‘Tis the season of festive soirées and cocktail hours, where last night’s indulgences are met with this morning’s all-too-familiar mantra of “I’m never drinking again”. As the new year looms, many of us start to question our relationship with alcohol.
Sober curiosity continues to take up space in the wellness world, and young women are seemingly spearheading the movement. Just ask Alex McRobert, the internet’s resident ‘Sober Yoga Girl’, whose experimentation with sobriety changed the trajectory of her life forever…
After moving from Canada to the vibrant tapestry of the Middle East at the tender age of 23, Alex found herself caught between the rigidity of a 9-5 career and an alluring expat party lifestyle. Amidst stress and depression, alcohol soon enough became her coping crutch. In an effort to reclaim her wellness, Alex quit drinking for a month, a decision that quickly set the stage for what has now become her thriving online community, The Mindful Life Practise.
In carving a niche online, Alex fashioned a haven for the soberly curious, a virtual sanctuary where communities could converge, embracing curiosity and venturing into sobriety through the conduit of yoga and other wellness disciplines.
Cosmo ME sat down with the woman behind the movement to dive into the power of yoga and sobriety as primary pillars of wellness.
The transformative power of leaning into sober curiosity
The cultural shift toward sobriety has become clear in recent years, especially among the cohorts of Gen Z. Young people are seemingly utilising space online to steer the discourse towards sobriety, well-being, and the art of embracing a softer, more mindful existence. In moving away from the stresses of her life, this quickly became Alex’s reality. Reflecting on her transformative journey, she articulated,
“For me, one of the moments that stands out to me was probably the second Saturday when I got up and wasn’t hungover. I remember looking at myself in the elevator mirror in my apartment building in Abu Dhabi and for the first time liking who I saw looking back at me. I think this was a moment when it started to anchor in for me that I wanted to stay sober not just for the short term, but for the long term”.
Alex remained sober from that first month on, stating, “I never planned to stay sober long term when I originally quit – my plan was to be alcohol-free for a month and then reassess. However, it just improved my life so dramatically that I decided to stay sober long term”.
Societal standards of sobriety
Navigating social landscapes while adhering to sobriety can be a daunting task, often leaving individuals fearing feeling excluded in social settings. Alex candidly shares her struggles, stating, “This was a huge struggle for me. When I quit drinking, I struggled to connect with the groups of friends that I used to socialize with. I felt very alone.”
Addressing these challenges, Alex emphasizes the importance of transparency and honesty,
“What worked best for me was to be transparent and honest with my friends about my desire to quit drinking. For others, being vulnerable is challenging. I know what has worked well for many of my clients is to make some sort of health commitment such as training for a marathon. That can be a good reason to be alcohol-free that won’t draw too much attention to the conversation around sobriety.”
Alex recognizes that sobriety is actually becoming widely accepted in society. Non-alcoholic options are on the rise at social events, sober travel is gaining global traction, and Generation Z’s candid discussions about mental health are creating a more supportive environment for individuals to explore sobriety. As the world evolves, Alex is carving out a space for young women alike with her popular online community.
The birth of Sober Yoga Girl: finding community through sobriety
This journey of sobriety birthed the Sober Girls Yoga Program —an online sanctuary by sober yoga girl herself, offering a 30-day program to relinquish drinking while fostering a spiritual practice through yoga, journaling, and community engagement. Sober Girls Yoga stands as an integral facet of Alex’s broader online community, the Mindful Life Practice, dedicated to supporting individuals in cultivating holistic well-being practices.
Among other wellness practices like journaling and mindfulness, yoga emerges as the keystone that fortified Alex on her journey to sobriety. Reflecting on her passion for yoga, she notes,
“The reason I became so passionate about it was because I was struggling with my mental health, and yoga at the time was the only thing that worked. It helped me quiet my mind, open my heart, and get grounded in a place of gratitude”.
The main benefit of regular yoga practice is its role in fostering a profound mind-body connection. Stress management, a common hurdle for those striving to maintain sobriety, finds a conduit in yoga. For the sober yoga girl herself, yoga became a potent tool for sobriety, offering an outlet for stress release.
It addresses the emotional aspect too, countering the tendency to rely on alcohol for coping. The practice becomes a vehicle for spiritual development, a facet as Alex states, is “commonly missing in our modern society”. By reconnecting with our emotions, we traverse a path toward self-discovery and comfort without the crutch of alcohol.
Charting a path forward: follow the Sober Yoga Girl journey
Championing women to seize control of their well-being stands at the vanguard of Alex’s sober yoga girl ethos. Operating from Bali, Indonesia, Alex conducts Yoga Teacher Trainings and orchestrates international yoga retreats across the globe. With aspirations to host exclusive Sober Girls Yoga retreats in the near future, this sober yoga girl is poised for an upward trajectory.
Aspiring to inspire, Alex McRoberts, the internet’s sober yoga girl, encourages individuals to delve into the thriving community, inviting them to partake in the transformative journey of well-being. Click here to learn more.