Maureen Benkovich (00:01.864)
My guest today on Sober Fit Life is a powerhouse in every way of movement, mindfulness, and little bit of mischief. Julie Blampin's journey started at just 12 years old teaching gymnastics to kids in the Special Olympics and has since taken her all across the world from California to Spain to Italy and now she's in Annapolis. She is a yoga pro, speaker, author, and founder of Stretch Your Spirit where she helps women feel joyful, stable, and yes,
sexy through movement and stillness with her racy vibe and groovy energy. Julie is not afraid to dive into taboo topics, always bringing hope and healing along the way. And that's something I really connect with Julie and so many other things because like Julie, I'm passionate about bringing important conversations into the light. And one of those for me is changing the way we talk about alcohol, breaking that stigma and offering new perspectives on what it means to live fully.
So I know today's conversation is going to be powerful, inspiring, and maybe even a little bit eye-opening. Welcome, Julie.
Julie Blamphin (01:09.474)
Thank you, Maureen. I'm so happy to be here. I appreciate you inviting me.
Maureen Benkovich (01:14.13)
Yeah, I'm so glad you're here. I wanted to share how we first met, my recollection, and you can chime in. We were at a networking group, a woman's networking group that a naturopathic doctor in town, Dr. Kinney has, and I had gotten there before Julie. And Dr. Kinney, I'm so glad she had alcohol-free alternatives and she had kombucha, so that's what I was drinking. And Julie walked in the door all vivacious and chatty and walked up to me and she's like, what are you drinking? And I'm like,
She's like, I'm going go over here and get my drink on. And I was like, okay, that's cool. Cause I'm not, know, that kind of happens to me a lot. So I was like, whatever. And then we went on to have a great meeting. We all introduced ourselves and what we did. But then about two weeks later, you reached out to me you're like, can we talk? And I'm like, well, this is interesting. And we actually met at a coffee house and
and got to know each other and talked about some things. And I'd love for you to take it from there. That's my recollection and perspective. So I'd to hear what you think.
Julie Blamphin (02:19.15)
Absolutely. Yeah, that was a great meeting. I was so intrigued by you. I mean, I still am. I'm so impressed with your breadth of knowledge and your wisdom and your support. And I'm grateful for it. But when I first met you, I was just like, OK, cool. Nice meeting you. I'm not ready yet, so I'm going to be over here. And to be honest, that meeting at Dr. Kinney's, there was no alcohol. There was.
Maureen Benkovich (02:23.274)
I
Maureen Benkovich (02:29.332)
Thank you.
Maureen Benkovich (02:37.322)
you
Maureen Benkovich (02:46.228)
That's right. There was only Kim Butch. Yeah.
Julie Blamphin (02:48.268)
Yeah, I want to say there was maybe an NA bubbly and it wasn't open. So I was like, okay, fine. And so, yeah. And then very soon thereafter, thought, I've been thinking about it for a long time. I've been thinking about this journey for, well, gosh, years. And I'm 57 now. And I'll never forget one of the first things that we talked about when we first really started talking was, excuse me,
how long I've been a wellness practitioner and how long I've been really practicing positivity and all things good and all this stuff. And one day I said to you, I am the healthiest person you know. And then you had this little smirk on your face. I'm like, oh wait, but I still drink. Right? Do you remember that?
Maureen Benkovich (03:37.386)
I do because I had to come to that realization myself as a personal trainer and Pilates instructor. I said the same thing except for that elephant over there in the corner of the room that I didn't want to touch. Yeah.
Julie Blamphin (03:49.73)
Right? Yeah. Yeah. I also remember another time that, that we kind of met, but kind of didn't. and I heard your name. I heard about what you did. And I'm like, okay, that's cool. I'll meet her another time. I just kind of avoided you the whole time. Yeah. I avoided you the whole time. And I know, you know, as someone personally, it's just for me. so for me,
Maureen Benkovich (04:07.038)
Yeah, I have that effect on people.
