From journalism to yoga & animal-inspired travel
Anna Maria Gina and I initially connected on LinkedIn. A vegan originally from Toronto, she joined us at VEG Networking Canada and now splits her time between Orange County, CA and Europe, where she leads yoga and animal sanctuary tours through her company, Toro Yoga Tribe. She’s also part Filipina!
Justin Manning: We acknowledge honor and respect that many of us are located on the traditional unceded territories of many Indigenous peoples of Canada. Welcome everybody to another episode of VEG Networking Canada, where vegan plant-based companies connect and collaborate. Today we have a special guest who is a master yoga teacher, an animal rights hero, rescuing dogs from illegal breeding operations and funding support sanctuaries for bulls, all with a burning passion for yoga therapy, vegan nutrition, pain management and sport performance. Edge networking, Canada is pleased to introduce the founder of Toro Yoga Tribe, Anna Maria Gina. Welcome Anna.
Anna Maria Gina: Thank you. It’s really exciting to be part of this tribe. So thank you for inviting me to be part of it.
JM: Well, we’re so happy to have you the spotlight on you, and we’re just going to learn throughout this conversation more about you and your business. And our first question for you is:
What is your personal vegan origin story?
AMG: Okay, it started at about the age of four or five years old, actually. And I think Sandra will relate to a little bit of this from our cultural origins and connections. On one side of the family, I’m Rodos Greek and Sicilian. On the other side is the heritage is Philippine and Spanish combined. And right around the age of four or five, was the first time I saw a live pig that I thought was going to be my pet coming into a party to actually be the luau pig of the party. And first of all, the shock of thinking that was actually a present for and then seeing what happened was what made the connection. It made the connection across the board. For me, it wasn’t just—I know what bacon is now. It was, I know what steak is. I know what chicken is and it’s over. I know what fish is, it’s over. And so it was very, very quick. It was, I couldn’t have even known I didn’t have those words, beginner, vegetarian in my vocabulary. I just knew those are dead and it’s not happening anymore.
And so it started very young that I was living off of, you know, rice and vegetables and bread, and not really navigating it without really knowing what I was doing. It took a couple of years after that, getting into school and getting into the school library to put together what dairy was, what leather was, what car seats were made from. And that really was probably by third grade, I understood without knowing what a vegan was. I was a vegan, basically, and it has never changed since then.
I think I was probably junior high school when I got my hands on—I brought it out because of the origin thing and because it’s very precious to me, but I got my hands on this, Animal Liberation by Peter Singer. And that was the turning point of turning points, because by the time I was in high school, I was involved in just about every rescue from not just dogs and cats. Definitely bulls are a thing for me, and that might be related to my heritage, but everything from marine mammal rescue to breaking animals labs to just everything, if you if there was something that needed to be done, just call me and so that, that’s where the activism kicked in. And that never stopped. That’s been with me ever since.
So, you know, when I got out of all through college, that was a thing, and then when I got out of college, I began writing for the times in the San Diego Tribune, and that, that whole side of what I did became just a regular part of my day. You know, whether there was a chicken in the car or a seagull in the car or, you know, a seal that I was riding on a boat with on the way to rescue. That’s how all of that started.
JM: Wow, that’s starting quite young, and making that connection is very powerful. So switching gears from personal to business. Next question is:
What’s your entrepreneur spark?
Or your entrepreneur start? It sounds like, you know, like you said in your activism, call me and we’ll get it done. That’s totally like entrepreneurial spirit and then being a writer as well. You know, you’re expressing yourself as an entrepreneur there too, but in terms of your business and teaching and yoga and making that a business for yourself, How did that start?
AMG: So I had already been doing the yoga training alongside everything else, the nutritional medicine, plant medicine, herbal medicine training, the Ayurvedic training. I. And so I was kind of doing that, almost like a hobby. There she is on the side. And I went to cover a story on a hurricane that had taken down a dog shelter in Mexico, and it flipped everything. I went from covering the story to I’m going to be doing yoga and nutritional medicine and doing fundraisers to rebuild the shelter, and that was the point where I realized this is really what I love doing, and started taking on private clients, some of whom were athletes that were not vegan. But my thing was, if you would like to work with me, I’ll give you a plant based nutritional coaching. But I won’t do, you know, if you want to continue to have me, I’ll refer you to somebody who will work with you that way. And so I started taking on private clients, teaching, also teaching it in studio classes, training yoga athletes to training competition people, and that went on from about 2006 all the way through. And during that time, I started taking on while traveling to see family, I started taking on athletes who are either running the community in Menorca or cycling the island of Sicily and working with them staying in the villa.
