7 questions: Tanja Nicholls in an interview with Wanderhunger

A one-year sabbatical to travel the world turned into four years of intensive travelling and learning, and the successful marketing and sales manager became a passionate yoga teacher. Tanja Nicholls is living the wanderlust dream that most of us harbour deep inside.

But how did her life change so completely?

7 questions for Tanja Nicholls

Tanja, in 2012 you planned a year-long trip around the world as a sabbatical and set off in 2013. Was travelling the world always your dream?

Yes. But not a trip around the world in that sense. It has always been a dream of mine to travel. But it never happened on a large scale.

In 2012, I spent five weeks in Nepal. Trekking, reflecting, thinking. After conquering a 4,995-metre peak, I suddenly felt so light, I couldn't even remember the last time I had felt so wonderful. I was carrying not only my own rucksack, but also those of my two colleagues, who had no strength left. At that moment, I knew that something was wrong in my life, that I had to change something. This feeling became so intense that, back at the airport, I didn't want to get on the plane. In the end, reason prevailed and I flew home. But one thing was clear: I would quit my job as marketing manager in 2013 and go travelling.

In May 2013, the time had come. In June, I set off for Slovenia. On 1 July, I bought a VW bus and travelled through Europe: Slovenia, Holland, Croatia, France. In France, I did a week of surfing and yoga and decided to go to India – as the first stop on my ‘real’ world tour. In September, I obtained my sailing licence in Croatia, and at the end of September, I travelled to India, where I completed my first yoga teacher training course.

The planned year turned into four. That sounds wonderful, but also challenging. How did that happen? What made you decide to continue travelling?

That really wasn't planned. Officially, I always talked about a year, mainly to reassure my parents. In my heart, I never had a time limit. My only limit was my travel budget.

From my stay in India onwards, one thing simply led to another. After 10 months, I flew home briefly, but after just a week I continued on to Central America. There I met a New York yoga teacher who invited me to visit him in New York. From there, I went on to Holland, where I ran a yoga studio. While I was there, I got a call from Tenerife asking if I wanted to teach – one thing led to another. The four years just happened naturally. I didn't have a plan, I just followed what felt right for me.

I only had two guidelines from the start: on the one hand, I wanted to develop myself further in the field of health, be it yoga, Thai massage, Tibetan medicine, Ayurveda Pancha Karma and a few other things. On the other hand, I wanted to face my fears, because I think that you can only really grow if you find out the reasons for your fears and learn to deal with them.

Your stay in India was an integral part of your travel plans from the very beginning. Did you start practising yoga before your trip? Is there a difference between practising yoga here and there?

My very first experience with yoga was over 15 years ago. It was awful. I had bought a ten-session pass, but after the third session I knew that Tanja and yoga were not compatible. she says laughingly.

When I later lived in Tyrol, I occasionally went sailing on Lake Achensee with a friend. We also trained there on the beach, practising movements. And one day she said to me that it was yoga. I was pleasantly surprised. It was a completely different experience from what I had experienced before. This was followed by my yoga and surfing week in France, where we practised yoga for two hours every day. It was clear to me then: I want to know more, and I want to learn about it where it originated.

And yes, there is a difference between yoga here and in India. I should mention that I completed my first yoga training in a very strict ashram, never with the intention of teaching it, but only for myself. We lived there on a strict yogi diet, started our day at 5:30 in the morning, and it lasted into the night. It was filled with classes, karma yoga and homework, five pages of yoga philosophy every day. It was an incredibly intense and beautiful experience.

Which three places, moments or experiences from your entire trip have remained most vividly in your memory and in your heart?

That's really difficult to answer because there are so many wonderful memories. First and foremost, I would like to point out that I don't have a ‘top favourite’ country or city. It's always about the stories and experiences you associate with them. However, I can tell you about three special things, although I wouldn't rank them in any particular order.

One of them is a special place in Thailand, where I had the most peaceful and relaxing time. I spent a month there climbing, met wonderful people, friends I still have today. It was really lovely.

