From the Mat to the World: Soul Nourishing Adventure Travel with The Travel Yogi

Wouldn't it be great to have experiences

that are nourishing and energizing

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instead of depleting when you're traveling

around the world, wherever it is you

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wanna go, Well, I think you'll love the

person we're talking to today, because

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that's what she does, is she helps create

these experiences all around the world.

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That energize you, that

make you feel good.

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And we'll get to hear

from her in just a moment.

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welcome to Travel that touches Your

Soul podcast and video channel where

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we bring you people, places around

the world that help you connect

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with something greater than yourself

or fulfill your heart's desires.

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I'm Karen Cleveland.

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Welcome to the show.

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. Today's guest, Kilti Ina Fuku believes

that how we show up on the mat is practice

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for how we show up every day in the world.

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she studied civil and

environmental engineering at

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UCLA before she actually left.

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The engineering world to pursue

yoga as her career and lifestyle.

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So welcome to the show, Kilti.

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It's great to have you.

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Thanks Karen.

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It's great to be here.

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Good.

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So, , this is quite a sw a switch, uh,

engineering into yoga as a full-time like

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profession, not just a, a passion or,

or hobby, I guess, as some people say.

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So why don't you tell me how

that happened, what happened,

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what your experience was?

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Yeah, absolutely.

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I was going to school studying civil and

environmental engineering and my only

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outlet and kind of reprieve from studying

and, and textbooks was a yoga studio

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down the street from me, so I ended up.

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Going almost every single day.

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And my parents knew I absolutely loved it.

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And as like a graduation gift of

sorts, they said, well, if you wanna

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do yoga teacher training, have at it.

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So I signed up for a yoga teacher

training and concurrently when

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I graduated from UCLA and the

yoga teacher training program.

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I eventually moved home, uh, got a

full-time job with a geotech company,

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a soils engineering company, and

did that for a little over a year.

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And it was, it was good enough,

but it wasn't anything that.

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Fulfilled my soul.

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Right.

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You know, it kind of felt like

just punching in, punching out.

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And so I quit with the intention

of trying to find something more

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creative to do with my degree.

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Mm-hmm.

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And in that process of applying

to all these, all of these other

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different positions, which.

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Frankly, sounded exactly the same.

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Uh, started teaching yoga as, as a side

hobby, as a temporary form of income.

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And after a little while of applying

for different jobs and teaching

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temp, quote unquote temporarily,

I realized, well, you know what?

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I, I don't have a mortgage.

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I don't have major bills or

major debt that I have to get out

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of, which is quite a blessing.

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So I made this decision well.

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I'm just gonna keep teaching yoga.

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And it kind of grew from there.

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Met quite a few different

people at different studios.

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Started teaching at different places.

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Uh, started to contribute

to a yoga teacher training.

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Mm.

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And at that point, eventually

decided, well, I do wanna travel more.

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So I ended up reaching out to the travel

yogi, who I'm, uh, here on behalf of,

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and I saw that they had a couple of

teachers working with them that I knew of.

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And because of that, it felt a little

bit more comfortable to reach out

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and say, Hey, I wanna work with you.

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And from there I started teaching

one to two or leading one to

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two trips a year with them.

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And have been working with

them, with them ever since.

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And last year started working

with them on the backend.

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So not just leading yoga on these trips,

but also helping to scout new locations

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and, and build new itineraries and

help the coordination side of things.

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Oh, that's fun.

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So yeah, that's the short, abbreviated

version of how I've gotten to where I am.

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Yeah.

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So what's it like.

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When you travel, so you, um, I don't

know where you trained, but you've

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been practicing in the United States

at this point, and all of a sudden

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you're in other countries, other

cultures, uh, is it the same worldwide?

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What's the experience of actually being

on the mat in a place in a distant land

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as opposed to where someone is at home

in the US or Canada or Europe, maybe.

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I'd say the connecting thread,

regardless of where you are in the

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world, is just a sense of mindfulness.

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Mm-hmm.

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And a practice of self-reflection,

whether it's on the mat of, okay, am I.

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Doing this posture in a way that

I like, how does my body feel?

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Does this feel appropriate?

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Does it feel like I'm pushing my

edges in a good way or a not good way?

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And then when you're off the mat,

you know, reflecting on, okay, what

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is my impact on the world around me?

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Am I making sound choices and using

the words and making decisions in a way

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that I think is good and healthy, or

maybe is a little self-absorbed, or?

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Whatever it might be.

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So ultimately for me, it boils down

to a quality of self-reflection.

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Okay, that's perfect self-reflection.

