Apr 28 2021
We are at twenty episodes of Sober Yoga Girl, and what a journey it has been! In this episode I take a break from having guests on the show to catch you up on everything that's been going on in my life for the past few months. I led my first live yoga event in a year, a Sober Girls Brunch, and also my first ever Yoga Teacher Training Module for the Root Chakra: I am Grounded. I'm super excited about my two next upcoming courses: Sacral Chakra: I Go with the Flow - which is a 25- Hour Module out of a 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training Module in Yoga Philosophy, Surya Namaskar and Hip Anatomy. This course can count as 25-Hours YACEP (Yoga Alliance Continuing Education Program) or it can count towards a 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training with me. To learn more about this course, click this link: The second course that I'm launching is the 30 Hour Sober Curious Yoga Teacher Training, which will also count as a YACEP credit, but you don't need to be a yoga teacher to do the course. This course will teach you how to support others in creating a life they don't need alcohol to escape from, using yoga, mindfulness, community and coaching. To join this course, click this link.
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Make sure to follow Alex's journey on instagram @alexmcrobs and join her yoga, meditation, barre and coaching classes at www.themindfullifepractice.com.
TRANSCRIPT
Intro: Welcome to the “Sober Yoga Girl Podcast” with Alex McRobs, international yoga teacher and sober coach. I broke up with booze for good in 2019 and now I'm here to help others do the same. You're not alone and a sober life can be fun and fulfilling. Let me show you how.
Hello, everyone, welcome back to another episode of Sober Yoga Girl. Today's episode, I do not have a guest on the show. It is just me and I just wanted to pop on and say hi because today is our 20th episode, which is pretty cool. I have to admit to you, when I started this podcast earlier this year, I really had no plan for it. I didn't know where I was gonna take it. I didn't even have an idea of any guests that would wanna be on it other than my uncle. And at this point, we are now at our 20th episode. We have hit the top charts in mental health and fitness in a few different countries, but we've had so many incredible, inspiring and meaningful guests. So, thank you so much to everyone who has taken the time to sit down with me and have a chat. It's been amazing. And the podcast has now been downloaded in 62 countries. Seven hundred and forty three cities, five thousand five hundred times. So, it's pretty amazing for a show that is only two months old. So, thank you so much for everyone who has tuned in, and listened, and supported up until this point. And if you haven't already, if you can subscribe, like, share this show with anyone you think would benefit from it, it would really mean a lot. So, this few months has been pretty wild for me in Abu Dhabi. There has been a lot going on. And the first thing that happened is that I started doing live events for the first time in a year. So, I ran a sober girls branch. And what that included was a yoga practice, a three course vegan meal, some painting, and then some singing. And I co-hosted this with my friend, Jasmine Taylor, who is another sober girl in Abu Dhabi. She is a singer, a radio show host. And if you haven't listened, she did an episode a while back with me where she kind of talked about her journey becoming alcohol-free during the pandemic. And this event, I have to say, it was kind of emotional. I've gotten really into my Zoom bubble world, which has been incredible, but being able to be in person with people, and practice yoga together, and sing together, and create together, and talk together, like I almost forgot how meaningful and valuable that is. And I just was so, so grateful. I'm so grateful that here in Abu Dhabi, they have been able to be pretty on top of the vaccinations. About 50% of our population has been vaccinated, which means that we are able to do these live events, and I'm super grateful and I'm super proud of my host country for that. So, I do have another live event coming up this week, which is going to be really, really cool. I am taking a group of people on a yacht through Yas Marina. We're gonna do a sunset cruise. We will practice yoga. We will have some alcohol-free wine and beer from the Drink Dry store, which the founder of the Drink Dry store, Erika, was on one of my first episodes of Sober Yoga Girl, and she is amazing. She started this alcohol-free movement here in the UAE with these premium alcohol drinks. So, we're gonna have an opportunity to have some of those, have some catered food by soil store. And I am super, super pumped for that. So, that's gonna be my second live event in a year. And if you are listening to this show from somewhere else in the world that is not Abu Dhabi, I promise you, soon the world is gonna open up, and the first thing that's gonna be happening is I'm gonna be planning Sober Girls Yoga retreats, Sober Curious Yoga retreats. I'm gonna be planning live Yoga Teacher Trainings in person, most likely in Bali. That's my dream