Chelsea Haines (The Yogi Yachtie)
- Elisabeth Caraballo
- Jul 2, 2019
- 5 min read
Hello! My name is Chelsea Haines. I am a traveling yogi and a certified health coach who has a passion for the ocean. I’m lucky to have been able to merge all of my interests and create a life of design by working virtually with private clients around the globe whilst hopping onboard seasonally as a private yacht stewardess!
EC: What kind of traveler are you?
CH: I had to think about this question as my entire life has become about traveling! I have been a true nomad for the last 4 years. Whilst working onboard yachts I live there, and though it is where I unpack my bag and sleep at night, it never feels quite like home because I know that by a certain time I will be on the move again. I only just recently purchased a car and now I feel like that is my home! I am so grateful for a car trunk, which now acts as my closet, LOL! I truly feel that home is where my loved ones are and now, in particular, where my fiancé is!
EC: Traveling as a Yoga teacher and on private superyachts sounds exciting and rewarding. How did you get started doing this?
CH: I became a certified yoga teacher in 2013 and was teaching full time by 2015. During this year I went through some big personal changes in my life as my partner of 6 years and I decided to get divorced. Though this was an extremely challenging time, I was open and excited about starting a whole new book of my life. I have grown up around yachts and a friend of mine who had been in the industry for a long time shared with me the opportunity. After two months of selling my belongings, finding a sub-letter for my apartment and a new home for my cat, I drove to South Florida with nothing but a suitcase and a whole lot of trust and faith. Within two weeks of completing my necessary yacht crew certifications, I was moving onboard my first permanent job onboard a 95-meter superyacht as a stewardess and onboard yoga teacher.
EC: You’re also a Certified Health and Life Coach and recently just started a Podcast. Can you tell us a little more about each of your entrepreneurial ventures?
CH: Yes! I am so grateful that yachting has given me the freedom to create a life by design. Because of this, my fiancé is now a full-time officer and I have chosen to put one foot onto land in order to pursue my passions of health and wellness coaching. I am a certified health coach specializing in gut health through lifestyle and habit change, rooted in the abundance mindset. I offer quarterly Gut Health Reset Masterminds for women who are struggling with signs and symptoms of digestive unrest like anxiety, bloating, low energy levels, irregular bowel movements, and symptoms of autoimmune disease. This is a 4-week program designed to help you hit the reset button with the support of a personal coach as well as a community of other like-minded women. I have found that being of service gives me deep joy and offering my personal journey to health and wellbeing as well as sharing the stories of others who are on a path to healing via my new podcast, Let’s Start Health, is an amazing way to pay it forward. May the stories and knowledge shared there be of service to all and a permission slip for anyone who may be interested in seeking more help.
EC: What’s the one place you have been so far that has made the biggest impact on your life?
CH: I think traveling the world has really given me a deep appreciation for being grounded in one place. I’m not sure that one place, in particular, has made a bigger impact than the others, however, I was certified to become a yoga teacher in Santa Theresa, Costa Rica. That month was an extremely transformative process and that little beach town holds a special place in my heart.
EC: Where in the world is your favorite place to visit? Why?
CH: There are three places that stand out for me: 1.) Norway. Cruising through the fjords was truly other-worldly. It’s a feeling that I cannot describe. 2.) Gaziantep, Turkey. I felt warped in time as I walked the streets of one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world! 3.) Pompeii, Italy. Seeing a city frozen in time was beyond anything I could comprehend!
EC: What do you think is the biggest sacrifice you have made for the sake of traveling?
CH: Missing out on special events and births of friends and loved ones. There is so much to gain from traveling but it is quite challenging to make a last minute flight across an ocean to make it to a wedding, birthday, or surprise early birth of a new baby!
EC: How many countries/states have you visited?
CH: I used to have a list… I let go of it along with most of my other material belongings that got too heavy to hold on to, LOL!
EC: Have you had any scary moments while on your travels?
CH: I had my watch taken off my wrist in Barcelona without even knowing it. It felt violating and strange in a very scary way. It brought awareness to how precious life is and how quickly it can be gone if you’re not paying attention. I have been very lucky otherwise.
EC: How has travel changed you?
CH: I have always considered myself to be an open and loving person, however, traveling has truly helped me open my mind to other possibilities and ways of thinking. It has reflected pieces of me that were small minded. I enjoy deep and meaningful conversations with people with different beliefs and backgrounds and I no longer see opposing viewpoints as a threat. It truly has helped me to embody the Abundance Mindset as now I really see and believe that there IS, in fact, enough of the good things in life to go around for us all.
EC: What advice would you give to someone who’s thinking about traveling on private superyachts as a Yoga teacher and Entrepreneur?
CH: Buckle up, it’s a ride! I have a lot of yacht information on my IG story highlights and my IGTV on my @TheYogiYachtie IG account. It’s also VERY important to note that each person’s journey is very different. You must figure out what is truly important to you and then follow that path. My path has been unique to me and the reason why it has been a success in my eyes is due to the fact that I have always stayed true to my core values. Don’t ever mimic someone else because you think you should. Be self-reflective and aware. The 4 Agreements is a great please to start: Be impeccable with your word, don’t take anything personally, don’t make assumptions, and always do your best! In other words, be reliable, there’s always work to be done, so don’t be the person NOT doing it. If you are an empath be sure to put on your shield every day. And don’t assume how things “should” or will be. This includes making assumptions of others as well as your own process. And of course, enjoy the journey.