Thank you. No. Yes.
Julie Blamphin (04:17.494)
to see you, it made me see me. And at first I was like, boy, shit, now what do I do? Now what do I think? Now how do I feel? And then I was like, all right, I'm leaning into this. This is gonna be good.
Maureen Benkovich (04:21.289)
Hmm.
Maureen Benkovich (04:25.257)
He
Maureen Benkovich (04:32.734)
Yeah, because that's what you teach in everything you do about leaning in curiosity, leaning into this discomfort. So then you reached out and then you had a great idea. were like, why don't we work together and you experience what I do and I'll experience what you do. And that was a great proposal. And I'm glad we did that because I had to learn how to lean into my physical discomfort working with you and yoga. And I still need to work on it because it's a practice just like
Julie Blamphin (04:58.346)
Thank you.
Maureen Benkovich (05:00.606)
changing your relationship with alcohol is a practice. So would you share some of your story? You mentioned you've been drinking for a long time, like most people that come on this podcast and how you got to the place we are now.
Julie Blamphin (05:12.66)
Absolutely. I probably started drinking when I was, I don't know, maybe 14. That's when I had my first situation, right? At junior high. And like many households in the world,
Maureen Benkovich (05:18.398)
Yeah.
Julie Blamphin (05:33.698)
There was drinking in my community. There was drinking in my family. We had a lot of joy, a lot of fun, a lot of play, a lot of celebration, a lot of ritual, a lot of tradition, and just good food and friends and lots of situations. Yeah, I grew up with that.
Maureen Benkovich (05:44.938)
Mm-hmm.
Maureen Benkovich (05:58.495)
Yeah, so a lot of that was modeled for you and you grew up with it and it was nostalgic. Yes.
Julie Blamphin (06:03.518)
Exactly, exactly. So then, you know, getting into my 20s and 30s, and then I'm adulting, and then I'm in a career, and it just stayed with me. It was part of that nostalgia. It was part of that ritual, if you will, of being at home, coming home from work, spending time at home during transitions, right. And it never seemed like
Maureen Benkovich (06:22.25)
Mm-hmm.
Yeah, transition.
Julie Blamphin (06:35.561)
something I did because of any certain reason. It wasn't I was drinking because I was depressed. It wasn't I was drinking because I was taking the edge off. I just drank. I just would have glass of wine or two or three almost every day for like, I don't know, 40 years, 30, maybe 30 years.
Maureen Benkovich (06:42.858)
Mm-hmm.
Maureen Benkovich (06:53.288)
Yeah, if we're being honest. Yeah.
Years.
Julie Blamphin (07:01.706)
And not until I met you and really was solidly into my 50s did I start to recognize, damn, this is something that I need to take a really good look at because this is sort of the missing link in my brain health and my anxiety and my sleep and hydration. And I'm teaching a lot of this stuff. And so for me to continue drinking,
Maureen Benkovich (07:25.908)
Mm-hmm.
Julie Blamphin (07:31.11)
and teach and guide and support women who are like, I want to sleep better. I needed to understand this crucial point in sleeping better or letting go of pain. I mean, the body holds alcohol and it doesn't feel good in the body. And so for me to be supporting women and men, I teach men too, but for me to be able to talk about some of this,
some of this wonderful stuff and be encouraging folks to feel better through, whether it's yoga, meditation, movement, fascia work. I needed to be practicing myself. So this was a great step.
Maureen Benkovich (08:16.01)
So you were curious and you were willing. And that's what I always ask of everybody. It's not like I go around and say to people like, hey, maybe you should think about your drinking. It's always that someone is thinking about it themselves. So are you saying until you met me, you didn't really question it, but then you started to when you met me? Okay. That's what I thought. Yes. That's what I thought.
Julie Blamphin (08:33.164)
No, I've been thinking about you for a long time. Yeah, and then there are situations that I don't even want to remember that were bad, that were just embarrassing, that were too much. mean, I know I can be extra while I'm sober. So while I was not sober, I was super extra. And I know there have been situations that, ooh, yeah.
