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intentions. The other marvellous outcome of presence, is that you access eternal wisdom and an unending reservoir of creativity. How do you balance the ancient traditions of Yoga with modern technology, particularly with the integration of your app? Yoga is an art and a science merged into one, which is neither anti nor pro any form of technology or other type of human development. What Yoga would say is that we need to be mindful of our addictive tendencies, and remember to always pursue the middle path—one which avoids extremes. What’s the one thing you didn’t anticipate when you started utilising technology with a wellness system? I underestimated how utterly ignorant I could be, and how much money and time I could waste. This reminded me to know your strengths, know your weaknesses, and hire accordingly. What role do you see technology playing in the future of wellbeing? I believe that wellbeing benefits from being tech-enabled, but not tech-focused to the exclusion of essential human qualities such as intuition and compassion. I recognise that any level of scaling would be completely impossible without the digital technology element. Video calls and messaging in-app, a library of content, our online offers displayed in app, together with the monthly get-togethers post retreat and other community elements, would all have been impossible. The power, I believe, is to create a hybrid programme, with the right combination of on and offline elements. This synergy is immensely powerful. Personal growth is a key focus of your wellbeing system. How has your own journey of personal growth influenced the design and philosophy of your retreats and app? Just as with any creator, artist, or entrepreneur, everything that I create has been tempered and forged in the laboratory of my own experiences. My struggles and failures have been invaluable for fashioning Ashiyana and BEST ME as they are today. It is my realisation of just how hard life is, which has fuelled my passion for supporting others. What is your vision for the future of Ashiyana? Are there plans to expand to more locations or develop new offerings that align with your core mission? We will open more centres in Europe and further afield. But since the launch of BEST ME, I now see that the greatest and most positive impact that we can have, is to bring BEST ME Journey to as many people in the world as possible. This will likely mean making the retreats available in all of the major cities of the world. The rest of the offer—coaching, app and community support, is easily scalable online. If you could teach a Yoga class to your younger self, what advice would you weave into the practice? Accept your mistakes, who you are, your strengths and weaknesses, and remember that life is a journey of experiencing rather than achieving. Relax, and learn to be in a calm state of flow. Chris Nelson published his first book, ‘Wake Up and SOAR’, in April 2016 (Watkins), and his second book, ‘BEST ME – Unleash Your Natural Capacity for Health, Fulfilment and Longevity, will be published in 2025. For information about BEST ME Journey retreats in Spain, India, and the USA visit www.ashiyana/best-me-journey/ Tobie Tomkinson divides his time between teaching in the UK & leading teacher training at the Ashiyana retreats in India and Spain 268 | Simply Abu Dhabi