place. So, don't worry, there will be events for us and it's going to happen soon. I believe that the world is on its way out of Covid. We just have to keep kind of holding on and trucking through it. And so, don't feel like you're missing out. We will get together in person, I am sure. So, the other big thing that happened this month was that I did my first Yoga Teacher Training module, which is wild. So, my Yoga Teacher Training module was called Root Chakra. I am grounded. And this was kind of like a foundational intro to yoga teaching. We learned about the Koshas. We learned about the history of yoga, the Bhagavad Gita, the yoga sutras. We had an introduction into the seven chakras and the meaning of them. So, the Root Chakra, the Sacral Chakra, the Solar Plexus Chakra, the Heart, the Throat, the Third Eye, and then the Crown. We talked about bringing the theme into a yoga flow, how to structure a practice all the different definitions of yoga. There are so many different points of view. We learned about body alignment, how to Q poses, root to rise. We looked at some of the standing poses like downward dog triangle, wide legged forward fold, warrior one, two and three. We learned about all the different approaches to teaching a yoga class, and kind of learning that everyone has a different approach, and that's totally cool, because it's all about stepping into your authenticity. Right? So, I had a pretty amazing group. I had eight participants, which is wild. It honestly felt for me like, I was stepping into my purpose. You know, I've been an elementary school teacher for six years and I love teaching, but I often feel sometimes like there's just something that's not quite right about it. I'm not that passionate about teaching Maths. I'm not that passionate about teaching, you know, Science. And I'm not sure if teaching at the age that I'm teaching is quite right for me. I'm teaching six year olds. They are so cute, but so much of it is kind of classroom management dynamics, which doesn't really feed my soul. And teaching a group of adults in this setting, it was like, it was just this moment of like, Wow, I'm finally doing what I was born to do and I can't even describe to you what that was like. So, I'm super, super grateful for all of the people that join me on that training. And I'm actually going to be starting my second of these sets. So, I'll just explain to you how the Yoga Teacher Training is set up. So, I have my Yoga Teacher Training in seven chunks, that flow with the seven chakras. The first six modules are one month intensives, or they're 25 hours, and I'll be doing them in different formats. So, there will be some week long intensives as well. There will be a month long intensive in Bali, Inshallah. Which means hopefully in Arabic. So, Inshallah, next fall, there will be Yoga Teacher Training in person in Bali. But basically, how it's set up is it's 25 hours for each chakra. Right? And then, the final chakra, which is the Crown Chakra, is going to be 50 hours. So, we're gonna be moving into the Sacral Chakra, which is the center of the body, the energy center, which is right around the sacrum. And this is all about our creativity, our sensuality, our ability to go with the flow. And this chakra is going to be, or this course, is gonna be all about the philosophy of yoga, which is what I am most passionate about. And I actually was reading today about a study that showed, you can actually improve anxiety with a practice that includes the study of philosophy of yoga, much better than just physically doing the yoga poses or the Asana themselves. And I think that very much is true for my life. You know, I started practicing yoga and it was super healing and grounding and everything, but it was when I started studying the philosophy of it, and really learning practical skills to apply to my life and to change my perception and like, reframe my thinking. That kind of held the key for success for me for finding sort of contentment and happiness. And so, I am so excited about this second yoga teacher module, which is starting this Saturday, because it's going to be all about that stuff, the Philosophy, the Yamas, the Niyamas, the Clashes, which are the five things that kind of hold us back from achieving spirituality. Just gonna be a huge chunk about philosophy. We're gonna be doing a couple of poses that we didn't quite get to in the Root Chakra module. We're gonna be looking at Goddess Pose. We are gonna be looking at Standing Backbends. We are gonna be looking at Pyramid Pose and Revolve Triangle. So, that will be on the agenda. And we're also gonna be breaking down Surya Namaskar, which is a Vinyasa flow, right, is the theme of the practice is go with the flow or I can go with the flow. So, we're gonna be looking at Surya Namaskar. And then, we will spend a bit of time looking at the anatomy of the hips, right? Because the sacrum is physically connected to the hips. So, this is the Sacral Chakra Yoga Teacher Training. It's starting this Saturday. It's four hours every Saturday for the next month. It starts at 4:00 p.m., Abu Dhabi time, which is 1:00 p.m., U.K. time and 8:00 a.m., Toronto time. And we have had participants from all over the world. I'll