This episode is a special bonus episode with Alex & Cathy from their weekly Facebook Live! In this episode, Alex & Cathy share about sober news, sober week and what's coming up for their next group of Challenge to Recovery participants.
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The next 30 Day Challenge starts September 4th and there are less than five spots left - if you'd like to join, sign up here. https://www.themindfullifepractice.com/30daychallenge As well, the next 108 Day Recovery begins September 11th. This is for women who are further along in their sober journey (2+ months). https://www.themindfullifepractice.com/108-day-recovery Finally, for those who want to be leaders in the Sober Girls Yoga community, we're launching the next Deep Dive Into Sober Yoga here. https://www.themindfullifepractice.com/deepdive . #podcast#newepisode#sober#yoga#sobernews. Follow me on Instagram @alexmcrobs and check out my offerings in yoga, meditation and coaching at http://themindfullifepractice.com/.
Transcript
Alex: Hi friend this is Alex McRobbs founder of the Mindful Life Practice and you're listening to the Sober Yoga Girl podcast. I'm a Canadian who moved across the world to the Middle East at age 23 and I never went back. I got sober in 2019 and I now live full-time in Bali, Indonesia. I've made it my mission to help other women around the world stop drinking, start yoga and change their lives through my online sober girls yoga Community. You're not alone and a sober life can be fun and fulfilling, let me show you how.
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Alex: Here we are. Good morning everyone. Um, super excited, super happy to be here. It's Tuesday morning in Bali. It's Monday night in Cleveland and we are coming at you for our weekly live. So, if anyone's watching comment, let us know where you're watching. If you have questions for us and uh let's just jump right in. So, how are you doing Cathy?
Cathy: I'm doing well, how are you doing?
Alex: I'm good, I'm doing good. It's day two of Sober Curious Yoga Week, which is really exciting.
Cathy: Oh my Gosh, the kickoff was so cool.
Alex: It was awesome. There were so many people, old faces, new faces.
Cathy: Yes, It was so awesome. I just loved it. Like it just ah what community. Is all about you know,
Alex: Yeah, it was awesome and you know I was thinking a lot about, so that time slot it's 8 a.m Sunday. It's when we typically have a Sober Girls Club and we have a guest speaker every week and I've been thinking a lot about making it a um just like a sober community meeting so that men can join as well because um it was really nice. There were two men in the group and it was just really nice to have some different like energy and perspective.
Cathy: It was and it seemed like you know the men that were there were saying well we'd love to have our own men's group but not not a ton of men are like joining and so you know I think it, you know like when I was in one of your groups, it was like half and half that we met like I think it was 7 a.m my time for almost a whole year you know. The whole year and I loved that group and there's people from all over the world and from Ireland to um Dubai and it was just I don't know it really was a lot of energy. First Saturday morning at 7 a.m it was really kind of like my my go-to group.
Alex: Yeah, that's so true. There's definitely a value in in both like the women's only spaces and the group community so
Cathy: I agree,
Alex: Totally.
Cathy: I agree, that's awesome. Yeah, so I've been looking forward now. What day, I don't. My schedule is all messed up because I've been back to school. When is Rolf Gates coming and one is Tommy Rosen coming?
Alex: So, Tommy is um tomorrow for you guys today for me, which is really exciting. So. he is for me it's tonight at 11 p.m Bali time which is um or no sorry 10 p.m Bali time which is 10 a.m Eastern Standard and then Rolf is on Thursday so that will be amazing.
Cathy: My gosh, I am so excited.
Alex: So, if anyone's listening to this who hasn't joined yet um, Rolf and Tommy are two big names in the sober world. They're coming on for a live interview on Zoom. So, that means everyone is welcome to join to listen in, to ask questions. So, make sure that you uh you jump in and join.
Cathy: Yes. Oh my Gosh and
Alex: Okay oh, sorry you go ahead.
Cathy: Oh go ahead, what were you gonna say?
Alex: I was gonna ask um, let's talk about some sober news this week. What's? you know,
Cathy: That's why I'm playing with my phone and trying to focus at the same time. I'm trying to find my sober news that I like saved but I can't figure out where I saved it. So, I'll just do. Um so, what about you?
Alex: Okay so I'm actually really enjoying this now. Making it a weekly ritual about um googling some sober news. Okay, so this was something I thought was really cool. So, the University of Windsor, which is university in Canada, has opened up a residence just for sober living. So, just sober people when they go to university can stay in their in in a separate residence that's only for sober people and I thought that was really cool because residents culture is really all about drinking and it's really nice to like create that safe space for for people that are sober.