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So can you describe what it's like,

because obviously you're not gonna

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be on the mat 24 hours a day when

you are on one of these trips.

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So walk us through like what, what one

of your favorite trips has been and what

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are the other activities you're doing

and, and what's the self reflection?

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Activities, are they group

activities or solo activities?

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So walk us through one of those.

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Okay.

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So at in general and at large, all

of the trips that we run, we tend

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to brand ourselves, if you will.

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I don't know if that's the best word, but

a typical stereotypical yoga retreat, not

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in a bad way by any means, uh, has someone

showing up to a beautiful location and.

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Focusing on the yoga multiple practices

throughout the day, a couple of

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workshops, and they will happen to

go to the beach or happen to visit

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a market, or go on a hike, right?

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We have flip flopped that where the

focus is on the beach, the hike,

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the market, all of the things that

make a place, uniquely that place.

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And yoga is the icing on the cake.

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It is.

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Uh, what happens once,

sometimes twice a day?

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It is the.

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Grounding common thread for everyone.

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Okay?

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But the yoga is not the sole focus.

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The focus is on the

adventure and the travel.

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so with all of these

different places we go.

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You get off the plane and you're tired

and jet lagged, and you get on your mat,

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and that helps get you on the time zone.

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And then the next day you go out and

explore something really amazing and

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you come back and you stretch out

your legs after a good solid hike.

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The next day you wake up, you have an

energizing practice, and then you go.

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To the beach and explore around there.

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So it's, it's a really nice combination

of movement, mindfulness, and, and travel.

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So these trips, it sounds like they're

for any level of person that, you know,

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you don't have to be a yogi star, so to

speak, to, um, be on one of these trips.

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Absolutely.

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So we have travelers who, you know, they

follow a very specific teacher and they

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like to practice in that specific style.

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All of our trips offer vinyasa

based practices, um, but we also

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have travelers who know how we

travel, how we plan itineraries,

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uh, and they just wanna experience

different parts of the world with us.

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So by no means do you have to

be a, quote unquote yogi, uh,

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or consider yourself to be one.

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Just a desire to travel, uh, and if you

wanna practice yoga with us, fantastic.

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And really travel with people

that have this sim similar goal.

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Right.

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Uh, are both men and women on the trips?

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Totally.

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Yeah.

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I'd say some locations attract

more men than women and vice versa.

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More women than men.

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But every, everyone's welcome.

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So I know I can, , look on the

website, but, , do you have

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some trips coming up this year?

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Oh gosh.

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Do we ever, I mean, you personally, are

you, are you leading any I, I'm heading

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to Sri Lanka in March with a group.

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Okay.

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Um, or end of March into April.

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So I've not actually

been to Sri Lanka before.

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I'm very excited to explore

that part of the world.

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Uh, and then later this year in

October, I'm taking a crew to Iceland.

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Oh, nice.

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Nice.

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are the locations, are there

specific criteria for the

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locations that you're going?,

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We're always adding, we aim to add one to

two new locations every year to our map.

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Um, there's not specific criteria that

we have beyond we are excited to explore

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there, or we continue to get word from

our travelers of, Hey, when are you

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leading a trip to whatever destination?

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Yeah.

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So, uh, it's there.

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I can't say that there's a specific

methodology to picking new locations.

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Okay.

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Um.

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All of the places we do go, they tend

to be relatively bucket list locations.

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Okay.

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Okay.

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And so our goal is that when someone

comes on these trips, they tick off

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their bucket list items and also

we get them off the beaten path.

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So you're not gonna go somewhere

that you could plan on your own.

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Via Trip Advisor, um, all of our

trips have a dedicated guide with

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you the entire week or the entire

time, and it really does feel like

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a friend is showing you their home.

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This guide is from the area.

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They speak the local language, so it's.

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It really feels like a cultural

immersion and someone showing you,

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Hey, this is, you know, what's

unique and special about this place.

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Here's some mythology and, you know,

stories from my childhood about that area.

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And this is my favorite restaurant.

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This is where my family goes.

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Nice.

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It's uh, it's a really.

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It feels very personal,

if that makes sense.

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Yeah.

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And you're using local guides, so there

really is a connection with what's

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going on in that particular place.

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Um, totally.

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I think you mentioned there's one.

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To Patagonia later that

I looked on the website.

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Two of them are already

sold out for this year.

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but it's on my list, so I'm

gonna, I'm gonna keep looking.

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But anyway, looking at your future

dates, I'm gonna just come clean here.

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I don't know.

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Yoga poses

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quite all right, so that's okay.

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Then, uh, someone will help

during that time on the mat.

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Totally.

