By Carrie, Yoga & Ayurveda Teacher, Recovery Coach, Boss-lady at Bigger Life Adventures
They told me not to travel. When I got sober, my recovery community was full of warnings and admonitions about travelling overseas, living in a foreign country, or stepping “outside the herd” in any way.
The hinted-at idea was that doing these things would inevitably lead me to relapse. It didn’t.
Travelling the world and living in two Asian countries since getting sober has instead been phenomenal. Getting sober was the first step in becoming my best self, but if I had stayed in one place I think the evolution would have stopped there.
I had always dreamed of travelling and living in different countries. Fulfilling this dream wasn’t running away; it was coming back to myself.
The personal growth I’ve had putting myself in unfamiliar territory and being willing to face new challenges has been immense.
Sober travel can be intimidating. Many of us in recovery used to vacation as a chance to go off the rails into our addictions. And being away from your recovery support system can cause anxiety. We get it.
That’s why my husband Zach (who’s also sober) and I founded Bigger Life Adventures. After a transformative year working as digital nomads while travelling through Asia, we realized that we needed to share our passion for healthy, spiritual, sober travel with the rest of our recovery community.
I had recently fulfilled a longtime dream of doing my yoga teacher training in Sri Lanka, so the stars aligned perfectly to start our social enterprise business.
During my training, I learned about the Indian science of Ayurveda, the ancient Indian “Science of Life” which was developed alongside Yoga centuries ago. It’s all about finding optimal health and balance in body, mind, and spirit.
While there’s much to study, a basic understanding of the underlying principles of Ayurveda can greatly enhance our daily lives.
Zach, once a successful chef in California, is currently studying to become a certified holistic nutritionist. Combining his creative cooking skills, love for vegan cuisine, and western nutritional knowledge with my understanding of Ayurveda seemed like the perfect recipe for healing.
So we took the things we do best and love most and came up with the most aligned life mission we’ve ever dreamt of—recovery yoga and adventure retreats that give back.
We feel lit up by teaching yoga, meditation, and Ayurveda, cooking delicious plant-based food, exploring gorgeous nature, inspiring people to live their dream lives, guiding them to our favourite off-the-beaten-path locations.
And, giving back while we do it – on each retreat, we choose a local nonprofit partner in the destination country and donate 10% of what our guests pay to them.
We’re breathing new life into traditional yoga retreats by focusing on the enormous impact yoga, travel, and adventure can have on skyrocketing your recovery to another level.
Our adventures are safe places for those recovering from addiction, or anything else. People who might feel triggered by travelling overseas by themselves know they can trust us to guide them on a journey of not only adventure but also internal, spiritual growth.
In our daily yoga classes, meditations, and workshops, we encourage our guests to look inward, examine their beliefs, get rid of fears, and evolve into the best version of themselves.
Our sober travel style focuses on sustainable, positive-impact activities, learning about local issues, and interacting with the community wherever we go.
Everyone is recovering from something, and everyone can grow by getting out of their comfort zone! We hope you can join us to practice yoga, travel, and expand into your bigger life.
All images copyright Bigger Life Adventures