Cathy: That is fascinating, I would love to know more about like how it's going you know like that that's so interesting. I love it.
Alex: Yeah, yeah and I wonder like if that's, I don't know if it's like the first sober residence in the world or like if other ones exist? But I thought that was really cool.
Cathy: That is, I wonder and especially with all I do with colleges um I do a lot of college admissions like counseling for kids applying to colleges and I can't say that's ever come up in my 20 years like as a want um from students and just touring. I've toured over probably 400 colleges um and I you know there's pet friendly, there's senior citizens living on campus, I don't ever remember even like there's a healthy living one. Um, but I don't remember that that ever being a theme.
Alex: Yeah.
Cathy: Interesting to me as you know a professional in the in the field as well.
Alex: Yeah, it's pretty cool. Pet friendly residents, wow I would like that too.
Cathy: I know it's so cool. It's like, it's a big thing, it's a big thing. It's awesome.
Alex: All right, the next thing that I saw is that you know Shia Labeouf is?
Cathy: No?
Alex: Okay, Shia Labeouf was on, do you remember the show Even Stevens?
Cathy: Yes, yes I remember.
Alex: Yes, Shia Labeouf was the um the boy in that family like the actor. Um, yeah he has 627 days over this week which is really cool.
Cathy: Yay.
Alex: Yeah,
Cathy: Oh my gosh.
Alex: And what else? I put, I put about five articles in the Mind Life Practice newsletter. Um, one is about the sober curious movement in Ireland. One is about festivals in the UK and then another um another person I actually don't even know who this name is. His name is Labo M. He's an international composer. Um I just put it in the link but he had 17 years sober this week so that is so.
Cathy: Oh my gosh, I love that Ireland is like making the movement because I remember I was like seven or eight months sober when I was supposed to go see my son in Scotland and I was, then the world shut down and I remember being scared to death and when I say sober I was alcohol free but with no support and I was scared to death about going to Scotland. And I just feel like the you know the, the England, UK, all that is just doing such amazing things in the last couple years. Love to go like on a tour it would be so cool.
Alex: Yeah, that would be amazing. Oh Carolyn is typing in the chat saying where do we find the newsletter? Um the newsletter can come to you to your email if you're subscribed to them. Um now if you're not seeing them I would think that Carolyn would be subscribed since Carolyn does a lot of the activities so if you're not seeing them it might be in your spam or your promotions folder. Um so, check that or I can also make sure that you get subscribed. Um but yeah, the newsletter is great because we put all the upcoming events all the upcoming workshops I put in um the sober news, I put the news of the week actually in in this newsletter um I mentioned that Carolyn is 600 days over actually.
Cathy: So Carolyn you're in that newsletter.
Alex: Yeah, so it's it goes to your email. I can send you the link to this one but um it might be in spam or promotions or you might need to resubscribe.
Cathy: That's so funny, my sister is on the. She, she went to I think she did Sober Yoga Week last week, last year and so she gets your emails and or your newsletter and she's not part of the community but she's always like, you didn't tell me you were doing this, you didn't tell me you were going to Mexico you did. She's like it's so funny she was like how come I I stay on it because Alex tells me what's going on with your life.
Alex: That's so funny.
Cathy: Like there's an idea, you could come to our classes too. So um, just a thought but that's so cool that is such like cool news. The, The big news okay, two things that I saw this week. Um, Chris Marshall who is the owner and creator of Sans Bar in Austin, Texas um he has made like waves like he's been in magazines he's been on news on the news for being a alcohol-free mixologist and pretty much his name in my mind. I don't know if this is true but in Cathy's mind like and I, I would think many people would agree with me like he's kind of the guru of um you know getting like his stamp of approval but he has this pop-up bar or he has his bar in Austin, Texas. But he does a lot of pop-up events so he's been in like Seattle, New York City like it's like the he's the big reason Sober in the City is like you know revolving around him but he just made um they just did an article on him or he was quoted in Vogue magazine. Which I think is just like huge for the United States and just saying like this is the way people are thinking and you know a sober free alcohol free sober curious lifestyle. So, I just think that's so just mind-blowing because I've seen Chris like he was a leader on the Luckiest Club when I first started there and just to see what he like in the pan he survived he had just opened his bar when the pandemic hit and so his alcohol-free bar and so he has survived that and pivoted and done all these things and a lot of different alcohol-free vendors. Like to get you know him to go on shows with them and do things and he's and he's just such a genuine soul. Um so, I'm really excited that he vogue and I tried to find it like I was trying to I was going to read something. It's hilarious he doesn't have it on his sober bar account or on his personal account. I it's just that everybody else has it like posted about him he's so humble. He's just so darn humble, so love him love him.