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So all of the yoga on the

trip is vinyasa based.

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And if you don't know what that word

means, vinyasa, it means essentially

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match one breath per movement.

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So inhale, move your arms up, exhale,

fold forward, inhale, move, exhale, move.

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So there's this flow in continuity

to it, and it doesn't mean we don't

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hold postures, but in general it's

a little bit more movement focused

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rather than just static holding.

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Okay.

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With that, uh, all of our teachers,

they know and are well equipped to adapt

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practices and allow practitioners to ramp

things up and add more intensity or tone

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it down and make it a lot more mellow.

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Uh, so it's really all levels

are welcome and our teachers are

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fantastic at accommodating that.

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Yeah, I'm sure they really

know how to read the groups.

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How big of groups do you have go.

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Typically we only do, we only do

small group travel, meaning anywhere

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between seven to 15 travelers.

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Okay.

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Okay.

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Um, and each location is different.

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Yeah.

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And can accommodate different.

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Different, uh, group sizes, but

in general, we really prioritize

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the small groups because we

want it to feel intimate.

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We want people to feel like they

really are being immersed and not

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just a number on a tour group.

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Um, but also the group sizes

that are 10 or 12, which is

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usually what they land around.

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They're full enough to feel like,

okay, I'm not always sitting with

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the same people at every single meal.

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Right.

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Right.

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What about speaking of meals,

things like special diets?

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is that like we, we accommodate,

uh, basically everything.

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Okay.

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Okay.

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If someone tells us, you know,

I'm gluten free and, uh, extremely

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sensitive and or allergic to something,

our teams can accommodate it as

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long as we know well in advance.

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Yeah.

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Okay, .. So if I'm booking a trip,

one of our listeners is booking a

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trip to some land we've never been to.

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We don't know the money.

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We don't know the immunizations.

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We don't know tipping practices.

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Someone would help us with that.

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Absolutely.

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We actually build a personalized app for

every trip that we, okay, that we launch.

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And within that app, you

have a day-to-day itinerary.

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You have guidelines on when to book

your flights, what airline or so

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not what airlines, what airports

to arrive to and depart from.

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Gratuity, guidelines, packing lists, uh.

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All of the essentials that you'll

need for travel, visa information,

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emergency contacts, all the way up until

just fun things that get you excited.

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Videos about where you're gonna be

traveling to, uh, fun phrases that you

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can practice saying before you get there.

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Good idea.

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Good idea.

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Yeah.

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It sounds like really, I, I,

I pick a place and you just

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make it easy to go, don't you?

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That, that's our goal.

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I used to travel mostly on my own and

would get to a destination, try to figure

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it out on my, on my own, and, you know,

whether it was staying in a hostel or

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meeting up with friends or whatnot.

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And I, I think frankly, I was

a little resistant to going

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on a group tour of sorts.

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Mm-hmm.

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Uh, having worked with the travel

Yogi, I'm a full convert and totally

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prefer to travel this way now, where

everything is planned out ahead of time.

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And for the most part, I really

get to just show up and follow

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along and have a great time.

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Awesome.

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That sounds good.

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So I know that there was

some special, um, in January.

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Do you know of any other, like promotions

or anything you want to call out?

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We do have some new locations coming

up that we are very excited about.

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Oh, where we announced, we announced

Greenland last year so that the first

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It is a bigger trip, but Oh my goodness.

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If you, what do you, what

do you see in Greenland?

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Tell me about Greenland.

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Have you been?

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I have.

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It is.

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Literally I'm speechless.

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It is incredible to see these giant

glaciers that are anywhere from white

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to a turquoise blue, and it is just

piercing, um, the silence that if

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you've ever been in nature where it's

either really creepy and eerie or super

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peaceful and just calming for your soul.

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That is Greenland and

what's I find very unique.

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Uh, I'm part Hawaiian.

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I grew up in Hawaii, so, uh, connection

to that culture is, is strong.

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And Greenland is not a place

that I ever really knew about

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or envisioned myself visiting.

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But having been there,

the, the native culture.

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Uh, is very similar and so their

reliance and connection to nature is

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really, really, really impressive.

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Nothing goes to waste and because it is

such a harsh environment, they really lean

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on each other as far as community, and

that is very prevalent when you, when you

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visit and when you see the artwork and how

they use, um, whatever resources for food.

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It sounds like a place I'd love to go.

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The silence.

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Yeah.

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I mean, the ner your nervous system

must just like not know what to do

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at first, and then all of a sudden,

all of a sudden you're there and

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you're relaxed and you melt into it.

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Wow.

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Yeah.

