There are – multiple answers. She is a freelance journalist, a writer and a soon-to-be certified yoga instructor. She is a surfer, a traveler and a firm believer in cherishing your own biological clock. The name Sofia Edgren might also be associated with the sparkling wine cava , and that justly. Together with her best friend Isabel Hillborg, Sofia Edgren started Yoga/Cava & Therapy – events with flowing yoga, breakfast, sparkling wine and therapeutic conversations. Meet Sofia Edgren: the not-so-ordinary journalist that lives a not-so-ordinary life.
When we meet, Sofia Edgren comes straight from practice. She wears a colorful top and although she excuses herself for her “workout appearance” she matches her top with a healthy glow. Being active is a huge part of Sofia Edgren’s life. She tries to spend some time on her yoga mat each day to connect with the body, and when not in Sweden she loves to catch the waves on a surfboard if possible. This kind of lifestyle may be trendy 2019, but the general attitude towards it was different a few years ago.
– When I started with yoga for about 15 years ago, the studios were underground and there were often no proper yoga mats. The common thought among non-practitioners was that people whom were doing yoga went to India and spent the days lighting incense sticks, she explains.
Much has changed since then. Today, the yoga movement is internationally big. For Sofia Edgren, the freelance life gives her the opportunity to balance yoga with making a living, a lifestyle she loves.
– For me, freelancing is about freedom – both in my private life and during the working days. I have nothing against working hard, but I want to be able to control my layup. Also, I travel quite a lot, which becomes much easier while freelancing, Sofia Edgren says.
The typical office life isn’t suitable for Sofia Edgren. When working at an editorial office, the days are filled with meetings and other events that abrupts her focus. To assume everybody manages to work effectively where there are constant happenings is wrong, according to Sofia Edgren.
– I’m against the eight-hour-working-day. The best best way for me to get focused is to be well rested and to be able to work without distractions, she says.
So, how does an ordinary day for you look like?
– I have a morning routine I hold dear. I wake up around 7 am and make a cup of tea. Then I bring the tea and my computer to the couchand start working. My flow is at its best in the mornings and I write my best texts before lunch, Sofia Edgren says.
She underlines the importance of finding the right time for creative flow.
– When working creative, you have to cherish your biological clock. At what time you’re the most creative differs from person to person, Sofia Edgren says.
“When working creative, you have to cherish your biological clock.”
Another important part in Sofia Edgren’s life is embracing contrast. By contrast, she means that you shouldn’t place yourself in one specific category – your can be a person practicing yoga as well as a person drinking sparkling wine. This idea gave birth to the concept Yoga/Cava & Therapy. Sofia Edgren and her friend Isabel Hillborg realized that they both love very separate things in life – and that they should embrace it. They love being active and doing yoga, as well as going out and drinking cava.
– The yoga community can be quite strict. Yoga/Cava & Therapy contradict that by embracing dichotomies instead; of course you can drink cava and still be a yogi! It doesn’t have to be so hardcore, Sofia Edgren says.
“Of course you can drink cava and still be a yogi!”
How did the therapeutic conversations fit into the concept?
– Therapy is often connected to a serious context. Sometimes yoga is too. Isabel is a psychotherapist and I am a yogi, so by starting Yoga/Cava & Therapy we wanted to bring what we both love into a lighter context, Sofia Edgren says.
During the session, it’s voluntary to participate in the therapeutic conversations. But according to Sofia Edgren, people often surprise themselves by talking way more than they first thought.
Other than practicing yoga and working as a freelance journalist, you surf. How come?
– I love seeing the world and have always been traveling a lot. Approximately, I spend two months abroad each year. I first discovered surfing when I got in contact with a Swedish surf-community in Costa Rica. I met Jens and Peter who run Surfakademin and joined them on their five camps spread over the world. In the end, it resulted in my book “Allt för vågorna – om vänskap, vågsurfing och viljan att hitta rätt i livet” (2018).
The surfing simply got me engulfed, Sofia Edgren says.
What is your best advice for people who want to try out yoga or surfing?
– Don’t compare yourself to others. The yoga mat is your own zone, don’t glance at the person next to you. And with surfing, you have to embrace the whole lifestyle. Allow yourself to become one with the waves, the sun and the tide, Sofia Edgren says.
Facts about Sofia Edgren: Age: 41 Lives: Södermalm Profession : Journalist, writer (“Allt för vågorna – om vänskap, vågsurfing och viljan att hitta rätt i livet”) and yogi. Sustainability advice: Eat vegetarian food, zero your food waste and only buy clothes you really love.
POWER WOMEN WEDNESDAY – Sofia Edgren
Who is Sofia Edgren?
