Sobriety, Sparkle, and Sisterhood: My Path to Healing

thezendengilbert
Aug 25, 2025
4 min read

For me, it began when I quit drinking in 2020. They say the universe (or God) only gives you what you can handle, and I think quitting drinking was the beginning of me being given what I could actually handle.

Granted, I’ve dealt with a LOT of trauma, friends. So much childhood, adolescent, teen, and into-my-30s trauma that we’ll get into another time. But I didn’t recognize it—or start “dealing” with it—until I put down the White Claw.

The early stuff was inflicted upon me, and as I got older, I inflicted a lot of it upon myself as a way of running from all of it. But really, it was masked as “just having a good time.” Whether it was drinking it, dating it, or numbing it, it seemed like fun at the time. It wasn’t until I stopped doing those things that I realized there was actually a problem.

Considering everything that had led me to drinking regularly, “only” drinking seemed like the “responsible” thing to do. I mean, it was what responsible adults did—and I was one of those! Take a look around: aren’t most of the responsible adults you know drinking? Honestly? Sometimes I get a little jealous that they can take it or leave it. That they can have wine with dinner or cocktails out with friends on the weekends without experiencing hangxiety the next day or spending mental energy wondering, “Maybe I should take this weekend off from drinking?”

If that’s you—do you, boo! If you never look in the mirror and question it, I’m truly rooting for you. But if you’re reading this and can 100% relate... let’s continue, shall we?

Believe it or not, I don’t think about drinking daily anymore. It comes up more now because I’ve been writing about it, but it’s not my story anymore. And if you’re considering quitting—or have recently quit—just know: it won’t always be your story either. The missing it, the headspace it takes up, the habits—it all fades. I promise. Especially if you’re doing “the work.”

WTF is “The Work”?

I don’t think there’s anyone in this conscious coaching and healing space who isn’t recovering from trauma. Let’s face it: most of our parents and ancestors didn’t do yoga, reiki, or therapy.

Hence why we now need yoga, reiki, and therapy. And go us—for finding a better way and breaking generational patterns.

Everybody’s “work” looks different. I’m still deeply in mine, and if you think it ever ends, it doesn’t. You’ll have a breakthrough, gain a realization, and then—bam—it resurfaces. Or you’ll discover something even deeper in the shadows, the thing you really needed to work on all along. Wild, right?

For me, a lot of the work consists of:

Sitting with my feelings
Acknowledging my emotions
Slowing down to actually feel them
Not attaching to any of it
Forgiving myself for all of it

Serving Others

The next part is helping others do the same—creating safe spaces for them to feel and move through it.

I remember the first day of yoga teacher training in August 2022. Our teacher, Laura, asked us, “What lights you up?” My answer: “Seeing others light up.” Still true.

At first, I thought maybe it was people-pleasing or my empathic gifts, but I now believe it’s what I was put here for. My mom always called me “sparkle” and said I inspire others to sparkle, too.

After she passed away from cancer on 12/31/23, my sparkle was gone. I thought she was the only one who saw and encouraged it. But once I got back into “the work,” I realized—it’s my gift. It’s my offering. And so, I got back after it.

My Daily Practices

Here’s what my healing work looks like right now:

✨ Morning routine – gratitude, sunlight, and reiki (every single day).

✨ Movement – yoga, cycling, gym, walking… even rolling around on my mat. Stretching and breathing counts.

✨ Service – private sessions, classes, women’s circles, podcasts, speaking, social media, blogging. Sharing my story so others know they aren’t alone.

✨ Therapy – my therapist is rad. She helps me recognize past patterns that still affect me.

✨ Coaching – dude, get a coach. Mine helps me see my potential and take aligned action. (And yes, I also offer coaching.)

✨ Sauna + cold plunges – LIFE. Infrared is my fave.

✨ Friendship + community – time with my sister Jenn, my daughter, and women in circle. It’s medicine.

✨ Learning + growth – Reiki certifications, sound healing, personal development books, and working toward my Women’s Coaching Specialist Certification.

✨ Play + rest – home facials, spa days, diamond art, puzzles, trying new restaurants, swimming, or just doing nothing.

This is what’s working for me now. Will it evolve? Absolutely. Healing is ongoing, and I’m open to trying it all in time.

Community + Connection

If none of this resonates, that’s okay. There are so many other resources and practices out there. Find what lights you up. And please—spend time with people. There is SO much healing in community.

I recently spoke on the From the Heart podcast with my friend Katie, the founder of MomNation AZ (13k women strong!). We talked about the loneliness epidemic, sobriety, sisterhood, and the power of gathering.

🎥 Watch on YouTube 🎧 Listen on Spotify

Final Thoughts

Whether you’re tiptoeing into, fully immersed in, or just considering a healing journey, remember: you are not alone. Whatever is helping you is the right thing. Whatever allows you to step into your power, speak your truth, and move forward—that’s the right thing.

If you’re unsure where to start, I’d love to chat. Schedule a 1:1 with me here.

And if you want to explore more of what we offer at my wellness center, The Zen Den of Gilbert, check out our site (thezendengilbert.com).