You know being their vegan personal chef, doing their nutritional, their plant medicine, whatever they needed for their athletic goals. And that ended up evolving to personal clients that just did my yoga or were nutritional clients coming on these getaways. And I would start taking them to the animal sanctuaries. And of course, every time I was there, we would go volunteer, and we would give, I would give part of the proceeds to the sanctuaries. And that’s when it evolved, really. 2017 was the moment that Toro Yoga Tribe was…I’m going to put a building down in Menorca that’s going to be a sanctuary for bulls eventually, and have this ongoing place where people can come to that will sustain that. And of course, I knew that’s not just going to be bulls, it’s going to be whatever else lands in the sanctuary.
And so 2017 was where I put that three-year plan together that the property would be purchased, and I started bringing on more of the private groups that would book different places, not just America, but also Sicily or Rodos for the same thing, with those funds really being aimed at the purchase. And this is the irony, the purchase was planned for March of 2020, and we all know what happened in March of 2020. Nobody was getting on airplanes, and so we had to take a little bit of a timeout. So I just continued to do things locally.
And now we’re back. We’re back in the groove. And the first trips heading out are heading out next month into…we’re actually exploring Botti—and that whole Adriatic coast of Italy. There’s a lot more vegan restaurants and things that just the vegan movement there is growing. There are a couple of sanctuaries there that I have adopted some animals in, and so that’s kind of a place where I want to bring some people to visit and possibly make it part of the tours that we do.
JM: Wow, and that start to being an entrepreneur. It really is, you know, fascinating how it started, sort of in the nonprofit arena, because, you know, you look at nonprofit leaders and they’re just the greatest entrepreneurs. So that totally makes sense. And so with your getaway based, adventure based business, which is really amazing, really unique.
Have you spotted over the time that you’ve been doing it, any trends?
AMG: Absolutely, um, what I’ve really noticed, and you mentioned Vegan on the Map when we were chatting before this started, is a trend towards digital nomads, a lot of people. One of the things that shifted post-pandemic is people started working from home, and really that means it doesn’t call home wherever you are. And so what was common in the European market, which was that people go away and they stay for two to three months because they have a second home on one of the islands, or they’re training because they want to do a race, and it’s perfectly normal for them to stay for that long. That’s become something that is more commonplace even in the Canadian American you know, this market, because people can move around.
And so that’s something I started exploring with Vegan on the Map is shifting to not just get away personalized getaways, but also having places that are there, whether you are there or not, that people can land villas, basically vegan villages and vegan villas, where people can land whether they speak the language, know the culture. They can work and learn the culture, experience it. You know, get on the ferry from Menorca and do the vegan tapas tour in Barcelona. That’s you know, they could do all of those things. Know where to find, you know, vegan markets. There are vegan markets all over the world, and that could be facilitated by creating these villas and villages where there are people that are staying longer term.
JM: Yeah, that sounds well, that’s, you know, we’re gonna everybody. We’re gonna have to pause this interview, and I’m gonna have to go book my flight. Because no, that absolutely sounds incredible. And you’re totally right. The digital nomad life, you said something that sounds like an amazing book, which is “call home, wherever you are.” So that’s really interesting. That type of a trend that you’re seeing, and people can really make that a different framework, I guess, of work-life balance, right? Just make it their own, utterly and completely. No pun intended.
So where is Toro Yoga Tribe going in the future?
You mentioned earlier, you mentioned having a three-year plan, and it sounds like as a business owner and entrepreneur, you have those steps sort of forecasted. So where’s your brand going in the future?
