56. Be a healthy hedonist

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Hello, darling heart, and welcome stressful, lonely, or boring. I'm your host, Sarah Williamson, and I decided to have a year

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alcohol free as a little life experiment and haven't looked back. With my experience and training, I now help other women

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with their alcohol free or drink less adventures. You can find out more about me and sign up to my 5 day drink less challenge

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at drinklesslivebetter.com. I'm here to tell you that you can relax, connect, and have fun without alcohol in your life. Join

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me here each week to find out how. So can you be a healthy hedonist? I'm just back from a retreat in Ibiza. Ah, yes. That

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beautiful island associated with hedonistic living. Dear god, if I'd have been there 3 years ago, you're damn right. It would

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have been in pursuit of the utmost pleasure of a different kind. I'd have been leading the charge to the restaurant, followed

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by bar, followed by nightclub. I'd have seen the most enormous hang over out, and I'd have had to have come home and needed

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at least a week to recover. Not this time. Let me give you a bit of background. I decided I'd try an experiment back in 2019.

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I wondered if I could go a year alcohol free and was keen to see how I felt if I did. The physical and emotional benefits

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are well documented, and anyone else who doesn't drink will often be keen to tell you about their great sleep, glowing skin,

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lessened anxiety, and non existent brain fog. But what about the other bit? We are physical, emotional, and spiritual beings.

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I was always put off the idea of AA because there was talk of God or a higher power, and I had a very firm idea that this

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wasn't for me, but I've been wrong before and I've no doubt at all I'll be wrong again in the future. I'm now seeing more

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and more signs in my life pain pointing me towards a more spiritual way of living. Visiting Ibiza last week was another step

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along in this direction. I spent time in the most amazing villa on top of a mountain with some of my favourite soul sisters,

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people I've met online and shared life and interests with over the last few years. We ate the most glorious food, we lay in

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the sun, we did yoga, we meditated, we went for amazing walks to spiritual places, We shared our soul plans. We danced. We

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laughed. Of course, we cried, and we felt utterly aware that alcohol is low in its vibrational frequency. It is so processed.

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There's no natural energy in it. Oh, and did I mention the ethanol? Yeah. There's no way that alcohol is a health food. I

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was so happy to be a healthy hedonist, seeking out only good things for my mind, body, and soul. If you've been following

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me for a while, you'll know that I love talking about energy, and, yes, that is physical, emotional, and spiritual too. I'm

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totally ready to start living in a more connected way now, to slow down more, to listen, to observe, to understand. When other

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people step out, they shine a light on a path for other people to venture onto. I'm not fretting too much about trying to

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work it all out now. I know that there's good stuff unfolding unfolding for me and for those around me. I don't underestimate

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the power of sharing my journey. I'm grateful for the people ahead of me who've shared their stories so I don't feel so alone.

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We can all step forward together so we can speak about what's important to us and let others find us. To be hedonistically

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healthy or otherwise is to pursue pleasure. We've all got different pleasures in life. Mine include taking time for myself,

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reading, walking, sleeping, eating well, being with friends or family, and enjoying creative activities. I love little solo

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holidays, meeting other people when I'm there, but signing up by myself. Ibiza was last week, and this weekend I'm off to

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walk Snowdon with a group of lovely ladies, only one of whom I've met in real life before. It's a mini adventure. So what

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kind of healthy hedonist or pursuit of pleasure activities do you want to add to your repertoire? Have a think and DM me if

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you want. I'm all about cheering you on. Oh, and if you fancy seeing my Ibiza pics you'll find them on my Insta and Facebook

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accounts. Do please friend me or follow. And one last thing, if you fancy a UK based alcohol free retreat in February 2023,

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drop me an email or DM. I'll add you to my list so you'll be amongst the first to hear the details as soon as I have them

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available. Thank you so much for listening in this week. Please listen in again next week, and, PS, I believe in you.