tell you the countries we had, we had Abu Dhabi, we had Kuwait, we had Greece, we had the UK, we had Cayman Islands, we had the United States. I think that's it for the last training. So anyway, it's pretty amazing. You can join me for the whole Yoga Teacher Training. You can join me for just this course. So, definitely, check it out. Send me a DM on Instagram if you're interested in joining. I am super, super pumped up about it. All right. So, that's that. And then, I have one more really, really exciting thing. This is huge. I just opened Registration's last night for a new course. It's a brand new course. It's called the 30-hour Sober Curious Yoga Teacher Training. And so, we're gonna get straight to this. Sober Curious Yoga is growing. And I think it is the best way to support people holistically on alcohol-free journeys. It's a blended program of yoga and life coaching, and so many people's lives have been transformed through Sober Curious Yoga as well. And they've achieved balanced and purposeful and alcohol-free lives. And so, this, I think, is the next big thing as part of our Sober Curious Yoga challenge. And Daniel Sencier said it best on my most recent episode, came out last week. He said by helping others, you help yourself, and it's true. Right? By giving back to other people going through sober journeys, you help yourself. So, I'm super pumped about this new program. I am gonna be launching something big in July. And if you join this course, you can apply to later be a leader. It doesn't mean that everyone is gonna be ready to teach with Sober Curious Yoga. Some people might not be interested at all. Not everyone might be ready and committed to this. But I think if you're serious about it, if you put in the work, you can really transform your life and other people's lives. So, I'm so excited about this program because it's the only Sober Curious Yoga Teacher Training out there. I think it's well rounded, it's specialized, it's thorough. I'm sharing life coaching skills to create and hold space for groups on a sober yoga journey. And I really think that this holistic, and thorough, and in-depth program can really help people create a stable foundation for their lives, alcohol-free. Sober Curious Yoga Teacher Training is gonna show you step by step, how to support others on their sober yoga journey. And I think if any program is gonna help you grow your leadership skills, your listening skills, your communication skills, it's this one here. So, what's the reason why I decided to create this? Sober curious yoga movement is really growing. And I'm hearing that there's a need for holistic and alternative and open minded alcohol-free communities. And with this movement growing, I just can't run all the programs on my own. And so many members of our community are passionate about wanting to learn how to help others along the way, which is why I decided to create this course for you, so that everyone who wants to learn how to become a sober curious yoga teacher can do that. So, let me tell you more about what we are doing in this program. So, each week, there's going to be a two hour live training session with me. And in week one, we're gonna focus on the Top Seven Key Strategies for getting through your first week alcohol-free, and laying a foundation for eight weeks ahead. And then, week two, we're gonna get into the Chakras. So, this whole thing is segmented with the chakras, just like my Yoga Teacher Training is as well. Okay? So, week one is gonna be the Root Chakra and that's gonna be about aligning physical health, and your physical environment, and your finances. You're gonna be introduced how to create a safe space for a sharing circle. And then, in week three, we're gonna switch the focus to the Sacral Chakra, how to incorporate joy and pleasure into our lives. You're gonna learn about yoga, gray area drinking. And then, in week four, we're gonna switch over to the Solar Plexus Chakra, which is all about stepping into our personal power. Right? When this chakra is in balance, we feel confident. We have high self-esteem. We believe in our potential. We will help people learn how to reevaluate their work lives, so that their work is meaningful for them. We'll also learn about yoga and how it relates to anxiety and depression. When we transition into the Heart Chakra in week five, we're gonna take an in-depth look into relationship dynamics of family and friends and partners. And this week, I'm gonna introduce you to basic coaching skills, like how to create a safe space in group environments, how to listen without an agenda, how to ask powerful questions. And by week six, the Throat Chakra, we're gonna begin to explore creativity and self-expression. And you'll learn how to lead powerful meditations. In week seven, we'll dive into the Third Eye Chakra, we'll learn powerful techniques to guide clients, to find their life purpose. And then, by the final week, we're gonna look at the Crown Chakra, which is a sense of spirituality and tying it all together. By the end of the course, you're gonna understand why you need to look at the chakra system to have a holistic view of sobriety, and cultivate a daily yoga practice, daily journaling, and learn