AMG: So the grand goal is now we’re starting back where we were after we got shut down in 2020 to establishing the villas so that, and the big thing there, too, is also bringing on staff that are walk on staff that are local, that are regional. So that it’s not only are the people who are going there experiencing truly the culture, but also it’s a way for us as vegans to network out and support other vegan businesses. So whether it’s a vegan acupuncturist that’s coming on, or so a vegan tour guide who just knows where all the places are, what you know, someone who does bodywork, someone who does training, or you know a vegan chef that can come on and do a cooking demo, we are actually bringing more business to all of them. The more business we can bring to all of them, the more vegan businesses there are.
And that, I think, is ultimately our goal, I think, as a collective, is that, you know, in Sanskrit, it’s Ahimsa, the non harm, the where we create, basically the generation, whether we’re in our 20s, 30s, 40s and 50s, we’re a collective generation, and we’re here to be the one that ends animal suffering and animal exploitation. And we all know we’re here for that.
JM: And well, that’s the future. Any ending the suffering and ending the cruelty, that’s totally the future. But in regards of your business, that’s really interesting to transition in the future of your company to potentially maybe having, you know, 10, 20 people going to different communities and doing the work. And, you know, the unintended consequence, you’re right, I think, is almost like maybe taking work away from folks who are there. So it sounds like you’re transforming, in the future, into like a circular local economy to help build that community, so that’s really interesting. So you had mentioned, you know, and then in the introduction, top we mentioned how there’s support sanctuaries for bulls, and you had mentioned some other animals and stuff. The next question for you is:
What charities or charitable organizations does Toro Yoga Tribe support?
AMG: A lot, basically anywhere that we go. You know, in Botti, our target is La Fattoria di nonno peppino, which is an amazing sanctuary over there, there’s Menorca Donkey Rescue in Menorca, there are there’s the organization that basically protects the biosphere, and all of you know all of its inhabitants. And so our goal is, wherever we go, we reach out, if it’s a group that’s willing to do volunteer work, because a lot of what we do is we design the day where things are optional. You know, if your yoga today is drinking sangria on the beach, go for it. But regardless of whether or not you come on those trips, because some of the trips include hosting events on the sanctuaries.
So basically, what wherever they are, we’re giving to all of those sanctuaries. Same thing with the sanctuaries that are local here and some of the smaller ones that really need that support, you know. And so it’s not just to those areas, you know, in the US, we scout out who’s getting snow in the winter, those, that’s where we hit the most, because we know they need more hay. So, you know, that’s, that’s how we support basically, we just, it’s, it’s more than 20, that’s our target, basically. And so it’s, it’s kind of on a need basis.
JM: Yeah, absolutely, and we’ll definitely work with you so we can get that list sort of in the show notes, and just, again, throw some support those folks ways, because we all know that they need it. Always and forever. So at the top you mentioned animal—
AMG: Sorry. May I mention frente el animal sanctuary (Frente L.A. Santuario Animal) in Spain? That’s a really big one too with the rescue of bulls. So that’s kind of near and dear to my heart.
JM: Yeah. Okay, well, before we, before we press on, is there any more that you would like to share about bulls and the affinity that you share and have for them?
AMG: You know, it’s obviously, you know, with being aware of animal suffering at such a young age, just every creature is an issue. But there’s the thing for me that has always struck about bulls, and perhaps it’s partly because of my cultural background too, is just the flagrant, the just the absolute flagrant aggression and violence and cruelty to such a gentle creature for no other reason than tradition. It’s inexcusable, and my thought back when I thought I’m going to plant down and do this was in the face of that going on somewhere in that region where we are going to demonstrate just how gentle these creatures are, and be the example of why that’s so wrong.
JM: Okay, that—couldn’t put it any better, but the flagrant just, yeah, okay, so switching gears to something you know that will dovetail nicely into that is you mentioned the book by Peter Singer, Animal Liberation, and how impactful that was for you. So our next question is, with that book in mind, maybe others, and maybe there are podcasts that have helped you, or even apps on your phone that have helped you, and this question is coming more so from an entrepreneurial lens in terms of what may have helped you, in terms of entrepreneurship, but activism is a big part of what we all do. So if there are some recommendations in terms of that as well, please do feel free.
Can you recommend any podcasts, apps, or other resources?
