Dry January (or "January" to Trag)

[washing machine]

Good stuff, mother. Meditation actually kind of is my thing, but not in a daily practice sort of way. I enjoy finding something in silence. My problem is probably one of impulse and distraction. I crave silence but I'm addicted to the noise. All of it. The buzz, the content on the podcast, the guitars while I'm driving, flavors. The textures, everything. Call it a consumer problem.

[Dev]

Goes way beyond killing boredom for me

[washing machine]

How so?

[Dev]

.

[Mother]

Practice makes perfect apparently. I openly confess to not being perfect and definitely love a weekend buzz but I've managed to balance it out with a quiet, happy mind and environment, and lots of exercise and healthy food. Balance for the win!

[Dev]

Balance and moderation I think is a fundamental challenge for some of us.

[Mother]

I get it....I have a solid case of ADHD but come from placid stock and have done a lot of work on myself. Wishing you all the best with your challenges

[washing machine]

Since we're talking meditation, is anyone familiar with yoga nidra?

I've been doing 30 minute sessions guided by earbuds on and off for the last couple of years and it truly is a great way to rest in the middle of the day. I'll try not to oversimplify, but it's basically a corpse pose, eyes closed, while you're guided through a full body scan and then some word/image association. Before long, you're out but never really "out".

Feels as good as a nap. Good for people who can't turn their mind off long enough to actually nap.

[coptheriotact]

Since we're talking meditation, is anyone familiar with yoga nidra?

I've been doing 30 minute sessions guided by earbuds on and off for the last couple of years and it truly is a great way to rest in the middle of the day. I'll try not to oversimplify, but it's basically a corpse pose, eyes closed, while you're guided through a full body scan and then some word/image association. Before long, you're out but never really "out".

Feels as good as a nap. Good for people who can't turn their mind off long enough to actually nap.

something similar is at the end of my yoga routine although because i dont use the audio guide anymore i still do corpse pose but not so much any image and word association.

ive been working on my drinking a lot over the last 5 years, i wish i started cutting back 15 years ago though.. ive cut down to 2 standard drinks a day, i almost never go over that limit, i just go to bed if i feel like i need more. start later in day, finish early. remember i can have more tommorow.

i still havent figured out how to do social appearances, especially sitting around at a table with no real activity but to eat/drink/talk because i relied so much on alcohol in the past, its just uncomfortable.

i also still struggle with a watching sports when im invested in the team.

[tree_]

Welp, I climbed my mountain, 55 days, and what I learned, about self-authorship, autonomy, about what it feels like to truly be myself and present, cannot be unlearned. Before, I would often endure being present, at the wheel, and now I prefer it, and when I'm not there, I miss it. I no longer feel the same level of desire to escape.

I had a few drinks a couple nights ago, and I feel OK about that. I never want to be a frequent or especially a daily drinker again, and if I find myself slipping back into that routine, I know I have the tools to step away and reset.

For me, this stretch was about learning to take control instead of outsourcing myself. That lesson sticks. Life doesn’t have to be perfect or optimized all the time, just mostly aligned, most of the time.

Grateful for the honesty here and for everyone sharing their experiences.

[washing machine]

Since we're talking meditation, is anyone familiar with yoga nidra?

I've been doing 30 minute sessions guided by earbuds on and off for the last couple of years and it truly is a great way to rest in the middle of the day. I'll try not to oversimplify, but it's basically a corpse pose, eyes closed, while you're guided through a full body scan and then some word/image association. Before long, you're out but never really "out".

Feels as good as a nap. Good for people who can't turn their mind off long enough to actually nap.

i still havent figured out how to do social appearances, especially sitting around at a table with no real activity but to eat/drink/talk because i relied so much on alcohol in the past, its just uncomfortable.

I wonder if alcohol has just made us all so good at bullshit small-talk?

[washing machine]

Welp, I climbed my mountain, 55 days, and what I learned, about self-authorship, autonomy, about what it feels like to truly be myself and present, cannot be unlearned. Before, I would often endure being present, at the wheel, and now I prefer it, and when I'm not there, I miss it. I no longer feel the same level of desire to escape.

I had a few drinks a couple nights ago, and I feel OK about that. I never want to be a frequent or especially a daily drinker again, and if I find myself slipping back into that routine, I know I have the tools to step away and reset.

For me, this stretch was about learning to take control instead of outsourcing myself. That lesson sticks. Life doesn’t have to be perfect or optimized all the time, just mostly aligned, most of the time.

Grateful for the honesty here and for everyone sharing their experiences.

Thanks for sharing, tree. I love these insights and I hope good things for you.

I hope you keep posting here about your journey. This isn't a "sobriety" thread, I wouldn't think. Nor should dry January be a total sobriety journey. Keep us updated.

[Dev]

You two were getting so crazy confident I had a feeling someone would slip imminently but I didn't want to put it out there either. The immediate relief and revelation of getting sober is hard to sustain. Eventually the difficulties of life reemerge. Oh well. 55 days is pretty legendary, tree_. Hopefully ya keep trending in the right direction.

And you have nuts of steel for making that post and living your truth.

[96583UP]

congrats, tree

[Dev]

I am not sure if yoga or meditation is the answer for me but I am starting to think a mystical approach may be the way to go.

[Bammer]

Welp, I climbed my mountain, 55 days, and what I learned, about self-authorship, autonomy, about what it feels like to truly be myself and present, cannot be unlearned. Before, I would often endure being present, at the wheel, and now I prefer it, and when I'm not there, I miss it. I no longer feel the same level of desire to escape.

I had a few drinks a couple nights ago, and I feel OK about that. I never want to be a frequent or especially a daily drinker again, and if I find myself slipping back into that routine, I know I have the tools to step away and reset.

For me, this stretch was about learning to take control instead of outsourcing myself. That lesson sticks. Life doesn’t have to be perfect or optimized all the time, just mostly aligned, most of the time.

Grateful for the honesty here and for everyone sharing their experiences.

Dry, Too

[BurtReynolds]

Let's all get drunk to celebrate.

[spike]

Can’t Keep Drinking

[spike]

Mind Your Tannins

[spike]

Aliver