Maureen Benkovich (08:40.372)
Sure. Of course. Cringy.
Ha
Yes.
Maureen Benkovich (08:55.496)
Yeah. Yeah. And that's what happens over time. These episodes happen and we, in the moment, we feel like I don't want to drink again. And then that kind of like dissipates and we have fading effect bias. like, it wasn't that bad. And we get back to it and we're back up into that habit. So you were going through that kind of classic gray area drinking cycle. You had stops and starts and you were thinking about it. And then we met and we decided to work together. And I have this physiology first approach.
Julie Blamphin (09:16.056)
Sure. Yeah.
Maureen Benkovich (09:24.318)
kind of thing. So did that draw you in? Was that something that interests you because you are a health and fitness instructor, yoga instructor, and really into the body and the systems and...
Julie Blamphin (09:34.188)
I think that has a lot to do with it. Yeah, it has a lot to do with, want to be walking the talk. I want to be practicing what I preach, but I also personally just want to feel better. I just want to feel better. I want to do better. I want to sleep better. I want to live longer. I want to think straighter. So as you know, I'm modifying my drinking and that's been going great.
Maureen Benkovich (09:47.316)
Feel better, yeah.
Maureen Benkovich (09:52.702)
Mm-hmm.
Julie Blamphin (10:00.428)
And then any time you're like, let's do a sober month. I'm like, let's go. And so anytime that's put out there, I'm always first to jump into that too. So it just feels just clean and good.
Maureen Benkovich (10:04.426)
Yeah.
Maureen Benkovich (10:14.974)
Yeah. So you were feeling out of alignment with who you were as a professional teaching health to others. So you investigated it for yourself. What stood out the most for you in our coaching together? What like were some aha moments, things that made a difference?
Julie Blamphin (10:17.774)
Totally. Yeah.
Julie Blamphin (10:29.1)
my goodness. What didn't? mean, it was just so much. Well, first of all, what really resonated was like, my gosh, I totally get this. Like it's yoga. Like yoga is you connecting with you. It's mind, body and spirit. It's heightening your awareness, not only of your body's sensations and your thoughts, but what you can do differently. Like what kind of adjustments can you make along the way?
Maureen Benkovich (10:49.118)
Mm-hmm.
Julie Blamphin (10:55.69)
to improve your lifestyle, to improve your wellbeing, to improve your chances of living longer and better. And so when we started working together, I was like, okay, yeah, I can do this. I can do this. Cause there were years that I thought about it, I'm like, I can't do that. I can't do that. Yeah.
Maureen Benkovich (11:12.127)
Yeah.
Maureen Benkovich (11:15.732)
You thought there's no way you could do it. So it was actually empowering to learn that you could make changes. Yeah.
Julie Blamphin (11:19.854)
Totally. Absolutely. Yeah. And you made it, you were, it was like I was hearing what I needed to hear from you. You were speaking my language and I could totally understand that it was accessible. It was something that I could just shift my mind. could, I can think differently. I could check in with myself. And for me, that resonates. That really lands perfectly because I, I,
Maureen Benkovich (11:34.09)
Mm-hmm.
Julie Blamphin (11:49.986)
Get it, it's just like yoga, it's just like mindfulness.
Maureen Benkovich (11:54.015)
Yeah, mindfulness, exactly. So we're drinking and you were kind of talking about the pattern, you were drinking mindlessly. You were just coming home, you were just doing it and it was increasing to three, you four glasses. A bottle is pretty easy for people to put down over time and you don't, never start out that way, but alcohol creates a desire for itself and changes your brain chemistry and you build a tolerance and that's what happens. But I know you were very concerned about...
Julie Blamphin (12:00.248)
Right.
Maureen Benkovich (12:19.55)
brain health. This is one thing we talked about and longevity and dementia. So that was a big driver for you.
