A super easy sober October.

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With three more days to go of the month it’s time to reflect on how my sobriety is going. How am I feeling about it and how is it making me feel? In short, it’s been really easy! With the exception of over indulging on mango slices once or twice, I stayed within the recommended max sugar intake*. I also managed to steer clear of sugary condiments, drinks and foods, and not a single drop of honey or syrup was added to anything. Although I didn’t bother measuring out every single serving of fruit I consumed, I did read my labels, eyeballed my quantities, and kept track throughout the day. For example,If I had applesauce with my oatmeal in the morning there would be no pineapple juice in my midday smoothie. If I didn’t have my smoothie, I got to have mango slices as a sweet treat! This liberal approach turned the process into a fun practice of self-control suitable for my lifestyle, rather than a rigorous operation dominating my life.

I have on occasion thought to myself that a little weed would be nice, but immediately remembering also how interesting and rewarding this elongated state of sobriety is. I look forward to consuming marijuana in a more celebratory, ritual and grateful manner once my goal is completed. 

As far as alcohol goes, I haven’t had a single thought of it. To be honest, my first stint in an Ashram in 2016 left me with an intense sensitivity to alcohol, or rather, a clear awareness of my sensitivity.

Prior to the Ashram I could easily down 25 drinks a week mixed with other stimulants and depressants. I never much reflected on my hangovers and I even felt a warped union with my fellow post- party zombies. Drinking culture is widely accepted and even encouraged in my community. I can’t remember ever being reprimanded for constantly coming into work at a minimum capacity, if any capacity at all. Drinking provided a source of entertainment, something I now recollect with horror. ​

Today I’m grateful for my sensitivity awareness and I cultivate it. In preparation for Fall and this month of abstinence, I performed a cleanse, which did exactly that. Shankh Prakshalan (never perform without guidance and always consult your Dr.) is a pretty accessible Yogic, purifying technique that clears your digestive tract. One of the effects is that you strip the mucosal plexuses and thereby super- sensitize yourself. With this self-inflicted vulnerability, I was forced to eat simple rice for almost a week, had to refrain from anything even remotely acidic or spicy for about two weeks, and I was pretty much fully restored in the third. On top of feeling restored I also felt purified, clear, and motivated to cut out more “bad stuff” from my life, leading me to what I’d like to call a Super- Easy Sober October. Writing down my goal also really helped. 

​Thanks for providing me with some accountability!

*The American Heart Association recommends no more than 25g of added sugars for women and 36g for men, I set this as the parameter for my total max sugar intake of fruits and other naturally occurring dietary sugars.