Hi there! I’m Asli and I consider myself a global citizen with a passion for breaking down barriers and creating a world without borders. I’ve had the privilege of living on three different continents and exploring over 50 countries. As an environmentalist, I have a deep love for all living things, and as a traveler and yogi, I am constantly on a journey to uncover my own truth and remove any obstacles that stand in the way of my spiritual purpose.

“Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.”

Rumi

I was born and raised in Turkey but spent the majority of my adult years in New York City. As a child, I seized every chance to explore other countries and eventually made the decision to travel to the US as an exchange student in my twenties, kickstarting my journey of discovery and adventure.

I started this blog to share my journey and the lessons I learned along the way with others who are seeking to break free from societal norms and explore both the physical and spiritual world. 

I had all that I was supposed to want, a job with a good income, nice colleagues, a beautiful apartment in Brooklyn, great friends, nice weekend escapes, and perfect holidays. But I had a huge void inside me that none of these could satisfy.

My journey started when I took a sabbatical from my shiny career in advertising in New York City in 2012.  I had an irresistible urge to break free to find freedom outside the corporate world.

With a desire to explore and learn, I set off on a journey of discovery, leaving behind the familiar comforts of home. I traveled to the lush jungles of South America, the towering peaks of the Andes and Himalayas, the sandy beaches of Hawaii and Uruguay, and the spiritual ashrams in India, Bali, and Thailand. My motive was to learn to get out of the autopilot mode, undo the programming that I needed to survive in the modern society, surrender to life, and leave my comfort zone to experience a more authentic and fulfilling life. I didn’t realize at that time that I was embarking on a lifelong journey. 

By leaving the things I was used to behind, inevitably a deep exploration into myself and a journey of self-healing began. My eyes opened widely and I was guided step after step to the exact places I needed to be.
I met great teachers who guided me on my path. With every step I took, my materialistic view of the world slowly but surely crumbled apart.

In the last few years of my life, I have been so fortunate to realize the dreams I’ve dreamt of. Now when I look back, I laugh at the rat race I have been a part of to gain more possession or higher status. It is so liberating to finally see that we all exist in unity and there’s no success in anything unless we all succeed together.

I can tell my remarkable transformation from the old Asli to this new me started with my introduction to Ayahuasca, the ancient plant medicine that connected me to my true-source as well as to everything around me. You can read my story here. 
Participating in my first ceremony in the woods in 2012 opened the doors of a new reality. I learned valuable lessons about who I was and what my place was in the universe. Since I woke up from sleeping, I’ve been constantly facing and taming my mind and learning to respond from my true source. 

I chose South East Asia as my home in 2015 and since then I’ve been educating myself to be a good, mindful, and woke human being. 

I met my partner Michele in 2017 while traveling in Thailand. We were both thrilled to discover that we were on the same path and decided to join forces and continue our journey together. It was a serendipitous meeting as we were both at the same phase in our lives, having closed our homes in our respective cities (NYC and Milan) and having nowhere or no one to go back to. We dove headfirst into studying traditional tantra in Thailand and working on our personal growth and evolution. Together, we held mirrors to our shadow parts and learned from one another, making our journey all the more profound and meaningful.

Why do I call this a conscious blog?

I refer to this as a “conscious blog” because Michi and I strive to be mindful and respectful of the cultures, environments, and local communities we visit during our travels. We make an effort to contribute to the local economy and exchange ideas and knowledge with the people we meet. While doing that, our priority is to leave the smallest ecological footprint behind us. 

I no longer find satisfaction in talking about myself so I will leave this intro short like this 🙂 Please feel free to get in touch if you have any questions I can help you with. 

Thank you so much for visiting my site!

May you all be happy just as you are. Namaste 🙏🏼

Asli