Author: Megan Swan

In the latest episode of “Wellness As A Way of Life,” I sat down with guest Gregg Ostrin to explore his profound journey of overcoming toxic masculinity, addiction, and societal expectations. Through candid conversations and personal reflections, Gregg shared his experiences of finding solace, self-discovery, and, ultimately, empowerment. He made a point of telling me how, ‘thanks to’ the pandemic, he started going to meetings again every day, and this time around, he found a deeper fellowship and spiritual connection. Gregg Ostrin: Breaking Free from Societal Expectations: Growing up feeling inadequate under the weight of his father’s expectations, Gregg sought…

Recovery with Yoga: Supportive Practices for Transcending Addiction was released in February, and it is an essential addition to any person in recovery’s bookshelf, even if you have never been into yoga.   In our latest Wellness As A Way of Life episode,  I had the pleasure of hosting Brian, a renowned yoga instructor and dharma teacher. Our conversation dove deep into how yoga serves as a physical discipline and a transformative tool in recovery from addiction. Brian, who has been on his sober journey since 2009, shared invaluable insights that reshaped how we view wellness and self-care.  Embracing Yoga Beyond…

It was an honor to finally have my friend and fellow Contributor to the Sober Curator on the podcast! She is a delight. There is so much power in embracing your vulnerability as a human but most certainly as a mother when we want to raise emotionally intelligent and connected kids. This Mother’s Day month of May tune into our conversation and share it with a mom you know might be struggling with addiction. Introduction: Authenticity in Recovery In a deeply poignant and stirring episode of the Wellness as a Way of Life podcast, I welcomed Amy Liz Harrison, a mother, bestselling…

Perfect for Sober and Sober-Curious Moms alike, these activation bar ideas cater not only to Mother’s Day gatherings but also to baby showers and expectant moms looking to embrace an alcohol-free lifestyle. It’s a wonderful opportunity for moms-to-be or those choosing sobriety to partake in festivities that prioritize health, well-being, and connection without the need for alcohol. These events offer a safe and inclusive space for all moms, ensuring that every moment is cherished and celebrated with comfort and joy. Shopping List + Set Up Ideas: Order ahead + relax: #ADDTOCART Grab Fresh the Day Of: Sober Curator Pro Tip:…

Activation Bar 101 What is an activation bar? An activation bar in the context of alcohol-free or mocktail bars now refers to a dedicated and interactive station within the bar setup aimed at engaging guests in unique experiences related to non-alcoholic beverages. Activation bars are often used at events to create memorable experiences for your sober guests, it brings intentionality, art and heart into making your sober guests feel included and excited to attend. These alcohol-free or mocktail bars could be designed to showcase the art of crafting sophisticated mocktails, a specific brand of NA mixers or drinks, offer tastings…

Who else is a huge fan of retreats??? I love attending them, planning them and recommending them to my clients. If you can find a way to get yourself completely out of your grind, ideally offline and forced to slow down and just be for a few days – the impact is huge!! Top Sober Retreat #1 – Wander Home In January I went to a yoga retreat hosted by Wander Home – and it was so therapeutic. Especially as a mom to give myself that time to fill up my own cup. I had the owner of the retreat…

When my fellow Sober Curators mentioned they were heading to LA to cover the NA category of the LA Spirit Awards, I decided to hop on a plane (well 2 actually) to crash the sober party and finally meet IRL my favorite sober community members. Plus, fellow sober or sober curious Moms, even a super short weekend away can work wonders for your mental wellness, IYKYK. I mean, sacred alone time and silence, am I right? Where to Stay? Los Angeles Downtown hotel Citizen M Hotel vibe? Fun, central, curated, affordable luxury – ish. Big bed perched on the window to laze around…

“Those who are the hardest to love need it the most.” – Julie Piatt First off, I’m a sucker for a feel-good Netflix series, especially when the world seems just “too much.” Be it too much stress, too much work, or too much news. As a “keepin’ it” real kind of Wellness Coach, I think the odd Netflix binge is acceptable as long as you are consciously doing it and it isn’t interfering with the rest of your wellness practices—i.e., you are still sleeping well, exercising, and eating your veggies. Like anything, really, in moderation, it is all good for…

As we celebrate Black History Month, let’s embark on a journey beyond the ordinary and delve into the inspiring world of sobriety with these 14 fabulous Black sober leaders. While Black History Month serves as a crucial reminder to honor and appreciate the remarkable contributions of the Black community, the call to broaden our multicultural community echoes beyond February. This list invites you to not only recognize but also amplify the voices of these extraordinary leaders who navigate the path of sobriety, resilience, and empowerment every day. Join us in embracing the spirit of unity and celebration as we spotlight…

