly, I received a message from the resort owner, who apologized for not replying sooner due to an overwhelming number of applications. She was curious about when I could come and how long I would stay. It was an immediate “hell yes” from me. I started embracing the adventure; planning my trip, working out the visa, and the logistics of getting there and back home. Then it hit me: I was going to be all alone for one whole month in a place with underdeveloped infrastructure, no mobile reception, and sketchy internet connection. All alone!
I can’t say that didn’t scare me. But I still did it. And it was THE best experience of my life!
Not only did I meet and work with amazing people (Filipinos are famous for their hospitality and kindness!), but I also made new friends from all over the world, who I still exchange DMs with. I tried the best food (Filipino banana pancakes are a dream), swam in a pristine waterfall, and drank coconut water every day. I dare say I lived my best life there!
I wasn’t all alone, after all. I was ALL-ONE, connected to people, plants, the ocean, the stars… (you should see the night sky at the resort). I even made friends with a cute gecko that used to come to my beach hut to sleep (can you imagine how scared I was when I saw him on the wall for the first time…well, the first couple of times?).
When I came home, nothing had changed – my husband was at home, everyone was alive and well – but I had changed inside and out. Now more than ever, I have this yearning deep inside me, and I want to continue traveling the world and sharing my passion for yoga and spirituality with like-minded people.
This experience was truly extraordinary, and I am so thankful to Yoga Trade and the Universe for enabling it.
If you are contemplating whether you should give it a go, this is a sign to hit that Apply button.
There is a reason you are on this path. Life wants you to have all these wonderful experiences! Trust the timing, trust the process, and, above all, trust yourself.
Here’s to embracing adventure and many more successful Yoga Trades!
Aleksandra Usanovic
IG: @yogawithsashka