Q. You've led a busy life as a fashion magazine journalist for a long time. What brought you to yoga?

Working for years at a hectic fashion magazine, I started feeling how my body changed as I got older. In my youth, I could endure with youthful energy, but I found myself swelling a lot and being quite tense. Just before I hit a breaking point, I stumbled upon yoga by chance.

The initial yoga I encountered was more like stretching, yet it was quite challenging for me. Despite only moving a little, it felt good. The final rituals of oil rubs and such left me feeling pleasant. It felt like taking a break. I started doing it consistently twice a week, and then I happened upon Hatha yoga, which suited me so well that I've been continuing it ever since.

Q. Given that yoga is an exercise that balances the body and mind, it seems inevitable that it influences various aspects of lifestyle. How does your life compare before and after meeting yoga?

When practicing yoga, you start thinking about your body and become more focused on yourself than others. This makes you constantly search for things that are good for you and your body. It seems like my eating habits, what I put on my body, my feelings towards animals, and thoughts about nature have all changed. These changes feel quite natural.

I was a fashion journalist, focusing heavily on appearances. Although I still enjoy capturing beauty and creating images, I’ve shed many aspects by running <Ah Yoga>. As I aged and practiced yoga, I discarded unnecessary and cumbersome things. I abandoned brand clothes and bags, opting for comfortable clothes, and it's been a long time since I wore makeup.

Commuting, socializing, getting stressed, fighting, drinking

Everyday people doing yoga, that's when I realized what true yoga is.

Q. I'm curious how the slogan 'Witty and Lively Yoga Life' for <Ah Yoga> came about.

I've always liked bold looks since my time in the fashion industry, creating many such visuals. Back then, things considered daring were often approached from a male perspective of females. However, I never found those images appealing. In fact, they were uncomfortable. I used to think, 'This is what I find bold, so why do people like that?'.

Those I collaborated with noticed. They’d say, 'Your perspective on boldness is different, fresh.' My longtime colleague and friend, Nam Ji-hyun, shares a similar sense and taste in this area. Hence, the slogan was born, exploring yoga from our unique viewpoint, making it witty and lively!

Q. <Ah Yoga> often features faces of everyday people. What story do you wish to convey through these diverse ordinary appearances?

Since yoga is about the mind as well, it seems bohemian, hippy, or even sacred, something that requires embodying spirit. I once got lost in that path. However, after experiencing many things, I realized that true yoga is practiced by everyday people—those who commute, socialize, get stressed, fight, and drink.

Even as they age, those who consistently practice daily shine the most in a yoga studio, not showing off how well they perform tasks. I wanted to capture the lifestyle of these ordinary people who maintain their bodies alongside their work. <Ah Yoga> is a magazine for such people, and I’d like to introduce many more like them. Those passionately and healthily practicing yoga are our focus.

Q. Could you introduce us to Ji-ah's room, who is also the face of this Knock Knock issue of <Ah Yoga>?

Many items from her actual house have been moved here. With a preference for a healthy and bright atmosphere, it can be felt within the room. There are symbolic items for yoga practitioners, like Pu-erh tea, which is an everyday drink. It's effective for waking up in the morning or calming a busy mind. Soaps made with healthy ingredients, some cedar fragrances from Aomori, yoga straps, towels, bags, and various <Ah Yoga> goods are also on display.

Q. Is there a practice space that Ji-ah particularly cherishes?

Yes, Shanti Yoga in Pyeongchang-dong, just five minutes from my home. Unless something special comes up, I go there every morning to practice.

Q. Do you have a particular asana to help find balance?

I mentioned it in the last editor's letter too; headstands help me focus. Even a moment of distraction makes you waver. When my mind gets busy or I can't find my direction, I often do a headstand.

Q. What keeps drawing Ji-ah to yoga?

I've actually been practicing yoga for quite some time now. Yet, I still feel like a beginner, with a long way to go. However, I don't see yoga as a practice that distinguishes between good or bad. It's a lifelong training for my body until the end. Every body is different, and what poses work for one person might not for another, connected to their environment and physique. So, you can't really define someone as good or bad at it. I love that aspect of yoga. It doesn't feel competitive.

Q. Hatha yoga requires perseverance and endurance to maintain poses for a long time. Do you have any personal tips for ‘keeping at something’ for long?

In terms of work, I think responsibility plays a huge role. I've just been diligent and consistent. Receiving recognition and self-satisfaction, rather than position or money, seems to be a more significant value for me. Enjoying those fulfilling feelings, I think, helped me maintain it for a long time. But it also led me to neglect my body and fall ill.

Yoga isn't about distinguishing between good or bad.

It's a lifelong training for my body, bit by bit, until the end.

Q. ‘I recommend yoga to those wishing to maintain peace of mind and body.’ Then, who would you recommend <Ah Yoga> to?

I want to recommend it to everyone interested in yoga. Anyone who wants to get healthier and have fun with yoga. We try to approach it lightly. Yoga isn't only difficult, and you don't need to be perfect at it. We want to show that it can be done in various ways. The interesting images also add fun.

Q. Looking at <Ah Yoga>, it feels like yoga is also a style. It seems to reflect current trends, like 'Stylish People Doing Yoga, Living Cool Lives.' What’s your opinion on this trend?

With <Ah Yoga> being showcased and gaining popularity, it became widely recognized. Hyori appeared, and many yoga apparel brands and teachers seem to embrace the 'Ah Yoga style.' Nowadays, it feels delightful to see this acceptance. However, since the Ah Yoga style is quite established, I think it shouldn't become too rigid. While maintaining a fundamentally healthy and bright atmosphere, changing the tone and visuals of the pictorial according to the topic seems wise.

Q. You handle and feel various brands of yoga wear. Do you have any styling tips for yoga wear?

Comfort is key. I've tried everything from loose Aladdin pants to tight fits. But these yoga pants, online for 30,000 won, are the most comfortable, so I bought every color. I prefer comfortable silhouettes that fit well. Surprisingly, I focus more on color, mixing in bright colors with a hint of boldness instead of the usual yoga shades.

Meeting people different from me, stimulating people,

lets me discover new sides of myself, and it's refreshing.

Q. In preparing for the exhibition, you mentioned setting up a ‘Mangrove’ for middle-aged women. Have you thought about who you’d live with after middle age?

As a single woman living with pets, I'm so used to and comfortable with living alone that I don't plan to welcome another human into my life. (Laughs) But you never know with life! After visiting Mangrove, I thought how great it would be if I could bring my dogs and cats here. It seems nice to have a space for single women like me to help one another. It’d be wonderful if we could look after each other's pets when traveling or on business trips.

Q. What does home mean to Ji-ah?

Being a complete homebody, home is everything to me. It's also my everything that I can show to others. It's a space for complete relaxation. If Hatha yoga involves holding poses with constant tension and muscle engagement, Yin yoga is about releasing all strength and relaxing. My home, like Yin yoga poses, is a place for perfect relaxation. Drinking tea and unwinding with my animals allow me to recharge for energy to be used outside.

Q. When and where do you feel most like yourself?

Being such a homebody, I used to feel most like myself at home or with people who similarly enjoyed staying in. But now, it's changed a bit. When with similar people, I only know that side of life.

In contrast, when I clash with those completely different from me, it energizes me—a fresh and upbeat stimulation. Seeing people do things I can't, buzz around actively, feels challenging at first. But as I adapt, I find a middle ground. Even for introverted me, an extroverted side emerges, finding balance. These days, meeting people with distinct differences, energetic people lets me discover new sides of myself, and it's refreshing.

Text | Shin Dabomi

Photo | Choi More