How Can You Get In Touch With Your Intuition, And When Can You Trust Your Intuition When Making Decisions? Like anything else in the holistic wellness space, it is about developing intentional pauses, practices, and micro-moments where we tune out the noise, get quiet, and put on our curious scientist hats to tune in and listen to our bodies. What is our body telling us when we ask about our deepest desires, values, and the actions we want to take in the future? The trust part comes over time. We can ask our body. Pick a zone of the body…

On this week’s episode of the Wellness As A Way of Life Podcast I am chatting with Heather Lowe from Ditched the Drink on Why Alcohol is Not the Glue You Need to Hold it All Together This Holiday Season – we are experts because we both used to firmly believe this to be the case. We were both raised in families and communities that taught us that alcohol had superpowers to make you feel confident, extroverted (even when you didn’t want to be), great at conversation and able to overcome awkward social situations with the blink of another round. …

Do you know anyone who has read Eat, Pray, Love and not liked it? I know I wasn’t the only one who treated it like a sacred text in my last twenties and early 30s. These days Elizabeth Gilbert is an icon at this point, but back then she was just getting started. For context, At 30 I sold everything and left Toronto to embark on my own “Eat, Pray, Love” journey of sorts and now at 44 I’m still on my first stop where I fell in love with one of my English students. We have two beautiful boys…

You don’t need to have a clinical definition of a “problem” to benefit from a reconsideration of your relationship with alcohol! Most of my clients are women going through big changes in their lives or extremely stressful situations and they have realized that alcohol wasn’t serving them in the same way it maybe did in their twenties. Bottom line, empowered decision making comes from a place of mental and physical clarity. Quitting alcohol was a huge game changer for me in terms of physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being. Ultimately it was chipping away at my confidence to make…

This Sunday, I have my first official Swamping Circle with my high-vibe tribe of witchy badass girlfriends I met two years ago now in a coaching container that teaches you to be absolutely unapologetically shameless about all aspects of your sexuality and desires. We are all so grateful that we have managed to keep our group connected despite being in different countries and continents. And yet, when you truly find the group of friends that make you feel seen, heard, and supported in all your crazy, you don’t let them go! I first heard the term swamping at a yoga…

So summer is heating up and we are all looking to get outdoors, spend time with loved ones and let loose SOBER, so here is a mega list of ideas to keep you inspired: 1. Have a picnic in the park with friends or family, bring some De Soi Très Rosé of NA Beer. 2. Go for a hike and explore nature trails in your area. 3. Attend outdoor concerts or music festivals. 4. Visit a local farmer’s market and try fresh produce – hello berry season! 5. Have a movie marathon with your favorite films or TV series. 6.…

Awe Hunting is one tiny way to bring more magic, presence and mindfulness into your day to day. It is free, it is fun, and it is effective. Summer kicks off with so many beautiful things and great new energy. I love the abundance of Pride Parades and LGBQT+ events around the globe. Not everything is roses and rainbows, but it is very powerful for your mental health and wellness to have a few micro tools in your mindfulness toolbox to help you stay grounded. Feel More Grounded in the Present Moment One of my favorite concepts is awe-hunting. I learned this…

Less than a week ago, I returned from a sublime seven days spent with wonderful people in a magical place, and I will be changed forever. Let’s see how well I can paint the picture for you here. Integration of all the teachings will take years, I imagine, but there are some key takeaways I know everyone can benefit from and a few somewhat out-there threads that I will share. Setting the scene First off, let’s set the scene. Italy is one of my favorite countries, although I hadn’t been there in over 20 years – so soaking up the…

Who else is so excited about spring and summer? Who is also enthusiastic, or at least trying to stay excited about how AI will make our lives much more accessible? Here are 10+ ways I use GPT Chat as a Wellness Coach to make meal planning, prep, and inspiration easier! It is an excellent hack for everyone, especially sober Moms who are burnt out on coming up with new ideas. IFYKYK. So, here are some commands you might not have thought of using to plan your life, meals, mocktails, or BBQs this Spring & Summer: Comand: #1 – “10 Summer…

Think back for a minute; where did you learn about sex first? In school? What grade? What was the message you actually received? I have some vivid memories of those classes in particular. I think Sex Ed really got more interesting in Jr. High School. In the US would be called Middle School. There was a ‘Question Box .’ We all got a piece of paper, and everyone had to write something down to protect anonymity. At first, everyone was too shy to ask juicy questions, but we got some real answers as the semester went on. What I don’t…