Granada in Spain is also a very special place for me. I have taken this city into my heart. I was there for a Spanish course at the time, have been there three times since then and even wanted to move there. Things turned out differently, but the place has nevertheless remained etched in my heart.

And finally Nepal, where I have also been three times. Perhaps because that is where it all began. Nepal is very special. I attended a Nepalese wedding, I was at an altitude of almost 5,000 metres for the first time in my life, I did the Annapurna Trek... I found myself there and learned that I need to make a change. The people, the landscape – simply wonderful. Nepal is on the agenda again for the future, because I really want to trek to the Nepalese Mount Everest base camp.

What do you think is the essence of travelling itself?

What makes travelling so special is the connection with other cultures, people, languages and perspectives. I was raised as a Christian, and when you travel to other cultures with this background, your perspectives on even the most mundane things are completely different. The different perspectives are fascinating. And if you are open and interested, your own horizons change almost by themselves.

An example: access to healthcare. In our Western culture, we value illness rather than health. We pay more attention to illness than to health. There are countless facilities where you can be treated if you fall ill. But there are very few institutions that are dedicated purely to your health, without the need for you to be ill. In other countries, on the other hand, the focus is on health, and every effort is made to keep you healthy. In my opinion, this is the better approach.

Combining travel with yoga is what makes the yoga trips you offer so special. What makes yoga so special when travelling?

I will relate your question to my last trip, which was a sailing trip in the Mediterranean with yoga and coaching. The special thing about it is that we do yoga in a different place every day. I would like to explain that yoga simply means ‘unity’. The unity of the universe with humans, the unity of God and humans, it doesn't matter – it's all about unity. To achieve unity, you embark on a journey. Yoga is also a journey, namely the eightfold path of yoga. What we understand here as yoga, the asanas, is only one part of it.

When you actually embark on a journey, physically speaking, you are already on a path. And on this journey, on this path, you learn to practise the asanas in different places, on different surfaces and in changing environments. Here, you learn to concentrate much more intensely on your yoga practice, because concentration is naturally much more difficult than in a closed studio. Balance is challenged differently, strength must be used differently. You have to be much more present with yourself in order to feel comfortable in your yoga practice. Experiencing this feels completely different in an unfamiliar environment.
The sailing trip is something truly special. Due to the remoteness, the lack of internet and distractions, the participants are much more in tune with themselves. The constant rocking of the boat is also incredibly calming. Every day we see something new. Every day we experience the sunset, the sunrise, the people on the boat – it's a very special feeling. I also notice that people on the ship are quicker to open up. This allows everyone to achieve more for themselves.

You run the Pulsatori yoga studio in Wels. Is there anything in particular you want to convey to your students?

Something very important, and I hear this again and again in feedback from course and trip participants, is that the longer they practise yoga, the more they learn about themselves. Step by step, they change their lives. And that is exactly what it is all about: they become more mindful of themselves and others. Suddenly, they realise that they were never able to say no, and now they can. Or maybe they eat fried eggs for breakfast with their spouse every day and suddenly realise that they can't stand fried eggs – after 20 years. she says laughingly.
They listen more closely to themselves and breathe more consciously. It is the little things that change their everyday lives. It is not the yoga class that is important, but what they take away from it and apply to their lives. They get to know themselves better, form a unity with themselves and begin to love themselves. Because only when you are mindful of yourself can you be mindful of others.

 

Here are a few more of the many great photos that Tanja provided me with:

   

As the founder of pulsatori , Tanja Nicholls combines her experience in top management with in-depth knowledge of holistic well-being. Using the pulsatori principle, she supports executives and high performers in overcoming stress and overload and promoting a new generation of inspiring leaders. Her mission is to help others protect their health as their most valuable resource and develop into balanced, inspiring leaders.

By the way, I have already experienced a wonderful morning of yoga with Tanja myself, at the end of my 30-day yoga challenge.

 

Thank you very much, Tanja, for taking the time to do this interview for Wanderhunger! It's a shame I can't reproduce our entire conversation here, it was so incredibly exciting to listen to you! 🩷