Kamalaya is an award-winning wellness retreat located on the beautiful beachfront of the tropical southern coastline in Koh Samui. This retreat offers a holistic experience that integrates healing practice from East and West and was founded with the vision to create a transformative experience and positive impact on people’s lives for both the guests and the team.
In this podcast, we will hear from John and Karina Stewart as the founders of Kamalaya about their journey as a couple in pioneering the wellness movement. Against all odds and struggles, they have proven that we can all start if we are willing to have the humility to keep learning and persevere.
Moving forward into the future is the most profound and wonderful thing, but take the past with you, look to see what is valuable in the past, and carry that along with you. Remember that the most important thing in life is your faith, your relationships, that all those people that will work with you if you are a leader…you have to inspire them to be better…that every single human being seeking the same thing, to be able to be healthy, to find peace, to put their kids through school. And if you treat all your employees and your customers like that, then you can build a great business and have a loyal following because authenticity is more than anything.
Karina grew up in Mexico until the age of 15 when her family moved to San Antonio in Texas. Her interest in meditation and Asian spiritual Philosophies started at a young age, influenced by her mother’s interest in natural healing, yoga, and spirituality. She went to Princeton University to achieve a B.A. in Cultural Anthropology and Asian religions. Prior to Kamalaya, Karina founded a health center in Kathmandu, Nepal, where for seven years she practiced traditional Chinese medicine and created a range of Chinese herbal products. Later she collaborated on a detoxification research project in California with Dr. Dahlgren, a UCLA professor and renowned environmental toxicologist, and Dr. Maoshing Ni, co-founder of Yo San University and Traditions of Tao.
John was born in Canada and went through hardships early on. He was introduced to spirituality at the early age of 15 by Timothy Leary and moved to India at 23 where he was taught by his yogi master Herakhan Baba (“Babaji”) in India. During his first year, he lived in a cave beside a Himalayan river and eventually spent over 15 years embracing a traditional yogi lifestyle as a monk. While a monk, he helped to build schools and hospitals in Indian communities and set up small local businesses in Kathmandu. After he left the monastery in 1993, he became a successful art dealer and settled in Kathmandu with his wife Karina until the political instability forced them to leave Nepal. It was during that time that John at 47, together with Karina decided to pioneer in a wellness resort and established Kamalaya.
Wisdoms Takeaway
- Perseverance is the key to success
- Authenticity is important and it is a rare trait
- Ensure that you take care of your own employees and customers with care
- Create the change you want to achieve by putting the passion towards positivity by seeking a positive perspective
- Diversity enriches and broadens your horizon