Sober Curious

Ruby talks to Layla F. Saad, author of NY Times best-seller Me And White Supremacy—a step-by-step reflection process for people with white privilege to examine their racist thoughts and behaviors, and their participation in white supremacy. In the words of Glennon Doyle, Layla's work is "personal, practical, reflective, applicable, difficult, effective, and imperative"—and her new book is a vital  "sobering up" to the realities of our racist society.In this episode we discuss:-The true definition and impact of White Supremacy.-White people’s addiction to privilege and the comfort + safety it brings.-Anti-racism work as part of our collective transformational process. -The importance of having an experienced mentor when doing deep personal work.-Racism as a negation and abasement of our full humanity.-Prioritizing living your values over your comfort—and living with integrity.-Not looking for rewards or expecting a feel-good payoff in our anti-racism work.-Giving up our sensitivity to the suffering of people of color in exchange for our white privilege.-Resisting discomfort as a way of preventing and blocking change.-The importance and value of making mistakes as we un-brainwash ourselves.-Being a “good ancestor” and the legacy we are leaving with our actions for future generations.You can learn more about Layla and her work at Laylafsaad.com, follow her on Instagram @laylafsaad, and subscribe to her Good Ancestor podcast. You can get your copy of Me And White Supremacy HERE.This season of the Sober Curious podcast is supported by Seedlip. Get 20% off all online orders throughout Feb 2020 at seedlipdrinks.com/us with the code DRYDATE. 

Jordan Younger, a.k.a The Balanced Blonde, quit drinking as part of her healing from Lyme disease. In this episode she talks to Ruby about sobriety for holistic wellbeing, and being a highly-sensitive person in a toxic world.Topics we also discuss:-Jordan's boozestory and early life as a party girl-Turning away from drinking culture after she turned 21-Not drinking on her bachelorette and at her wedding-Hearing the message to “never drink again” during an ayahuasca ceremony-Connecting to her alien “pleiadian” ancestors (!)-Her childhood OCD as a sign of an addictive personality -Addiction to “healthy” eating as a raw vegan blogger-Managing social media addiction when Instagram is an integral part of your work-Dealing with judgement about her unconventional wellness journeyDiscover more about Jordan and her work HERE and follow her healing journey on instagram @thebalancedblonde.This episode was created in partnership with Seedlip. Get 20% off online orders through Feb 29 2020 with the code DRYDATE at Seedlipdrinks.com/us and follow @seedlipsocial.

Ruby talks to As Needed For Pain author Dan Peres about holding down his high-profile media career in the grips of his opioid addiction, his attempts to get clean, and what it took to finally kick his 60-pill per day habit.In this episode, we also discuss:Why Dan waited until he had 10 years of sobriety before writing his memoir.-The insidious nature of opioid addiction.-Why he found pills despite working in an industry that is awash with booze and cocaine.-How he kept his addiction hidden from his colleagues, family, and friends.-Career status as part of an addiction to validation.-Wanting to be special vs. wanting to be normal.-Fear of withdrawal and the physical addiction to opioids.-The cornerstones of his sobriety today.-The advent of the opioids crisis.-His attempt to score heroin - and how his story may have turned out differently if he had.Get your copy of Dan's memoir As Needed for Pain HERE and follow him on Twitter and Instagram.This episode was produced in partnership with Seedlip, the world's first distilled non-alcoholic spirit. Get 20% off all orders during Feb 2020 at Seedlipdrinks.com/us and follow on Instagram @seedlipsocial.

Yogi and educator Sara Clark talks to Ruby about her experience of overcoming bulimia and exercise addiction, and the link between eating disorders and substance abuse.In this episode we  discuss:-Over-exercising as a way to numb feelings of inadequacy.-Workout culture as part of a fat phobic ideology.-A sexual trauma at college triggering her first bout of bulimia.-Disordered eating among women of color.-Her experience during and after treatment.-Our addictions as part of our identity.-What it means to have "thin privilege."-Cultivating an inner feeling of “okay’ness” first and foremost.-Yoga as part of her recovery – and the healing power of mantra and breath.-Fat phobia as part of the legacy of white supremacy.Follow @saraclarkyoga on Instagram to learn more about Sara and her work and check out details of her summer 2020  retreat HERE.This episode was created in partnership with Seedlip. Find them on Instagram @seedlipsocial and use the code DRYDATE to get 20% off online orders (except bundles) through Feb 29 2020.

When writer and podcaster Tawny Lara quit drinking ... she also quit faking orgasms! In this episode, which was recorded live at the alcohol-free Getaway bar in Brooklyn, she talks to Ruby about all the ways getting sober impacts our dating life and intimate relationships.Topics covered include:-Sex as a performance - and how alcohol enables this.-The positive influence of feminist porn.-Being honest and vulnerable about what you want, in and out of the bedroom.-Drinking as a way to mask body image issues.-Taking the guilt out of pleasure.-Self-pleasure as a practice of self-acceptance.-The things we don’t get taught in sex ed ...-Crying as an emotional orgasm.Tawny Lara is the co-host of the Recovery Rocks podcast. You can discover more about her work HERE and follow her on Twitter and Instagram.This episode is supported by Seedlip, the world's first non-alcoholic spirit. Learn more at Seedlipdrinks.com/us and  @seedlipsocial.

