About Jeni Martinez:
I got my first passport when I was 9 months old. My parents were missionaries in Japan for my first ten years. Growing up in another culture fueled my love of adventure and inspired me to want to learn more about the world.
During a meditation in college, I caught a vision of my future self in front of a group of people with my arms up in the air. Not long afterwards, I became a flight attendant with my arms raised to point out the emergency exits. I flew for American Trans Air, a charter airline, for just under two years. Because I spoke Spanish, I was assigned to many of the South American destinations. While the travel opportunities were fantastic, the job of flight attendant itself was not a perfect fit for me.
What then was my dharma, my purpose in life?
Eventually I realized I was supposed to be a yoga teacher! My arms were still up in the air in front of a group of people, but now I missed the travel.
In 2005 my business partners, Suzy Green and Karen Schwisow and I opened a yoga studio in Federal Way, WA called Three Trees Yoga & Healing Arts Center.
The following year, I hosted my first international yoga retreat to the Yucatan and my dharma was finally fulfilled. I’d discovered the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup of jobs, a combination of my two loves: yoga and travel. The two were definitely better together.
Since then, I’ve hosted 20 international retreats to Mexico (4), Ecuador (2), Spain (6), Italy (1), Greece (2), France (4), and Portugal (1) in addition to 25 Pacific Northwest retreats. In 2024, we will add Japan to the list and return to the Galapagos, Ecuador; Puglia, Italy; and Lefkada, Greece.
In 2011, Suzy, Karen and I launched our 200 and 300 hr yoga teacher training programs. Two years later we created Work Well NW, a corporate yoga company, which was a perfect avenue for our teacher training graduates to be able to teach in corporate wellness classes.
In January 2020, I sold my third of the 3 companies I had helped to create to Suzy and Karen so that I could focus on what I love most: yoga and travel. I find that yoga is the perfect combination with travel because it helps us stay grounded while exploring new cultures, foods, people and places.
Welcome to Jeni’s Global Yoga Trips! I invite you to join us for one of our next adventures.
Yoga stretches your body; travel stretches your mind! Let’s go!
Jeni
If you are curious, you can read more about my philosophy of business in this interview with GoSolo: https://gosolo.subkit.com/jenis-global-yoga-trips/
About Rocky Martinez:
Rocky is Jeni’s husband of more than 3 decades, a natural philosopher and #1 retreat Sherpa. In January 2021, he retired from his job as VP of Retail and Marketing for NW Framing in Seattle, WA. Retirement allowed Rocky and Jeni to realize a three-year dream and move to Gijon on the Bay of Biscay in Northern Spain. Now Rocky spends his days honing his photography skills, creating fabulous meals, learning Spanish and discovering the best of Asturias.
About Clara Pelica, co-teacher for Italy & Greece Retreats 2024:
Those of you who attended our Bordeaux Retreat in 2021 or our Italy Retreat in 2023 know Clara Pelica. She and I met at the retreat Chateau in Bordeaux and instantly felt a bond. She co-taught with me in Pulgia, Italy and was a wonderful addition!
An intricately woven path between Buddhist, Yogic and Thai Massage studies has led Clara on an in depth journey of self discovery, awareness and healing over the course of 20 plus years.
Teaching since 2012, Clara brings a light hearted approach to her teaching, highlighting breath awareness, mindful movement and restorative practices. She has trained in Yin Yoga with Sarah Powers and Bernie Clark and is a Level 1 Rest and Renew Restorative yoga teacher by Judith Lasater. Her most recent meditation training has been the 2 year Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Training Certification with Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach.
Clara loves to travel and explore different landscapes, cuisines and cultures and spends as much time as possible in Thailand and India with her teachers. She’s always happy to talk travel!! A foodie at heart, when not teaching, you can find Clara working as a private chef with a focus on nutrition and plant based cooking.
www.clarapelica.com
About Anja Riebensahm, our merchandise designer:
Meet Anja, the designer behind our Jeni’s Global Yoga Trips T-shirts and sweatshirts. Anja lived in NYC for 22 years but recently moved to Gijon, Spain where we became friends. She was a creative cake maker, a yoga teacher, and a bartender before becoming an illustrator. These days she draws designs for wallpaper, fabric, murals, portraits, post cards, tea towels and all sorts of other fun projects. Check out her custom design for our merchandise on the shop page! Wear your love of travel when you buy one of our designs!
Testimonials
“At the risk of sounding like a groupie, I love you and Rocky as a couple!” Candy W. (Northern Spain 2017)
“Thank you, Jeni, for organizing this fantastic retreat!” Susan B. (Northern Spain 2017)
“The thoroughness of your planning and execution is totally reliable and much appreciated.” Elaine W. (Northern Spain 2017)
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401 Broadway PMB 95783 Ste 100
Tacoma, WA 98402-3900