powerful techniques for habit change. So, I know that there are a ton of courses, there's a ton of challenges out there right now to quit alcohol. But Sober Curious Yoga is different from anything else. And that's because it teaches people how to create a life that they don't need alcohol to escape from, using yoga, using meditation, using coaching, using community. There's no abstract theory. It just gets straight to the point, and it shows you exactly what you need to do to help yourself and help others find holistic healing. And it's like this field guide, it's gonna give you all the secrets, and techniques, and strategies that are working for me and the community in Sober Curious Yoga. So, there's also a bunch of bonuses that I'm giving because I really want people to get the most they can out of this experience. So, if you join, you can do on-demand access of my Root Chakra teacher training. I am grounded, which I explained to the very start of the podcast. I also can throw in a introduction to Yoga, Alcohol, and Mental Health eBook. I also have another eBook that has introduction to the chakras. It's gonna let you apply the silent science of the chakras to holistic healing from alcohol use. And then, the fourth bonus is a free two month membership to the Mindful Life Practice Community for the duration of your course, which has unlimited on-demand live yoga, bar polarities, meditation classes. And then, as a member of the course, you get to access our secret WhatsApp group for Sober Curious Yoga Teacher Training students. So, I think that these free bonuses alone are gonna help people find their sustenance for alcohol-free journey. I think the free bonuses alone can transform your life and you'll have everything you need to succeed at becoming a Sober Curious Yoga Teacher and stay committed to your journey. Sober Curious Yoga is one of the most well-rounded ways to transform your life, and I know that it works really well. I've seen people transform their relationship with alcohol and stick to it. And so, if you wanna help others quit drinking and help yourself, you can sign up for it. You can join me for a one time payment of $495. If you don't have the money saved up right now, you can just do 10 installments of $55. But in my opinion, this is really not costing you anything because it's an investment in yourself and and that's worth everything. So, in order to sign up for this course, I'm gonna put the link in this description and I'm also gonna put a link for my Yoga Teacher Training. If you feel like it's right for you, you can click on the link to sign up. And then, as soon as you sign up, you'll get an email that gives you access to the member area of the MLPC. You can join our Zoom, you can join our on-demand classes, you'll get the free bonuses, and you'll get to join our WhatsApp group. And that is where the fun part really starts, because you're gonna be plugged into a community of like minded people who have the same vision and goal as you, to inspire and support others on a sober curious yoga journey and have fun along the way. So, in total, it's gonna be 16 hours of live trainings with me. They're gonna be on-demand. You can look at them any time after the training ends. And don't worry, everything is gonna be broken down to small bite sized chunks, so you won't feel overwhelmed. So, if you feel like it's right for you, make sure you click the link in the description and sign up. And I know our community is keen to take the next step and become leaders in this program. And as much as I wanna help everyone, I just can't take more than 16 students and still provide the small group support necessary for everyone to thrive. I wanna keep it small and intimate, so everyone gets seen and heard. So, because of that, I'm only accepting 16 students and it's gonna start on May 2nd. And you'll see on the page I have a countdown timer, and once it hits zero, the registration is gonna close, and the course will start a few days later. I think it might sell out a lot earlier since the card is gonna be only open for four days and a lot of people are interested, and spots are granted on this first come first serve basis. So, if you feel like it's right for you, click the link, sign up. I really hope you join. It would be amazing to meet you and get to know you. So, this is just kind of a little bit of a sum up of all the exciting things I have going on this month. If you don't sign up, if you don't join, please follow me along on Instagram. Follow me along on the podcast. I have some amazing podcast guests lined up over the next few weeks. So, a lot of amazing information and resources coming out your way. I am super, super grateful for all of you. Thank you again for being part of this community. And I really hope that I meet you soon in either the Yoga Teacher Training, in the Sober Curious Yoga Teacher Training, or even one of my live classes on Zoom. Have a beautiful, wonderful day and I will see all of you soon. Bye.
Outro: Thank you so much for tuning into this episode of Sober Yoga Girl with Alex McRobs. I am so, so grateful for every one of you. Don't forget to subscribe so you don't miss the next one and leave a review before you go. See you soon. Bye.