Julie Blamphin (12:26.082)
Yeah, yeah, have, honestly, have clients who are working with me from the age of, well, mid 30s to mid 80s. And one of the things that really is a big concern, of course, with everyone is clarity and thinking clearly. And then we get into that time in menopause and our estrogen plummets and brain fog just
Maureen Benkovich (12:53.534)
Mm-hmm.
Julie Blamphin (12:55.746)
happens and that whole idea of clarity kind of flies out the window. So this is a big concern with women and dementia is, if I'm not mistaken, statistically higher in women, if I recall. And just hearing that concern from so many of my clients, having that concern myself,
Maureen Benkovich (13:11.295)
Yes.
Julie Blamphin (13:20.99)
And every once in a while, whether it was a morning when I'm exhausted and hungover and I'm thinking, am I really thinking? Right? Like having those moments where you're so, ugh, trying to just get back to that reality of some semblance of normalcy, which is pretty impossible unless you give yourself enough time. Right? Thanks for making me. So you're having those moments like, ugh, this is not good.
Maureen Benkovich (13:30.612)
Yeah. Yeah.
Maureen Benkovich (13:42.484)
takes days after, yeah, takes days. Yeah.
Julie Blamphin (13:50.359)
This is not good.
Maureen Benkovich (13:50.495)
Yeah. Yeah. And you make a good point. mean, already when women are perimenopausal, menopausal, and the estrogen drops, you're already having brain fog. So then you're adding this toxin to your daily routine that is only increasing that brain fog. And so one of the things I find people have a lot of aha moments about is like, well, I'm drinking to transition from my workday to home and it's relaxing. And we went over like, no doubt it's a central nervous system depressant.
it does relax you, but then your body releases all these counter chemicals like adrenaline and cortisol to counter the toxin, to counter the dirty drug that alcohol is. And so then you have all these stress hormones in your body. And I think that was like a big aha for you. Yeah.
Julie Blamphin (14:35.896)
Totally. Yeah. I mean, you just, you wake up in the night, and this is something I hear from the ladies in my pelvic floor yoga program. I'm waking up in the night to pee. And my first question, do you drink alcohol? Like no judgment. Trust me. I get it. I've been there. I've done that. But you will wake up to pee if you're drinking.
Maureen Benkovich (14:48.648)
Yeah. Right. Right.
Julie Blamphin (14:56.724)
all the way up until you're about to go night-night or even an hour before whatever, it's an irritant, it's a bladder irritant. So you will be waking up in the night and whether it's your bladder that's waking you up or your adrenaline that's waking you up or the night sweats that are just worse, you, right, if you are drinking, especially during menopause, whatever it is that wakes you up, typically it's just so much worse if you're drinking alcohol.
Maureen Benkovich (15:03.028)
Mm-hmm.
Maureen Benkovich (15:11.274)
Mm-hmm.
affecting your sleep.
Maureen Benkovich (15:24.062)
Yeah, yeah, so Julie is a pelvic floor health specialist. And so, you know, we'll just segue right into how alcohol is inflammatory and affects your bladder, your uterus, your, it's, you know, it definitely doesn't help if you're already having vaginal dryness, right? Cause it's dehydrating. And what I wanted to bring up with Julie, cause she's not afraid to talk about the taboo subjects.
Julie Blamphin (15:49.102)
Do it, let's go!
Maureen Benkovich (15:50.939)
I have had many women especially say to me, how can I have sex without alcohol? Like I've always had sex with alcohol. I don't think I can relax. So what do you have to share or what can you share with the audience about that?
Julie Blamphin (16:04.984)
could share so much. I cannot tell you how many women have been told by their doctor, you have vaginal dryness. you have any issues with sex. you have pain during sex, which by the way, I had for many, many years. I'll get back to that in a second. And then the doctor says, that's normal. First of all, it's not. It's super common, but it doesn't mean it's normal. alcohol, that's...