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Uh, the place that we actually

go, um, you have to catch a boat.

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It's, and depending on ocean

conditions, anywhere from an hour

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and a half to a three hour boat ride.

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Um, and it's really a glamping

setup in this remote area.

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And so even more so, you are

dependent on your community.

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Mm.

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And that's not just a quick, oh,

I'm gonna head down to, you know,

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the convenience store, right?

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To grab some extra food or band-aids.

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Um, and so that remoteness,

you really feel it in a way

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that is unique and special.

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That's gonna be a fantastic trip.

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Where else are you guys

headed to new locations?

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We have, uh, new locations.

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Well, I, I don't know if

I'm allowed to Oh, okay.

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Release.

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Okay.

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Yeah, only the release one.

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Greenland is our most recent.

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It, it's quite special.

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One of the longest standing trips we've

been running is Galapagos, and that

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is also incredibly nature focused.

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if you have not been to the Galapagos,

you get so up close to these

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animals that you would absolutely

never be that close to right.

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And everything's protected, so

they don't have a sense of fear

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or, uh, a need to run away.

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And they're actually quite curious.

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So they will come right up to you

to the point where I actually had

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to step back because I'm like, ah,

I'm, I'm not supposed to touch you.

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Oh, um.

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So it is very special, and

the way that the community has

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banded together to protect the

nature is, is really impressive.

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Yeah.

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Um, I, yeah.

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Galapagos is, is very, very special.

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, I imagine it is.

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So I will definitely

pro be promoting that.

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So viewers, listeners, uh, you'll

have to go to my webpage to see

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which trip I'm gonna be on and,

and come with me on that for sure.

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It sounds wonderful to be on your

trips, to be, , so taken care of, like.

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I, I don't know how to say it.

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The body is taking care of the

stretching, the relaxing, you know,

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the, the breathing and then going out

into the, into the community and coming

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from that place of presence, I guess.

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Right.

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That's, I think you nailed it on

the head with the word presence.

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All of the different places we go, uh,

we've curated itineraries that really

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reflect what is unique about those places.

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So, uh, of course, Galapagos is

focused on nature and the animals.

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Greenland is focused on nature.

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Uh, Patagonia, you are surrounded

by glaciers and rafting down rivers.

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It's it's nature in your face to the max.

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Um, by comparison some of our

other locations in Europe, um,

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going to Italy, you'll visit the

home of the slow food movement.

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So it's taking your time to sip

on and taste different wines from,

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you know, an organic vineyard.

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Yeah.

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Or EBI through the countryside

to see the rolling hills.

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Uh, in France we visit an organic

farm where you make your own

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perfume from essential oils.

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So, oh, depending on what's in season,

you really get to curate your own perfume.

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Um.

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I can't say that mine smelled

great when I made it, but hopefully

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you have a better nose than I do.

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But it's your signature brand.

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That's awesome.

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That's good.

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Or sound so.

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Yeah.

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Um, all of the places we visit,

it's, it's really about tapping

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into that place specifically.

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And again, you have a new

friend and a guide with you.

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Um, we get feedback from a lot of

our travelers that they've maintained

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friendships with their guides and are now

staying in touch on Facebook or whatever

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social media platform or email or text.

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And, um, to have a new friend in

a different part of the world is.

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Pretty special.

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It is.

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it helps the livelihood of the guides,

of the families cause those people

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will either send or bring other people

with them and probably travel with

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you again, you know, your company.

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So yeah, it's helping in a PO as

long as it's in a positive way.

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It helps the people and

the cultures and the land.

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Yeah, absolutely.

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We, we wanna prioritize

traveling responsibly.

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Um, so of course, you know, hiring

someone who is from that country

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and from that area is important.

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Staying at accommodations or

luxury, but small boutique hotels

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is really important, not just, you

know, finding a good deal at a.

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Right at a chain hotel.

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Right.

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Um, right.

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So as much as possible, doing

good where we can, Nice.

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that's, sounds fantastic.

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Can you, everything will be in the show

notes as well, but Do you wanna tell

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us the website and any social, uh Yeah.

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Addresses we need?

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You can find us on the

web www.thetravelyogi.com,

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and very simple on Instagram and Facebook

at the travel yogi, and those will be

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the easiest way to get in touch with us.

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Fantastic.

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Well, Kilty, I'm excited

to travel with you and.

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Like I said, listeners, viewers, you

will be invited to come along as well.

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you're gonna have to give me

a frequent flyer card for, for

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your trips, it sounds like.

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Anyways, thank you for being on the

show today and, um, and viewers,

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listeners, I will connect with you later.

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Thank you.