Thinking about drinking?
Thinking about not drinking?
Wondering why you’re thinking so much about drinking?
If you’re nodding along, you’re not alone.
Every January, millions of people around the world commit to Dry January—a month-long pause from alcohol designed to reset habits, restore health, and invite honest self-reflection. What began as a public health initiative has grown into a cultural movement closely tied to sober curious, mindful drinking, and conversations around how to get sober—not necessarily forever, but consciously.
At the same time, we’re living in a confusing moment. Every influencer, podcast host, and health expert seems to be telling us that alcohol is pure poison, that it’s ruining our brains, destroying our sleep, and shortening our lives.
So much for the old idea that a glass of red wine a day is good for your heart.
No one really knows what to believe anymore.
When information becomes overwhelming, I always come back to one simple practice that I teach my students and clients: listen to your body.
If you feel better without alcohol, maybe it’s time to stop—at least for now.
If you still love a good party (and I do), maybe it’s time to cut back, not cut it out.
Thinking about our habits doesn’t mean we have a problem.
It means we’re conscious.
And consciousness applies just as much to alcohol as it does to food, shopping, television, and social media consumption.
As Socrates said, “The unexamined life is not worth living.”
For me, Dry January has been a practice—not a rule. I’ve been doing it on and off for six years, and every year it teaches me something new about my body, my mind, and my relationship with alcohol.
Some years, I follow Dry January to the letter. Other years, I bend the rules intentionally.
One of the most memorable exceptions was January 2020, when I invited friends over to my apartment overlooking the Brooklyn Bridge for what was supposed to be a quiet vision boarding party.
It turned into drinking all the red wine in the house and an epic dance party.
I never regretted it.
Especially because it turned out to be the last party I had before the COVID lockdowns.
In the weeks that followed, I spent February at Harvard Business School and half of March in India. When the world shut down, I looked back on that night with deep gratitude. I was so glad we had that moment of connection, joy, and laughter together.
That memory reminds me that mindful drinking isn’t about restriction. It’s about intention, presence, and meaning.
A few years later, my Dry January stretched all the way into March because I attended a plant medicine ceremony in Costa Rica. When you engage in that kind of deep work, clarity becomes essential.
Don’t we all want to be as clear as possible?
The real question becomes:
Are we willing to sacrifice some fun the night before in exchange for clarity, energy, and presence the next morning?
In my book Yogalean, I talk about standing in front of a chocolate cupcake and knowing two things at once:
When you start examining how things actually make you feel, you start remembering. And when you remember, your choices become more meaningful.
In 2022, my Dry January lasted until mid-February—right up until a Valentine’s Day cooking party with a big group of friends and plenty of wine.
Again, no regret. Just awareness.
That experience reinforced something I deeply believe:
Mindful drinking isn’t about perfection—it’s about presence and choice.
And yes, it’s good to be curious.
It’s great to be sober curious.
My relationship with alcohol has always been layered.
My father and one of my half-sisters are alcoholics. My father has since passed away, and there’s no denying the role of genetics. Research shows that 40–60% of the risk for alcohol use disorder is inherited, making awareness and boundaries especially important for some of us.
I remember introducing my father to my first boyfriend and saying, “Don’t mind my dad—he’s drunk.”
The first drink I ever had was when Billy Fineman the son of one of my parents’ friends handed me a plastic cup of white wine. I think I was 10 years old.
When I was 12 or 13, my friends and I raided my father’s liquor cabinet. I even experienced what I believe was a blackout episode at that age. I remember we were outside the movie theater in West hampton.NY and I don’t remember much else except one of my friends told her father who told my father and we all gotten into trouble
You may be shocked to read this—especially since I didn’t become an alcoholic.
But I absolutely have the predisposition.
And when we know that, we have to be careful.
My half-sister struggled deeply. She was taking Antabuse, an alcohol cessation drug, and still drinking. When she came to visit me with her baby, she hid wine bottles inside containers of baby formula.
Today, there are newer medications designed to block alcohol’s reward pathways in the brain. For some people, science can be life-saving. For others, the question becomes: Do I really want to take another pill?
There is no one right answer.
Only informed, personal choice.
As I’ve gotten older, my drinking has naturally decreased—largely because I teach a lot of yoga.
Hangovers and daily movement, breathwork, strength, and presence simply don’t coexist well.
Yoga makes you honest.
You feel everything.
And that honesty becomes a guide.
My spouse has a deep appreciation for red wine—so there are plenty of opportunities for wine to flow in our household. Fortunately, this year we’re doing Dry January together, and that shared commitment makes an enormous difference.
Support matters.
That’s why I’m so excited about YogaFit’s sober curious, Sort of Sober (SOS) program.
(According to Research)
Dry January isn’t just a wellness trend—it’s backed by science.
Research from Alcohol Change UK, the organization that launched Dry January, shows participants commonly experience:
A 2019 study published in The BMJ found that six months after Dry January, participants were still drinking less frequently and consuming fewer drinks per occasion. Even more importantly, they reported greater confidence in refusing alcohol—a key marker of long-term behavior change.
Other research suggests that just 30 days without alcohol can improve:
Dry January works not because it’s restrictive—but because it creates space for awareness.
And that kind of awareness deepens your yoga practice profoundly.
One of the biggest myths about Dry January is that it’s about quitting alcohol forever.
For many people, it’s not.
The sober curious movement invites exploration rather than labels. It asks:
You don’t have to identify as sober to benefit from these questions. Many people return to alcohol with clearer boundaries, less compulsion, and far more intention.
Whether this is your first Dry January or your tenth, these practices help:
Better sleep? Mental clarity? Athletic performance? Emotional balance? Write it down.
Mocktails, herbal tea, journaling, magnesium baths, restorative yoga—replace rather than remove.
Alcohol masks stress. Yoga, breathwork, walking, and meditation help you meet it.
“I’m doing Dry January” is a complete sentence.
Community makes everything easier.
At YogaFit, we’ve been running our SOS (Sort of Sober) groups for several years with tremendous success.
SOS is for people who:
You don’t have to quit forever.
You don’t have to label yourself.
You just have to be willing to get curious.
👉 YogaFit is currently running SOS program. Sign up at yogafit.com.
You can also reach out to me directly at beth@yogafit.com
The most powerful thing Dry January offers isn’t abstinence—it’s information.
It shows you:
For some, Dry January becomes the first step in learning how to get sober.
For others, it becomes a yearly reset.
Both paths are valid.
The goal isn’t deprivation.
The goal is choice.
Six years into my own Dry January journey, I’ve learned that growth doesn’t come from rigid rules—it comes from honest reflection.
Some years are quiet.
Some years include red wine and dance parties.
What matters is staying awake to our patterns, compassionate with our histories, and connected to our communities.
If you’re participating in Dry January, exploring sober curiosity, or simply wondering what life feels like with a little less alcohol—know this:
You are not alone.
We are here to help you.
I am here to help you.
Every participant in our SOS program has my personal phone number. Together, we practice yoga, deep inquiry, sleep tracking, trigger awareness, and navigating a world that isn’t sober—especially after 5 PM.
We explore what to do with the extra time, energy, and money that appear when alcohol is no longer the centerpiece.
Here’s to clarity, connection, and conscious choice—this January and beyond.
Namaste,
Beth Shaw
Founder & CEO, YogaFit
Host, Make America Healthy
📧 beth@yogafit.com
🌐 yogafit.com | bethshaw.com
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