Jay Chase is a Certified Speaker, coach and host of the top rated Don’t Touch My Mindset Podcast! He is passionate about helping people overcome the self-manufactured limitations and thinking. Jay has a high sought after motivational speaker and champion for recovery & sobriety! Connect with Jay: www.thejaychase.com @thejaychase on all platforms – Podcast www.donttouchmymindset.com Connect with Megan: www.meganswanwellness.com Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, & YouTube ENERGETICALLY YOU: Welcome to the ENERGETICALLY YOU Podcast where Sober Curator Megan Swan will be talking about integrated wellness, abundant mindset and sustainable energy practices for high performance humans, leaders and modern companies. Megan Swan is an Integrated Wellness Coach…

Self-love doesn’t have anything to do with little pink hearts and everything to do with showing up for yourself to do the thing you said you would do – honoring your word builds confidence and integrity – it is a muscle you can flex and build over time. We seem to miss the point of the superficial self-love hype. Sure, you can do anything you want and hashtag #selflove because it is something you like to do and makes you feel good – but you’re missing the zoomed-out version. The version that asks the more significant questions like am I doing this…

Nature is in the dead of winter, a season for rest, hibernating, laying low, and recovery. We are gathering our energy. Regeneration is happening, but it is still underground. The seeds of good intentions, good ideas, and massive change will explode energetically in the spring. Traditionally we jump on this “new year, new you” bandwagon well because of two things: This cycle is so ingrained that we further buy into it because we know we will make healthier choices in January. Of course, many do, and it is possible to become a new you starting Jan 1, but don’t feel…

#1 – Light a candle and set an intention when you start your day. #2 – Release an old story you’ve been carrying around by writing it down and setting it on fire. Nothing more cleansing or spiritual than fire. #3 – Get some oracle cards, pull one when you feel you need guidance. #4 – Listen to a guided meditation. On my podcast Energetically You I offer monthly guided meditation. Here are 4 great options for beginners: #5 – Spend time in nature ‘awe hunting’ for rainbows or just notice them on the suds when you are washing dishes…

The holiday season is one of the most exciting but often the most stressful time of the year for many of us. We tend to plan too much and go overboard because, well, “it’s the most wonderful time of the yearrrrrrrr.” Which, it might be for some, but what if we tried to slow down a bit more? Be more present with it all, do less, but be more “all there” for what we decide to participate in. Well, it is a sort of magic. I refer to it as conscious consumption, and we can apply the practices to eating,…

In case you have been living under a rock, there has been an explosion in products and companies offering CBD oil to solve a seemingly endless list of woes. In general, they seem relatively harmless and mostly just helping the population take our anxiety levels down a notch, but maybe there is a little more to it than that. Like I always say, there is no one-size-fits-all wellness because not everything works the same way for everyone. I was never a fan of weed’s effect on my mind, so I haven’t explored these products beyond a few gummies or muscle-relaxing…

First off, we always want to ebb and flow with the seasons! We want to do this regarding the foods we eat (what’s ripe? what’s in season?) And how we eat these foods. Nature is brilliant and provides us with the nutrients we need most at any time of year. This is one reason it is ideal for eating local produce, so our system is in tune with what nature wants to provide. In the spring and summer, our body is primed to eat more fresh, watery fruits and vegetables raw in salads and smoothies. In the fall and winter,…

Once upon a time, less than five years ago, I was still an alcoholic. I would have planned a trip to Napa to get bombed every day, starting at 10 am Wine Tours. When my husband (who is still a wine lover) and I had an opportunity to make a couple’s weekend escape in Napa, I was excited. It was such an iconic trip that was on my bucket list! I was curious about how difficult it would be sober but not too worried. Our honeymoon in New Zealand also had some wine touring involved, and I was much more…

So one thing that has saved me during sobriety is music and movement. I say it that way instead of just saying ‘dancing,’ which implies movement to music because honestly, either one on its own can have a massive positive impact on your mood. Music is healing. Movement is healing. The movement to music is quite frankly healing on all levels: physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. So many cultures and even religions have incorporated dance into their rituals because it is a conduit to connect with Spirit or your spirit or Spirits or whichever version of ‘spirit’ you might resonate…

The past few weeks have been really hard. You know when you know things are not feeling in the same flow and some big change is on the horizon?   I personally find it hard to sleep when I am really worried about an outcome. Even though I know I am tired I still show up for myself in terms of self-care because that is what is going to get that upward energy and momentum going especially when you are dealing with big changes, hard times, or major loss. Here are my go-to’s to help you move through emotions and get back…

Unpopular opinion, but it seems to me that a lot of people in the sober community insist on having at least one unhealthy ‘vice’ to stand in for any previous addictions…as in being healthy most of the time is not actually ‘living’. I disagree. Sure, I’ll never turn a chocolate chip cookie down, but in general, I am clear that the more I raise my standards in terms of what I consume the better I fucking feel, plain and simple. So after being vegetarian for over a decade where I ate A LOT of cheese, I now eat it about…