In this episode, author Laura McKowen shares how being honest with oneself and others is one of the cornerstones of living a sober or sober curious life—something that she illustrates with at times brutal clarity in her brilliant memoir, We Are The Luckiest. A self-confessed "little white liar," her story into and out of addiction, and her perfectly imperfect struggles to make sense of it all, is a literary gem, and a must-read for anybody on this path. In this episode we also discuss:- Why "permission to question everything" is what felt honest on her path to sobriety.- What being "sober curious" means to her.- How her boozy career in PR and marketing enabled her addiction.- The impacts of drinking on motherhood - and her views on navigating the toxic "wine mom" culture.- Her first sober party - and how she learned to socialize sober.- Her experiences with AA and her conflicted feelings about the 12-step program.- The most important practices in her sober tool-kit.- Writing as a tool for recovery and her favorite books.You can learn more about Laura and her work HERE, follow her on Instagram @laura_mckowen, and order a copy of We Are The Luckiest HERE.Season 3 of the Sober Curious podcast is supported by Seedlip, the world's first distilled non-alcoholic spirit. Get yours HERE and find them @seedlipdrinks.

"Zero-proof" is following in the footsteps of the meat-free movement—and Grüvi founders Niki and Anika Sawni are leading the charge. In this episode, they share the origin story of their brand, which begins with a family outing to a cannabis legalization party ...Raised in a super health-conscious home, Niki and Anika didn't grow up around booze, but that didn't stop them getting sucked into the college and tech industry drinking cultures. Having since become pioneers in the alcohol-free space, in this interview we also discuss:-The legalization of weed creating a need for non-alcoholic drinks.-Moving the whole family – along with the dog – from Toronto to Denver to start the business.-The benefits and challenges of running a family business.-The links between sobriety, self-belief, and entrepreneurship.-Sober Curiosity as a mindset of growth and progress.-Feeling the peer pressure when opting out of college drinking culture.-Binge drinking as a stand in for relaxation in over-achievers.-Using hangovers as  motivation for the "punishment" of being healthy.-Why Big Alcohol moving into the zero-proof space will only be a boost for the industry overall.You can learn more about Grüvi and get 20% off all online orders at Getgruvi.com (use the code RUBY 20).This episode is also supported by Lyres Impossibly Crafted Spirits. 

In this fascinating conversation with yogi and author Eddie Stern, we learn what's happening in our bodies when we crave a drink—and how the science of yoga is designed to help us understand what it is we really need.Eddie shares his own early history with drugs and alcohol, and the discovery that led him to quit all substance use aged just 19. In this episode we also discuss:-Being attracted to the risk-taking behavior of drink and drugs.-Using psychedelics as a way of seeking meaning and self-fulfillment.-Using yoga to achieve higher states of consciousness.-The experience of “being awareness” vs. changing our awareness …-Learning how to fully inhabit our body and understand its urges.-Using substances to forget the limitations of the physical world.-Perfectionism as a pointless—and addictive—pursuit.-Developing a neutral mind and practicing non-attachment.-How yoga supports the body’s homeostatic function—and all the ways this can get out of balance.Check out Eddie's new book, One Simple Thing, and follow him on Instagram to soak up more of his yogic teachings!This episode was created in partnership with Grüvi and Lyres.

Alcohol is often used as shortcut to connection - but it's no substitute for the real thing. In this episode we hear from Chris Marshall, founder of booze-free bar Sans Bar, about how his craving for connection was what fueled his addiction, and his mission to change the face of sober socializing forever. Chris is a natural story-teller, and, with a background in counseling, he’s also very skilled at self-analysis. Listening to him unpack the subconscious beliefs and unmet emotional needs behind his drinking shows the positive impact of doing this inner work – of working out your WHY - no matter where you’re at on your sober or sober curious path. In this episode we also discuss: -The danger of avoiding social situations in sobriety -The difference between healthy alone-time and isolating -The incident at age five that shattered his confidence and sense of self -Making choices that back up negative subconscious beliefs -Knowing alcohol was a problem for him the first time he tried it aged 16 -Perceiving drinking to be the only path to connection - when it actually pushed people away -His two experiences of rehab – and the question that became the turning point in his sobriety -The role of anti-depressants in his recovery -The importance of getting professional help when needed -The origin story of Sans Bar and how he got his concept off the ground Chris will be taking Sans Bar on the road for a 15-stop tour in 2020. Learn more HERE and follow along on Instagram for all the latest updates. This episode was created in partnership with Grüvi and Lyres.

With her 2015 book This Naked Mind, Annie Grace was the original pioneer of the "new sobriety" movement. In this episode, she shares about the push back she received at the time, how attitudes have changed, and her belief that the biggest advances in society always come from outside of the existing paradigm. Annie and her work have been a huge inspiration to Ruby on her Sober Curious path, and in this fascinating conversation we hear the origin story for Annie's book, along with a peek inside her "naked mind." Other topics covered include: -Getting death threats after she published This Naked Mind—and how she persevered with her mission. -How her unconventional upbringing helped hardwire her for curiosity. -The other books, thinking, and philosophies that have inspired her. -The biggest challenges she faces as a sober person and the tools she goes to. -The ways she has found to escape and manage stress without alcohol. -Creating better boundaries and recognizing what she can no longer tolerate in sobriety. -Why more people questioning their drinking is part of a bigger shift in consciousness. -What she thinks is the future of the sober curious movement. Discover more about Annie and her work and listen to her podcast at thisnakedmind.com and find her podcast HERE. This episode was created in collaboration with Grüvi and Lyre's.