AMG: Okay, so I want to mention as far as on this continent, the Nonhuman Rights Project and the Animal Legal Defense Fund are really big, because they have their hands in every industry of abuse. Animal Legal Defense Fund, in fact, even gives these free seminars for people who are rescuers and activists on how to rescue correctly, to prosecute, to enable the prosecution to get to shut down, whatever it is that you’re trying to shut down. And so those are really big those two are really big groups in terms of reaching everything from, you know, The Fauna Foundation, which is in Canada, that has the chimpanzees that were used in laboratories to elephants, to just the whole gamut. They really reach a lot of that. So I really have to give a big shout out to…those are great sources for what’s going on and where the needs are, because they hit everything from farm animals to zoos to laboratories and, you know, to roadside zoos.
So it’s just, you know, it’s a really—to the Sea Worlds and all of that. So it’s a great place to follow. It’s a good thing to follow, because they always keep you updated. And they are, they’re very…I found them very helpful in learning how to do a rescue. And, you know, there are times you go in and you just want to grab the animals and and take care of them, and it’s so important to know how to make sure that whoever it is that has committed these crimes cannot do it again, and and they’ve been very helpful in in terms of that.
Books I have to mention one more book which I pulled out, which is, of course, Free the Animals by Ingrid Newkirk from PETA. That’s a great book. Dominion is a great book, too. I know that there’s also the movie. I found that the book was harder to get through than the actual movie, maybe because it was in print, but it’s worth a read. I think it’s also really helpful for us when we have the challenges from others. It’s a great way to be able to respond to those challenges. You know, without turning them off. Sometimes I have non vegan clients, and that walking that line of they’re willing to try this, but and wanting to educate without having them go running in the other direction. It’s, you know, it’s really helpful to have those resources.
In terms of social media, you know, Animal Equality. It’s worldwide. There’s, you know, there’s, they have, right? We have one here, and, you know, in the US and in Canada. But there’s also Animal Equality Brazil, Animal Equality Italia. Those are great resources. Essere Animali, Igualdad Animal, those are amazing resources that and big shout out to Gianluca For Animals. He founded AnimaLiberAction, and it’s one L if you follow that social media, it’s also very helpful in just knowing what’s going on in that world. And it’s not just about it doesn’t just cover rescues and animal activism. It’s also very useful in giving you information on where the vegan places are, who the vegan businesses are, and so it really helps you to expand your own network.
JM: Love, love, love, those recommendations. Amazing, amazing. So whether it’s in personal health, for environment or animal welfare, food, yoga, the next question is:
What are some companies that inspire you and Toro Yoga Tribe?
AMG: You know, that’s a hard one to pinpoint particular companies within the industry. And I have to say that, because within the industry is not really what has influenced me as much as the vegan world has influenced how I do those things. If that makes sense?
JM: it absolutely makes sense. So you know, are there any notable companies, whether they’re local or global, that inspire sort of like your branding, your mission and anything like that?
AMG: I have to go back to Nonhuman Rights Project as a really big influence for me, on why I’m doing what I’m doing. You know, I trained in many different yoga fields, and so none of them really with an emphasis on vegan lifestyle. So basically, I am, I took, I take away from that, what with a lot of gratitude, what I have learned from, you know, the be, from training, from some of the other trainings that I’ve done, and apply that to body therapy, but always again, with the non harm, as the basic assumed place from which we operate.
So, you know, I did the regular nutritional training, and before I did a vegan nutritional training, and I did that to see, what is it that you’re teaching so that I can veganize it basically. And everything else is really the sanctuaries, I have to say, that are my biggest inspiration. You know, what I see them go through every day. You know, whether it’s, you know, the cow that broke his leg or, you know, the orphaned sheep, you know, it’s just seeing what they do every day. Like I always tell my people, that’s yoga. That is yoga, right there.
