One of the questions we get asked the most often is about who is guiding our trips and “what are they like”? Well here below is more about Jacob Young and Silvia Mordini, founders and guides of all Alchemy Tours trips. And feel free to reach out to us.

Q: How do we stay in touch with you?
Email us at hello@alchemytours.com anytime. We love to make new friends!

Links:
http://www.silviamordini.com
http://www.jacobmyoung.com
Join us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Alchemy-Tours/127736747267720

ABOUT JACOB YOUNG

At some point everybody in their life thinks about moving somewhere new. I was born in California and by the age of two had already moved across the United States to New Hampshire. While living out East I was steeped in tradition much of which I appreciate to this day. Growing up in small-town New Hampshire was not confining to me, because it was all I knew. But from the moment I learned to ride on two wheels, I was gone. I stretched my boundaries constantly, and when I moved across the country my senior year of High School, I became aware of a bigger place around me which led to a full running scholarship at Northwest University. Living in Europe the past 9 years (Italy, France, the Netherlands, Spain) and guiding in those regions really expanded upon that.

For the last 10 years my desire to be active and live all over the world grew into guiding multi-sport vacations internationally. I am passionate about travel and introducing others to both the traditions and the new discoveries I’ve made in a region or place…I am blessed to do this regularly. Alchemy Tours branched from two things. 1) One of our favorite books is The Alchemist. With that as the somewhat obvious backdrop, it made sense that the alchemy of Silvia’s and my background would blend to create a sort of super trip for people unlike others out there. The yoga and active travel vacation being the alchemy that turns to gold. And without fail, people change after our retreats. Mark Twain sums it up when he says, “The enemy of prejudice is travel.” People learn more about themselves, and the yoga that Silvia teaches while on retreat is her to the max.

When not guiding you’ll find me back in Seattle enjoying a perfect day at home which includes waking up and enjoying a neighborhood run or a group ride. Coming home to relish in a relaxing brunch. Heading down to the farmer’s market to dream up an elaborate dinner, then going home to cook and enjoy quality time with those I love. And you can reach me at http://www.alchemytours.com or by email at jake@alchemytours.com

Various things you likely don’t know about me:
I speak fluent Italian
I’ve lived in Florence and Paris and a southern oregon town with population 499
I don’t watch tv
I’ve eaten marsupial and reptile
I bleached my hair white blond once
I don’t sing in the shower but do sing everywhere else
I want everyone else to win. I’m not competitive.
I am competitive in playing scrabble
I’ve climbed Mount Rainier
I had an iguana as a kid my siblings had newts, snails, cat, dog, hamster, and a rare mouse
My dog was named daisy
I’m third of four kids
I can juggle
I’ve jumped out of a plane

ABOUT SILVIA MORDINI

My Father Enrico was an adventurer, my Mother’s parents were serious spiritual seekers. I grew up traveling all over the world with my brother and parents from the time I was an infant. I guess the fact that I love to show other people the beauty of the world shouldn’t surprise anyone since I was born in Ecuador, South America and my Father is from Northern Italy near Modena, English was my third language. One could say being a citizen of the world is in my blood. And I learned from my Father, this spirit of Don Quixote, Man of La Mancha, to dream the impossible. I saw with my own eyes, touched and tasted new flavors, experienced new landscapes and as a result I learned about myself. Every time I traveled somewhere I came back different, I was changed and knew that anything was possible.

I want to inspire in you what my family inspired in me: To see with the eyes of my heart by transforming the ecology of mind that happens naturally when you change the routine pattern of daily life. And to not apologize for being different and wanting to learn more about how big the universe is. You see, I am not fearless, I haven’t climbed Mount Everest or even Mount Rainer or cycled 100 miles in one day (my co-guide Jacob has though!) but I am willing to try anything. I practice yoga every day to go on an internal adventure, to meet new people and push the boundaries of learning others ideas. Yoga stokes my Rebel Spirit.

It’s funny (not haha, but funny weird) how yoga revealed itself to me. Yoga has been my faithful companion since a car ran me over more than a decade ago. My doctor prescribed yoga as part of my recovery routine, and my body and spirit began to transform. From my first class, I dedicated myself to live more fully. My loving Anusara-inspired Vinyasa Flow teaching style is influenced by more than 10 years of Hatha yoga study and I am gratefully committed to my three primary teachers: Shiva Rea, John Friend, and my students.

My teaching style is upbeat and fun, serious and informative, supportive and authentic. I use my own intuition and demonstrations along with people’s questions and past experiences to deepen the learning process. My teaching intention is that while connected to their breath, students might feel each pose with an open heart and a quiet mind. Yoga then becomes a means to explore oneself more deeply in order to better face life’s challenges and open to the endless possibilities that exist for all of us.

Less interesting but somewhat important: While in the corporate world, I worked as the HR Director for both Inc 500 and Fortune 500 companies, specializing in Training & Development. This parlayed well into opening my own Yoga studio in 2002 and teaching full-time. With over 7,500 hours of yoga teaching experience, I bring inspiration, enthusiasm and playfulness through creative, flowing sequencing and a delightful combination of yoga philosophy and healthy physical alignment all supported by inspiring music. My life has a soundtrack, my yoga does too.

Just like music nurtures my spirit I want to support you to be more curious about your life. One things for sure, going on a trip together will stoke the fire of creativity inside you, you will regain trust like what the Alchemist says “the universe is on your side” and you will learn to embrace uncertainty. You will become part of our tribe of Alchemy Adventure Seekers, or at the very least, you won’t be afraid to try new stuff. To send me a personal email, write silvia@alchemytours.com. I’d LOVE to hear from you.