LifeSoup by Cherie Dawn Haas

There are many ways I practice yoga; aside from spending time on my mat at home or in classes, I also love to read books about yoga to get a philosophical perspective.

Journaling about yoga comes up in the top ways I practice as well, and that’s why I was so excited to learn about my friend Amber Hagberg’s upcoming* book, “My Living Yoga Journal.” I interviewed Amber, who is based in India, to give insights about her new book, what it was like to be in lockdown in India, and why yoga is more than “stretching.”

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Cherie Dawn Haas: Let’s start with talking about your new book, “My Living Yoga Journal.” What inspired you to write it?

Amber Hagberg: The joy and passion I had for practicing yoga evolved into the most life-transforming experience I have ever had. Since I know personally the momentous, continuous growth that comes from a consistent yoga practice, I realized I had to share the gift of yoga with others!

As my practice grows it has become less about “me” and more about “we,” so I was inspired to share yoga in a more active way, initially by teaching classes and leading to this coursework. This has only broadened the gifts I received from the practice. That enlightenment is how I birthed my yoga retreat business: Live Your Yoga Retreats, the 3-month online Live Your Yoga Mentorship, as well as this book, “My Living Yoga Journal.”

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Cherie: In what ways did your own yoga practice help you accomplish such an exciting (and potentially daunting) project?

Amber: Bringing this book to life was similar to the challenges I had to overcome when I was first starting out in my yoga practice. The judgment, comparison, and lack of belief would come into my mind but instead of giving up, I pulled out my yoga tools and applied the lessons I learned on my yoga mat to this project. Things like being a beginner again, letting it be messy and getting downright freaking uncomfortable. Writing the book was challenging in itself, not to mention publishing and marketing it.

Cherie: Tell us about your yoga journey. Looking back, what’s the most surprising thing you’ve discovered about yoga?

Amber: The most surprising thing I discovered about yoga was how much my practice is constantly changing and evolving. After practicing and studying for 10 years, I am always shocked at how much more there is to learn and how much more there is to see, regardless of how much time I spend studying the scriptures, sitting on my meditation cushion, or moving my body in yoga asana. There is always something new to discover and every time you get on the mat, it is different. 

Cherie: Many people think of yoga as an exercise only. How do you explain the deeper and more meaningful parts of it to those who think it’s only about “stretching?”

Amber: The name of my yoga workbook says it all, “Live your Yoga.” To me, yoga has always been about so much more than an exercise. Yoga is a way in which you live your life. Yoga is the relationship you have and cultivate with yourself and then the ripple effect it has on the relationship you have with the world outside of you. 

Cherie: Around the time that we “met” online, you were quarantined in India because of the Covid outbreak. How has that experience changed you? What was the biggest challenge of that period?

Amber: In India, I often would write about being in “lockdown” because that is what India described its current situation as. They shut the country down. I often remind those who ask, I could have, at any given moment, gotten a flight back to the United States, but that hasn’t been my home for 5 years. So I was choosing to say. 

Regardless, I didn’t leave the ashram for 7 months. It was the longest amount of time in my life, 30 years that is, that I have been so still. I am a traveler by nature. I am always moving, going from place to place. 

But in that time of being locked down, I found a sense of freedom within me that no words can describe. No matter where I am now, I feel free inside of me. And with that, the paradox of life is just that, the biggest challenge of that time period was being stuck — stuck with myself. There was nowhere to run, no where I could go — because even if I had gone, I would have had to bring myself with me. 

Cherie: Coming back to your book; who do you think will benefit most from “My Living Yoga Journal?”

Amber: If you are someone who wants short practices to incorporate into your day to day life, need inspiration to start daily journaling, or wonder what it means to cultivate a life of yoga, then this book is for you. 

Cherie: What’s the best way for people to get a copy?

Amber: The best way is to order it through my Kickstarter here: Support “My Living Yoga Journal.” The deadline is November 4, 2020. (UPDATE: Contact Amber via Facebook to get your copy, which is now published and available!)

Cherie: Anything else you’d like to add?

Amber: This journal will be printed on recycled paper with vegetable oil ink and is 100% plastic free. For each book purchased, we will plant a tree to reduce the impact on the planet.

More about “My Living Yoga Journal”

Get ready to learn easily accessible ways to incorporate yoga into your daily life in order to create a passionate and purposeful existence in today’s busy world. My hope is that this outline in a journal format will help guide you to live your life from your heart, by using the tools of yoga, but as well as helping assist you by providing fillable forms for thought provocation. Everyday, you have the opportunity to bring your yoga practice off the mat! This book will show you how to implement the lessons and insight you discover on your mat and apply them to your relationships and daily activities.

Connect with Amber Hagberg on Facebook and Instagram

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