As a woman in long-term recovery, one of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned and come back to often is that life doesn’t end when we put down the bottle (or drug of choice for the day). It begins. But what I see every day is hard to swallow: complacency — it creeps in, and before you know it, you’re living the same day on repeat. You forget what you are doing and why. I can write this because I’ve lived in a cloud of delusion. Recovery is a gift, but it doesn’t mean settling for mediocrity. It means choosing to be intentional, mindful, and living, becoming the hero of your own life. Are you the hero in your story, your life? How are you showing up today?
For me, biohacking has become a way to rewrite my narrative. It’s about experimenting with my body and mind, challenging conventional wisdom, and pushing boundaries to evolve beyond old ideas. Lifting weights as a sober woman is more than just building physical strength — it’s a metaphor for resilience, empowerment and Self-Mastery. Every rep is a reminder that I control the narrative of my life. Yes, some might bristle at the word control, especially in 12-step circles, but I embrace it where it serves me. Self-control keeps me safe in traffic, and Self-Mastery fires up every cell in my body to live fully!
Biohacking isn’t about rebellion for rebellion’s sake— it’s about intentional experimentation to optimize my chemistry and challenge any “stuck” thinking. It’s about asking questions like: What happens if I try this? What if I push beyond what’s expected? Call me crazy, but this approach has helped me become someone who refuses to settle for less than a full, technicolor life with unlimited possibilities.
Redefining Recovery Through Self-Mastery
Recovery doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s journey.
My path has been entirely unconventional — yes, it began with the 12 Steps and meetings in basements, yet I’ve veered far beyond that path. Those 12 steps hold Spiritual Principles that are unconventional. They invite, ignite, and inspire transformational or higher thinking; this is what guided me to meditation, prayer, tracking, ingesting and sitting with the inner whisper for over 28 years. While some may judge or misunderstand this approach, I see it as an extension of Self-Mastery. There are so many tools that someone could lean on in recovery, tools like microdosing MDMA or plant medicine journeys, which aren’t about escaping sobriety; they’re about deepening a connection to the inner resource that fuels a profoundly spiritual life or supports them in staying vertical on the planet.
This article is not about advocating for everyone to follow my path — it’s about unapologetically stepping up and owning your journey. Sobriety isn’t just abstinence; it’s an opportunity to live in presence, to question norms, and to embrace what works for you. You are your own being, your own Nof1 walking and breathing during an incredible time of a saturated world of addiction.
Strength as a Metaphor for Life
A few years back, I was weak, tired, complacent, lazy and stuck. I was also over two decades into my recovery. I could barely lift a soup can. But you know what? That is exactly where I began — soup cans, which led me to 5-pound dumbbells, then an 8-pound weight ball, and eventually a 10-pound kettle ball. I couldn’t even do a pushup, which I had once prided myself on being able to do (the NON-girl type of pushups). Nope, that was long gone. I was on my knees and barely able to hold myself up, so when I say to you just begin, I mean it. Don’t let your head get in the way. Grab a soup can and start lifting. Lifting weights is where physical strength meets mental resilience. This is the long game we are playing here; sobriety takes grit. Recently, I watched the New Yorker documentary “Strong Granny”, which inspires me daily — watching our wise women defy expectations and build strength reminds me that aging doesn’t mean fading away. It means showing up with grace and grit, proving we can always grow stronger.
As sober women, we have an edge: we know how to face discomfort head-on. That same courage applies to lifting weights or biohacking — it’s about stepping into challenge and choosing growth over stagnation, moving toward your personal growth edge. What is yours? Are you familiar with it? If you are, then you need to go beyond — scare yourself! Start today with your own Self-Mastery. Oh, and guess what? The kettlebells I carry in each hand today are over 50 pounds, while my legs press 478 pounds. By next year, I may be at 500! My growth edge is limitless.
Your Hero’s Journey
Self-Mastery isn’t just about changing your body; it’s about rewriting your story. It’s listening to the inner whisper that guides you toward growth — even when it’s uncomfortable or unconventional. It’s challenging complacency and boredom by experimenting with new ideas and practices that fire up your cells and spark transformation.
Being a sober biohacker means redefining recovery; Self-Mastery is living my best. It means lifting weights not just for physical strength but as an act of defiance against mediocrity. It means trusting your inner resource while embracing tools that help you evolve — whether through meditation or exploring spiritual substances.
This journey isn’t easy — but it’s worth it. Every day you choose Self-Mastery is another step toward becoming the hero of your own life.
So go ahead: lift the soup cans, pull up your granny socks and start lifting. Weights are your insurance policy to an unconventional moment; I dare you start. Hack your biology. Defy expectations. And remember: Sobriety isn’t just surviving — it’s thriving intentionally, every–single–day!
Strong Grandma
SPIRITUAL SUBSTANCE: Lane Kennedy’s new monthly column explores the intersections of mindfulness, science, and spirituality.
Previous Articles in the Sober Biohacking Series:
- Understanding Peptides: And Using Them In Your Sobriety and Recovery
- Sober Biohacking 101: Embracing and Navigating Sobriety with the N of One Society
- Sober Biohacking: My Journey to Everlasting Youth In Recovery
- Nutrigenomics: The Future of Biohacking Starts with Your DNA
SPIRITUAL GANGSTER: Welcome to the ‘Spiritual Gangster’ wing of The Sober Curator, a haven for those on a sober journey with a twist of spiritual sass. Here, we invite you to plunge headfirst into a world of meditation, astrology, intentionality, philosophy and spiritual reflection – all while keeping your feet (and sobriety) firmly on the ground.
Resources Are Available
If you or someone you know is experiencing difficulties surrounding alcoholism, addiction, or mental illness, please reach out and ask for help. People everywhere can and want to help; you just have to know where to look. And continue to look until you find what works for you. Click here for a list of regional and national resources.
