Asia Adventure 2013

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Yesterday I returned home after living in South East Asia for the past three months, primarily in Manila. It was a baby dream of mine to travel and work doing what I love in a foreign country, and it feels good knowing that dream has come true! What I know for certain is that with enough clarity, specific goals in place, and the persistence to prepare, accomplishments are nothing more than the time it takes to get there.

I was hired to help establish and launch Beyond Alabang, which is the newest addition to the Beyond Yoga family here in the Philippines in a city south of Metro Manila called Alabang. Over the past three months I was teaching group classes and advanced workshops, co-managing the new studio, and traveling through S.E. Asia with nothing more than a few articles of clothes and my guitar.

Despite how fun it has been, it hasn’t all been easy. The traffic can be hell, the cultural differences are very challenging to adapt to, and sometimes I feel as if I’m living in a clouded reality from what is considered “real” in the west. During typhoon season, you can expect heavy rain regularly, and finding healthy produce is few and far between.  The most liberating part is the feeling of freedom from stuff! The minimal amount of clothing I wear is plenty, and the only real expense is for travel, food and fun. I can comfortably let go of everything I own in the states, and be completely happy with the decision to do so. Yes, at times the feeling of “homelessness” feels a bit depressing, and the relationships I have at home are definitely being missed, but I know that right now this is the right path and no matter how challenging it may seem, it’s what I have to do to reach that next level on my path.

One of the greatest aspects of my recent adventure is relationships that have been created. I feel as though I have an entire network of family and friends in Asia. All likeminded people who reciprocate the love for each other, who want to see each other succeed and who genuinely want to be involved with your life. More so, the students are so inspiring because of how much they seem to enjoy what you have to teach, and the existing students are filled with excitement as they learn the new moves straight from NYC. I find myself deeply missing them already..

Some of the highlights of the journey were: Seeing Rihanna in Manila, dancing through the rainy streets of Lun Koi Fung in Hong Kong with one of my best friends, soaking up the beautiful white sand crystal blue water of Boracay, detoxing at an organic retreat called The Farm, clubbing all night with great friends in Bangkok, meeting up with my family in Chiang Mai at our training center, creating life long relationships with truly amazing people,  helping launch the third and largest brand of the Beyond Yoga family, and inspiring an entire community through AntiGravity teachings.

My three month adventure in S.E. Asia was truly life changing. The memories and the learning lessons experienced have helped shape me into a stronger individual both physically, mentally and physically and has given me insight into what I’m aiming for. Loving what you do and passionately pursuing it with all the blood, sweat and tears required to achieve the bigger dream has been magnified ten fold.

I believe It’s the relationships, adventures and experiences in life that make you rich and it feels good knowing my efforts towards someone else’s big dream paid off. I couldn’t be more appreciative and grateful for it all.

“The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle.” ~ Steve Jobs

Follow me on Twitter and Instagram to find out where I’ll be next!

@tamer_begum