Maureen Benkovich (16:22.41)
Mm-hmm.
Julie Blamphin (16:32.002)
They typically say, just have a drink and relax, you'll be fine. my gosh, yes. I've heard that from so many women. It's so common that they would hear that from their medical practitioner. And number one, it's so inappropriate. Number two, it's not correct. Exactly. And number three, it's doing your body more harm than good in so many ways. Number four, it doesn't help to...
Maureen Benkovich (16:34.75)
Really?
Maureen Benkovich (16:42.068)
Mm-hmm.
Maureen Benkovich (16:46.92)
Right? Right. Here, take a toxin to relax and have sex. Yeah.
Julie Blamphin (16:59.502)
lubricate your tissues one bit. In fact, it's the opposite. So it's, I've heard that so many times.
Maureen Benkovich (17:09.384)
Yeah. And I think the biggest thing is, you know, lot of people think alcohol helps them connect. So they're thinking in their relationship and intimacy, helps them connect when really it's disconnecting. After the second drink, you know, your prefrontal cortex goes offline. You're not really thinking, you're not really looking into each other's eyes. You're not taking everything in. So it really does affect intimacy. It is artificial intimacy. And you know, plenty of times you end up being intimate with somebody that you didn't want to because of alcohol. Right? So there's that.
Julie Blamphin (17:37.827)
Yeah.
Maureen Benkovich (17:39.176)
side effect too that I think is important to share. what would you, because you talk to women about feeling comfortable with their bodies and sexuality. And so what would you share with someone who is removing alcohol and they're trying to learn how to become comfortable and be intimate?
Julie Blamphin (17:40.514)
Mm-hmm.
Julie Blamphin (17:57.23)
This is such a great conversation. These are the conversations that we have in my workshops. We have these conversations on my retreats. These are really important conversations. Men, is listening, whomever is out there listening. These conversations are so important because we all want to have them. We all want to have these conversations.
Maureen Benkovich (18:05.897)
Yes.
through real conversations.
Maureen Benkovich (18:15.998)
Mm-hmm.
Julie Blamphin (18:21.154)
But they're scary conversations because we don't think we're going to find the answer. And then all of a sudden we're like, man, it's been so long since I've been intimate with my partner, with myself. And then after a while, there are so many people, so many women I should say, who were just like, okay, I'm done. And then they just, they stop and they don't want to connect with themselves at all in that sensual sexual way. I'm here to tell you that it's never too late. It's never.
Maureen Benkovich (18:22.399)
Yes.
Julie Blamphin (18:48.276)
ever, ever too late. This is our sacred, sacred space. This is our sacred energy, our sexuality and our sensuality. We do not need alcohol to connect with our sexuality. We do not need alcohol to have sex. In fact, it's doing your body the opposite than you've been led to believe. We do not need to be anything but just
Maureen Benkovich (19:07.625)
Right.
Julie Blamphin (19:17.226)
ourselves. We just need to be still and connect. So one of the things that we do practice in my workshops, in my classes, on my retreats is we just close our eyes and we can do it right now. Let's just close our eyes and let's just drop one hand down to the low belly and just let it rest there. And so often, especially us women, we touch this space and then all of a sudden, immediately we might
Maureen Benkovich (19:30.25)
Mm-hmm.
Julie Blamphin (19:43.796)
experience emotion. We might experience shame, guilt, grief. This is a sacred energy in this space, this low, low torso space down near the low belly and even further down. Obviously, this is our energy of sexuality and sensuality. This is also our energy of shame and guilt and grief. So we hold fear as well and we can keep eyes closed or we can let the eyes open again.
Maureen Benkovich (19:45.704)
Mm-hmm.
Maureen Benkovich (20:05.406)
Yes.
Julie Blamphin (20:12.108)
So these are some of the practices, if you will, that we bring into classes and workshops and meditations and retreats, because this is the simplest and most pure way that we can connect with our sexuality. Just connect with that idea that you are a sexual person. And we do this sober. We do this with no help of anything whatsoever. Maybe a cushion, a comfortable place to be and feeling safe.
but just connecting to that sacred space and recognizing that it's always there.
