decisions

There’s a trend floating around on good old social media right now where people are comparing their lives in 2026 to what they were doing back in 2016.

I didn’t really think about the trend itself for this community until I was chatting to one of our teachers about my own story.

Ten years is long enough for an entire life to change, but short enough that it still feels like the same chapter of the story, right?

For me, in 2016 I was in Goa, India, doing my first yoga teacher training.

I remember sitting with the philosophy teacher at the time and saying something that, back then, felt more like a dream than a plan:

“If I ever open a studio one day, I want to bring the community back to India.”

At the time, I didn’t have a studio.
Well really… I had no idea what the next decade would actually look like.

Just a feeling that something meaningful had started there.

Fast forward to now.

Last week I launched the retreat spots for our North Goa retreat — 7th–14th March next year.

And honestly… I was terrified.

I had been working on the back end of this since late last year. I could have launched it earlier, but I kept putting it off. Not just because of the huge investment in dollary‑doos and time, but also because it didnt feel real.

It was a huge commitment. The deposit alone was more than it cost me to open my first studio.

I also kept putting off paying it because I wasn’t sure if anyone would even come.

You know that little voice that whispers worst‑case scenarios?

I’m usually an optimist, but my pessimist side was working overtime in this particular case. Almost like a part of me wasn’t sure if I deserved to have my line of work take me overseas to magical, mystical jungles.

But after many hours of thinking about it (thinking that really didn’t do me that many favours) I realised something:

Sitting around imagining everything that could go wrong wasn’t actually helping anything move forward.

So I made a decision.

Instead of dwelling on the worst case, I would move forward with excitement. I would talk about it. I would share the dream.

And yes… I also released a 20% super early‑bird discount to help people commit.

And something really beautiful started happening.

The community started booking!!

At the time of writing this, 14 people have committed to coming to North Goa with us, and we now have four rooms left (these can be shared or single).

Which means the retreat is almost fully booked a year in advance.

And that’s when it hit me just how wild this whole thing is.

 https://www.ninyoga.com.au/india

I was chatting to one of our teachers (who has never been overseas before and is joinign us too!) and I told her something I don’t think I say out loud very often.

Hosting retreats and tours around the world was actually a dream of mine long before I ever stepped onto a physcial yoga mat.

Before teaching.
Before studios.
Before Nin Yoga.

Back in the day, I was managing a video game arcade, and I travelled overseas at least twice a year on extended annual leave (I used to manipulate my hours and work a ton of overtime to make it happen, dont tell my old boss).

Travel made me feel more myself.

Then life shifted.

I stopped travelling so I could create and nurture Nin Yoga. And that was a sacrifice I was genuinely happy to make.

Building the studios, building the team, and most importantly building the community became the focus.

But what I didn’t realise at the time was that those years weren’t replacing the dream.

They were preparing it.

All those classes.
All those conversations.
All those hours spent with this community.

They built trust.

And now, years later, that same community is travelling with me to the place where I first trained to become a teacher.

I have not been overseas since June 2017 (I opened Nin Yoga September 2017), but now, my time has come.

And I am going back to Goa.

Back to where this chapter began.

I honestly thought I had given up one dream in order to pursue another.

But it turns out… sometimes life lets the two meet again later.

And that feels pretty special.

If this whole “2016 vs 2026” trend has reminded me of anything, it’s this:

We truly have no idea what the future holds.

The thing you think you’re giving up might just be the thing that comes back in a new form later.

The seeds we plant today might take years before they bloom.

And sometimes the dreams that feel the furthest away end up circling back in the most unexpected ways.

So today I just wanted to say thank you.

To the community that trusts me.
To the people who are coming on this adventure.
And to whatever strange, unpredictable timeline has brought us here.

And hey, if one of the four remaining rooms happens to be yours…

And you’re keen on a really chunky discount, the code INDIAEARLYBIRD is valid until tomorrow (11th March) for pay‑in‑full bookings.

If you’d prefer a slow and steady weekly payment plan over the year, just reach out — we can absolutely set that up too (and if you set it up by tomorrow, ill apply that discount too).

Because who knows…

Maybe in ten years you’ll be looking back at 2026 and saying,

“That trip changed everything.”

Annika xx