382. From Beer Bongs for Breakfast to 8 years of sobriety with Erika Gibson382. From Beer Bongs for Breakfast to 8 years of sobriety with Erika Gibson
How I quit alcohol
Erika Gibson shares how she moved from heavy partying and blackouts to eight years alcohol free, guided by yoga, spirituality and motherhood. The conversation highlights her pivotal Pearl Jam moment, practical tools for handling emotions without drinking, and the ripple effects of sobriety on relationships and life choices.
46:25•22 Aug 2026
From Party Girl to Present Mother: Erika Gibson on 8 Years Sober
Episode Overview
- Early sobriety often needs strong boundaries, including skipping high-risk events to protect fragile alcohol-free momentum.
- Emotional tools such as crying, movement, journalling and mantras can replace alcohol when dealing with intense sadness or stress.
- Recognising that alcohol was masking a lack of self-identity helped Erika commit to finding out who she is without drinking.
- Focusing on the real purpose of social events, like connection rather than getting drunk, makes sober gatherings feel more meaningful.
- Quitting alcohol can open space for spiritual experiences, clearer decision-making and more present parenting.
“I don’t have to carry this anymore. I don’t have to do this anymore. I don’t know how I’m going to stop doing it, but this is the start.”
Curious about how others navigate their sobriety journey? This conversation with yoga teacher and mum of two, Erika Gibson, walks through her shift from “beer bongs for breakfast” and chain-smoking menthols to eight years alcohol free, grounded in yoga, spirituality and self-connection. You’ll hear Erika describe her first real experience of being present in her body during shavasana in a California yoga class, a moment she calls a “homecoming” after years of chasing validation through partying, bartending and competitive sport.
She talks openly about using alcohol to mask a deep sense of not knowing who she was, waking up with shame, spiritual disconnection and that familiar pit-in-the-stomach feeling after blackouts and arguments. A pivotal turning point arrives at a Pearl Jam concert in Seattle when Eddie Vedder plays “Release”. Erika recalls thinking, “I don’t have to carry this anymore. I don’t have to do this anymore.
I don’t know how I’m going to stop doing it, but this is the start.” From there, she commits to alcohol-free experiments, leans on email-based support, and fiercely protects her early sobriety — even skipping her best friend’s bachelorette trip when her “little baby deer” legs in sobriety felt too fragile. Erika and host Danni Carr chat through practical tools for handling intense emotions now: a good cry, movement, journalling, mantras, and chakra work, instead of reaching for a drink.
They also touch on the tricky identity shift from “party girl” to sober woman, the ripple effect on friendships and relationships, and how Erika’s husband later chose sobriety too. Today, Erika teaches yoga privately, runs an annual Costa Rica retreat, homeschools her daughter, and reflects on how quitting alcohol changed the entire trajectory of her life — from choosing a home birth to trusting herself with big, bold decisions.
If you’ve ever wondered whether alcohol is dulling your spiritual growth or blocking your potential, this episode might prompt you to ask what you actually need in those hard moments: a drink, or some genuine self-care.
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