Maureen Benkovich (20:45.78)
Yeah, that safety is important. And I think we both know that in the kind of coaching we both do is willingness to be vulnerable. So there's no judgment if someone comes to your retreats and they say, haven't been having sex for a while and I stopped drinking and I don't know how to do it without that. And I'm just really not comfortable with my body anymore. It has to be a safe space. And same thing when they come to me and they're like, I feel like I've been drinking too much. Maybe to black out. I'm embarrassed of some of the things I do or say.
So it's always has to be a safe space and we both talk about vulnerability and we experienced that with each other, which I thought was so cool. Like, you know, when I went to your studio and we lay, you'd get me to lay on these rollers and encouraged me to be still and teaching me about hydrating my muscles and including sitting on a roller like lengthwise and hydrating your vaginal floor, but correct me if I'm saying the wrong thing, pelvic floor. But that was really interesting and learning.
Julie Blamphin (21:39.224)
Good for. Yep.
Maureen Benkovich (21:43.156)
to be in touch with that. Yeah.
Julie Blamphin (21:45.41)
Right? Yeah, this is a really powerful place, a really powerful space, and vulnerability is a strength, not a weakness. And so, exactly.
Maureen Benkovich (21:54.911)
Yeah, it kills shame. It does. Like when you're willing to be vulnerable and share with people that you can trust, then, and you start to realize you're not alone and that you can change over time. That's the empowering piece, but the shame is disempowering and keeps you stuck, whether it's in drinking or not being comfortable with intimacy. Yeah. So I just, I saw so many parallels in our, in what we do and how we work with people.
Julie Blamphin (22:21.518)
Now, I need...
Maureen Benkovich (22:24.01)
So that was just really eye-opening to me. so pelvic floor health, can you tell us like, why are we so out of touch with that? And maybe like simple thing to help people, some practical something to take away from this recording.
Julie Blamphin (22:42.434)
I think that one of the reasons we're out of touch and not having these conversations is because we think it's normal. We think that we, that it's not going to do any good. Why should I even talk about it if, if it's just something that let's say we're leaking when we laugh or run, cough, sneeze. There are so many women out there who are leaking when they laugh, run, jump, cough, sneeze. That's called stress incontinence. Stress doesn't mean anxiety stress. means
Maureen Benkovich (23:01.022)
Yes.
Julie Blamphin (23:10.956)
stress on the pelvic floor. And one thing that puts a lot of stress on that pelvic floor and bladder is alcohol. And so when we are leaking, when we laugh, run, jump, cough, sneeze, we think, okay, I'm just going to deal with this. I'm going to go buy, you know, pads or pens. Eventually you will be in diapers because this stuff doesn't go away unless you address it, unless you do something about it. Because again,
Maureen Benkovich (23:11.666)
on the body.
Maureen Benkovich (23:17.95)
Hmm.
Maureen Benkovich (23:29.651)
Yeah.
Maureen Benkovich (23:35.624)
Address it.
Julie Blamphin (23:39.202)
just because one in three women are dealing with this does not mean it's normal, it just means it's common.
Maureen Benkovich (23:46.238)
That is such a good point. Just because everyone's dealing with it doesn't mean it's normal. And you're saying you can do something about it.
Julie Blamphin (23:53.494)
Totally, you can absolutely do something about, mean, think about it. It's just anatomy. It's just a bunch of muscles. So the pelvic floor is a bunch of muscles at the base of the pelvis. And it has a big responsibility, this space. And again, alcohol is just not doing us any favors if we're leaking, if we experience pain during sex, if we experience urge or frequency. Definitely work with Maureen to kick the,
Maureen Benkovich (23:58.708)
muscles.
Maureen Benkovich (24:05.001)
Yeah.