Alex: That's so cool. I'm gonna have to check that out. I think when, it's pretty amazing when you see someone who has been like part of your sober journey like part of your sober community and then like evolving into this big like well-known person who's in vogue like I just think that's incredible.
Cathy: I do, I just think and he runs like a lot of the BIPOC meetings at TLC and he's just um he's just amazing. He really is for the work that he does. He's just the salt of the earth it's so cool he's and the world deserves Chris and um he deserves the world is how I feel about him. So that's so cool. Um and then the other thing that was like breaking news that a lot of people posted about this week and I finally listened to his podcast. Was that Andrew Huberman. Um, he does a lot of science like out of Stanford and I've like I've used him in a couple of yoga classes with like his gratitude. He did a whole study on science and gratitude but he did one on alcohol and it was really, it was really long. It was like almost two hours um but it was really interesting if you you could stick with it or like put it on pause but he still used the word alcoholism and I just, I don't know like I that was the only part that I was still like oh I'm having a hard time with this. So um, he, every once in a while, he'd say alcohol abuse disorder, abuse disorder. So, it was interesting. But he's got some interesting research um so that was a lot of people really liked it. I don't know like I, I thought it was interesting so that was my other like part of the news that I finally like actually did a little research on.
Alex: I'll have to check him out, because he keeps coming up in my um like in on my Instagram you know. Come up on someone's story or someone's post or whatever.
Cathy: Oh he came on your story because I invited him to Sober Yoga Week. I called him out and said, hey you've had other people like you should come on our week this week and then I sent him a personal message so I really think he should join Sober Yoga Week this week just because you know I call them out.
Alex: Maybe he'll join next year, it truly feels like every year we're like manifesting a new you know big person. Like last year we had Andy Ramage, this year we have Rolf and Tommy. Like, it's just incredible.
Cathy: Remember when you had Andy Ramage last year and I was brand new to the community and I had no idea who this man is and I log on, I'm like wow a lot of people came to this session. This guy was fascinating. I had no idea who he was until he started talking and still didn't know where he really was until like the very end it was hilarious. it was, last year's like Sober Yoga Week was so inspiring, it was so cool.
Alex: Yeah, let's talk about that. Right as we were logging on you shared that it was like something that really inspired you.
Cathy: It did. You know, I was kind of new to the community and I had that was when I was still like um still logging on but not putting my camera on when I was doing yoga and you know I feel like that week really kind of broke me into the community. Like feeling welcome, hearing the topics, I put myself out there and did a topic or two maybe even. So you know, it was just um, it was great to see the community. What I noticed was the community rallied and really loved it and I felt that again yesterday you know it was like yay like it was like our, our festival you know. Like it's like the opening of the like the opening ceremonies yesterday morning and it was so cool to be part of that and just see how it's grown and evolved.
Alex: Yeah. Oh it's and it's amazing how strong our community is that it could just come together because something I shared in the meeting yesterday was that I actually wasn't even planning on doing this event until like literally 10 days ago. Um, it was just something that there was so much in my life and I was like whatever, no one's gonna notice if I don't do it and like people just kept asking about it like people are like I'm gonna do that thing again and um and so I ended up pulling it together about two weeks ago and like to have this big of a turnout for something that's just been promoted recently on Facebook. Like it's just amazing.
Cathy: Well and I think it says a lot about like what, how we feel as a community and what the world is needing you know and I just you know, I think every time we turn around it you know more and more people are gravitating because this is a soft place to land and learn about yourself. And I mean that's how I felt. You know I, I was two years sober when I joined but I still had so much to learn and I obviously still do but it's just such a safe place to learn. And I feel like all the different topics really make you realize there's so much to sobriety besides putting down the drink that we can all work on and it's just it, it's an interesting way to go about it in a in a safe way, you know? Is really what I always say about it too about so.
Alex: It’s so true. I, I love what you just I'm trying to remember it um you just had a soft place to land and learn about yourself. That's just beautiful.