There are –
multiple answers. She is a freelance journalist, a writer and a soon-to-be certified yoga instructor. She is a surfer, a traveler and a firm believer in cherishing your own biological clock. The name Sofia Edgren might also be associated with the sparkling wine cava , and that justly. Together with her best friend Isabel Hillborg, Sofia Edgren started Yoga/Cava & Therapy – events with flowing yoga, breakfast, sparkling wine and therapeutic conversations. Meet Sofia Edgren: the not-so-ordinary journalist that lives a not-so-ordinary life.
When we meet, Sofia Edgren comes straight from practice. She wears a colorful top and although she excuses herself for her “workout appearance” she matches her top with a healthy glow. Being active is a huge part of Sofia Edgren’s life. She tries to spend some time on her yoga mat each day to connect with the body, and when not in Sweden she loves to catch the waves on a surfboard if possible. This kind of lifestyle may be trendy 2019, but the general attitude towards it was different a few years ago.
– When I started with yoga for about 15 years ago, the studios were underground and there were often no proper yoga mats. The common thought among non-practitioners was that people whom were doing yoga went to India and spent the days lighting incense sticks, she explains.
Much has changed since then. Today, the yoga movement is internationally big. For Sofia Edgren, the freelance life gives her the opportunity to balance yoga with making a living, a lifestyle she loves.
– For me, freelancing is about freedom – both in my private life and during the working days. I have nothing against working hard, but I want to be able to control my layup. Also, I travel quite a lot, which becomes much easier while freelancing, Sofia Edgren says.
The typical office life isn’t suitable for Sofia Edgren. When working at an editorial office, the days are filled with meetings and other events that abrupts her focus. To assume everybody manages to work effectively where there are constant happenings is wrong, according to Sofia Edgren.
– I’m against the eight-hour-working-day. The best best way for me to get focused is to be well rested and to be able to work without distractions, she says.
So, how does an ordinary day for you look like?
– I have a morning routine I hold dear. I wake up around 7 am and make a cup of tea. Then I bring the tea and my computer to the couchand start working. My flow is at its best in the mornings and I write my best texts before lunch, Sofia Edgren says.
She underlines the importance of finding the right time for creative flow.
– When working creative, you have to cherish your biological clock. At what time you’re the most creative differs from person to person, Sofia Edgren says.
“When working creative, you have to cherish your biological clock.”
Another important part in Sofia Edgren’s life is embracing contrast. By contrast, she means that you shouldn’t place yourself in one specific category – your can be a person practicing yoga as well as a person drinking sparkling wine. This idea gave birth to the concept Yoga/Cava & Therapy. Sofia Edgren and her friend Isabel Hillborg realized that they both love very separate things in life – and that they should embrace it. They love being active and doing yoga, as well as going out and drinking cava.
– The yoga community can be quite strict. Yoga/Cava & Therapy contradict that by embracing dichotomies instead; of course you can drink cava and still be a yogi! It doesn’t have to be so hardcore, Sofia Edgren says.
“Of course you can drink cava and still be a yogi!”
How did the therapeutic conversations fit into the concept?
– Therapy is often connected to a serious context. Sometimes yoga is too. Isabel is a psychotherapist and I am a yogi, so by starting Yoga/Cava & Therapy we wanted to bring what we both love into a lighter context, Sofia Edgren says.
During the session, it’s voluntary to participate in the therapeutic conversations. But according to Sofia Edgren, people often surprise themselves by talking way more than they first thought.
Other than practicing yoga and working as a freelance journalist, you surf. How come?
– I love seeing the world and have always been traveling a lot. Approximately, I spend two months abroad each year. I first discovered surfing when I got in contact with a Swedish surf-community in Costa Rica. I met Jens and Peter who run Surfakademin and joined them on their five camps spread over the world. In the end, it resulted in my book “Allt för vågorna – om vänskap, vågsurfing och viljan att hitta rätt i livet” (2018).
The surfing simply got me engulfed, Sofia Edgren says.
What is your best advice for people who want to try out yoga or surfing?
– Don’t compare yourself to others. The yoga mat is your own zone, don’t glance at the person next to you. And with surfing, you have to embrace the whole lifestyle. Allow yourself to become one with the waves, the sun and the tide, Sofia Edgren says.
Facts about Sofia Edgren:
Age: 41
Lives: Södermalm
Profession : Journalist, writer (“Allt för vågorna – om vänskap, vågsurfing och viljan att hitta rätt i livet”) and yogi.
Sustainability advice: Eat vegetarian food, zero your food waste and only buy clothes you really love.