JM: Well, I don’t, I don’t use the word lightly, because I think it’s overused a lot. And that is the term yogi. And in this conversation that we had thus far, and it in all the people that I’ve spoken with, it sounds like mighty closer to and it sounds counterintuitive talking about something that isn’t yoga being yoga, but anyway, we’re on the same wavelength nonetheless. But I digress a little bit, so it sounds like you are sort of a pioneer in what you’re doing, and you’re going to be an inspiration to others who are, you know, in yoga and wellness and therapy training, how they can morph that with that Ahimsa root or foundation. So very interesting. So we’re already at the very last question for you, which is centered around advice for you know, entrepreneurs, business owners, activists, whatever it might be that comes to mind for you, and it is important to note that there are no right answers. There are no wrong answers, but the floor is yours.
Do you have some advice for entrepreneurs and business owners?
AMG: You know I have, I think the biggest advice I could, I could give, there are two things that I really would advise the first one is not to compromise, even when you think that, wow, I can make so much bringing, you know, it could be something as simple as this group, but they want to have, you know, they don’t want all vegan food on a trip, whatever. It is not worth it, because any way that in and if we’re functioning from fear and we’re panicking, we’re going to create a fear-based solution, which is not a solution at all. What we’re going to do instead is end up if we’re profiting from any way, that’s a compromise we’re contributing to the animal exploitation industries that are out there.
And to me, there’s really no difference between taking a client that wants a meal plan and includes chicken or eating a steak. It’s entirely the same thing. And so, you know, the temptation to compromise in any way or it, you know, especially because I think vegans receive a lot of criticism for being so hardcore, hardcore. But it’s really not, it’s, you know, because basically, if we just, if we replace every single question of compromise with what they’re really asking, which is we would you mind being okay with killing today, then at the end of the day? That’s, you know, we all know the answer to that. And then, more importantly, support each other, even if it’s the same industry. We’re not in competition. We are so not in competition.
The more of us that are successful, the less non vegan businesses will be out there. There. You know, this is our opportunity, I think I said it earlier, to create that collective that changes animal exploitation to something that is non-existent, and that comes from our growth together as a collective. So not just reaching out to other companies or businesses or individuals who fit into your business plan, but also supporting the ones who are doing the exact same thing you’re doing, you know, that’s making sure they stay in business is huge. Find the smaller companies. If you could not, that I’m saying, don’t support the big companies you know, like, Beyond Meat is great. Follow Your Heart is great. But where you see someone like a startup that’s doing a new plant-based burger, try it, you know, post that recipe on your on your Instagram, but really promote each other all you can, because that’s how we’ll create the network for each other, and that’s how we create long-term existence of the vegan lifestyle.
JM: Absolutely beautiful. So reading between the lines a little bit, summarizing. You heard it, folks, it’s sort of be hardcore with your boundaries. And then when you find within that net or that boundary, folks who are of like mind to you completely remove competition from your mindset and move towards collaboration and don’t compromise your values out of scarcity, because that won’t be a solution at all for anybody yourself, included so very, you know, very wise sage advice. Thank you so much for sharing that Anna, and with that being said. And, you know, our conversation starters or questions over now…
Is there anything in the conversation that came up for you that you’d like to leave the audience with? Or maybe there’s some announcements that you’d like to share? The floor is yours.
AMG: Well, as far as announcements, Toro Yoga Tribe is, you know, back in season. And what we’re doing right now, we’re heading into Botti like I think I mentioned, because we have a few sanctuaries there that we want to visit. And these particular groups are vegans who wanted to do a getaway. And so when you have a group that is specifically asking, “Can we do an animal-focused getaway.” Then we get to look at, okay, what sanctuaries do you want to go see? And then we design the adventure around that.
But, you know, moving forward, we’ll be heading back into Menorca, back into Rodos, with our regular and, you know, if anybody’s curious about that, you know, we’ll design whatever kind of adventure people are interested in. Other than that, I really, just have to say, I really appreciate what you’re doing. You guys are basically the front line of pulling together the success of a vegan world, and so thank you for doing this.
JM: Well, thank you for being part of it all. We’re so thrilled to learn more about you and your story and your business and everything that you have going on. And for folks who are like me and want to get on that adventure and get started, you can check out Anna online at www.ToroYogaTribe.com, T, O, R, O , Yoga Tribe.com, and it’s the exact same handle on Instagram @ToroYogaTribe. Anna, thank you so much. And everybody else, we’ll catch you on another episode of VEG Networking Canada next time.