Cathy: Yeah, yeah that's how I really feel about the MLPC and the Sober Yoga. It just um I, I just felt like my voice was heard and appreciated and I feel like you know and I'm able to hold that space for others now so easily you know and I want them to have that same experience. So, it's really it's really amazing to watch that.
Alex: Yeah that's awesome. So, coming up um at the end of this week and and next week so at the end of this week the next 30 Day Sober Challenge is starting and this is for people in initial sobriety and what I was actually saying to Cathy right before we went live. Is that there's only like a couple spots left in that challenge which is really really exciting. So, if you did want to join, we do cap these programs at 15 because we want to make sure that everyone gets to know each other and gets connected and get heard so I'm gonna put a link to this at the end of this um call. If you want to jump on that 30 Day Challenge and also at the end of next week the next 108 Day Recovery is starting and we have quite a few people. I think we have like five people already signed up for that which is really exciting.
Cathy: It is and you know I've had that, I've had groups of 10 or maybe 11 of women and I just think it's such a nice number and everybody really bonds over those 108 days of just sharing and growing together. It's so cool.
Alex: Yeah and it's going to be awesome because this time we have a mix of, we have a few people that are coming out of the 60 challenge. We have some people that are new to it, so um so, that's and this will be the first time you're running two groups at once. Which is really cool.
Cathy: I know, this, it just keeps growing and growing and it's so incredible and I'm just so grateful and the women are just like, we had a meeting on Saturday and I read I did a meditation I had never done before and we were all just like our minds were blown by the end of it. It was just, it was like it walked you back to like your childhood and like holding yourself there and it just was so cathartic. Even just being the person who led it and I just, I love that that we I get to grow with. You know, I always say this isn't my program this is our program and I feel really strongly about that because this is helping me grow every single time. So you know, like oh I get to grow double with, with two groups so it's so cool.
Alex: And speaking of it being, oh sorry you go ahead.
Cathy: No, mine was gonna be silly stay on track.
Alex: I, I was gonna say, speaking of it being our program we also have a ton of new leaders coming in and joining us and so we are launching the new Deep Dive into Sober Yoga. Which is pretty much going to be like an all-encompassing. Um, holistic program helping people learn the Sober Curious Yoga Teacher Training content, the Yoga Teacher Training content and have leadership experience in volunteering with these 30 and 60 and 108 day challenges and that is starting also on the 11th. We have a few women signed up for that. We have some women who are already part of that program from last month and so if you're someone who you're like, man this sounds amazing, I really want to get involved as a leader, I want to participate, I want to help other women um who are starting their sober journey that is the third option for you.
Cathy: It was so interesting, Friday night I gave my talk um at another community and one of the things I talked about was you know the serving and you know like giving back and that that's where I found my voice and it was so awesome afterwards like I gave my you know Instagram information and my um email. And just so, many women saying you know I want to get to the point, point where I can serve and do. So and I'm like you can be at that point at any time you know. Choose to serve. Choose to give back, you know. I think the sooner you, you I you know I think you do have to have a little bit of time and you know but I, I just think that it really helps you grow, you know. Giving a talk, doing a workshop, helping with whatever, that's where I really got more grounded and and feel like I've launched to find to come home to me is the only way I can describe it.
Alex: Totally, totally. All right well, I have to get going um because I do have, I have raquel in the waiting room. One of the mind-blowing practice teachers I'm having a meeting with this morning. But this has been like such an awesome live. It's been so fantastic and um anyone that's interested Cathy and I do these lives every single week um the intention is to start them at 6 p.m / 6 a.m. We're usually a few minutes late to be totally honest with you. Um we hope you come in.
Cathy: I don't know.
Alex: We hope you join us listen and live. Ask us questions and um Cathy also has a workshop um Community and Sobriety at the very end of Sober Week. So, we hope you join that live as well.
Cathy: Yes yes. All right. Enjoy Sober Yoga Week and I love um catching up with you Alex.
Alex: It's awesome. It's a great way to start my Tuesday. See you soon.
Cathy: Bye see you later.
Alex: Hi friend, thank you so much for listening to this episode of Sober Yoga Girl podcast. This community wouldn't exist without you here. So thank you. It would be massively helpful if you could subscribe, leave a review and share this podcast so it can reach more people. If we haven't met yet in real life please come get your one week free trial of the Sober Girls Yoga membership and see what we're all about sending you love and light wherever you are in the world.
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