Maureen Benkovich (24:21.002)
And Julie.
Julie Blamphin (24:22.478)
to the curb because it's not doing your body any good. And in fact, it's exacerbating your symptoms and your symptoms won't go away without change. So yeah, so it's time to consider making some changes.
Maureen Benkovich (24:37.098)
without addressing them. Yeah.
Yeah. I feel like this whole pelvic floor health is being brought to the forefront in the last few years and you're kind of ahead of that curve and you do workshops and you teach people about this and yeah, it is, it definitely is. And you also do meditation, you're doing something locally I see. And one of the things I talk about in my physiology first addressing alcohol is sitting in stillness because it's something in our society we don't do.
Julie Blamphin (24:47.789)
Mm-hmm.
Julie Blamphin (24:51.958)
I do, I do, it's important work.
Maureen Benkovich (25:10.762)
We're always in fight or flight and not getting in touch with that parasympathetic nervous system. And you are showing people how to slow down, how to meditate. Why is that important to you and how does that help others?
Julie Blamphin (25:24.078)
I think that practicing stillness, and that's the key word, it's a practice. I think that practicing stillness is one of the most important things that we can do in our entire society because think about our society. Think about what's going on everywhere all the time. We're all jacked up all the time. And then we're reaching for what we reach for to take the edge off, whatever that might be, busyness.
Maureen Benkovich (25:28.339)
Mm-hmm.
Maureen Benkovich (25:37.662)
Yes. Yes. It's crazy.
Maureen Benkovich (25:49.642)
We're reaching for the quickest thing, which is alcohol. Drugs. Yeah.
Julie Blamphin (25:51.15)
alcohol, drug, right? All of this stuff, it's just doing us more harm than good. So being still, number one, it's tapping into the parasympathetic nervous system, which is where you have to be to heal. It's putting you in a place that might not be a very comfortable place because we're typically running like, you know, squirrels on speed 24 seven.
Maureen Benkovich (26:03.551)
Mmm.
Maureen Benkovich (26:13.748)
Mm-hmm.
Julie Blamphin (26:16.014)
and then giving ourselves shit because we're not getting anything done. Well, that's because we can't focus because we're running around like on speed. So if we can just pause and feel peace just for a moment now and then that's a pretty darn good moment. And still all of those moments add up to healing comfort.
Maureen Benkovich (26:22.469)
Right. Right.
Maureen Benkovich (26:32.532)
Yeah.
Maureen Benkovich (26:37.278)
Yeah, and it's so important to be willing to try that. And at first it is leading into discomfort. I know, because Julie would have me go into her studio and put me on all these rollers. And then she's like, I'm going to leave for a couple of seconds and you're just going to stay here and be still. And that was very challenging, but I felt so much better. I could feel my, you know, central nervous system regulating, down regulating, like, gosh, I so needed this. So learning a skill like that is so important instead of going for the quick off switch of alcohol.
And if it's not something you're going to do on your own, you can seek out someone like Julie who teaches classes, you can go in person, or you also have an online yoga practice. Can you tell us a little bit about that?
Julie Blamphin (27:19.968)
I do. Yes, yes. On my website, stretchyourspirit.com, you can read about my membership and that is helping women to stabilize their pelvic floor, stabilize their nervous system, help them sleep better and move away from pain. There are all these yoga practices in there and meditations in there. And yes, I'm teaching locally here in Annapolis, Maryland.
and I lead international retreats. My next one is coming up in May. Can't wait, Costa Rica. It's gonna be amazing. I also work with one-on-one private clients, Annanapolis.
Maureen Benkovich (27:53.168)
that sounds beautiful.
Maureen Benkovich (27:59.049)
Yeah, and it's so important to be open to trying these new things. I've learned that so much on the other side of alcohol. I keep incorporating these practices and being willing and I'm evolving as I go what I do to relax and I keep looking into different things. So I always encourage people, whether you're day one and you're trying to stop drinking and maybe you're doing a break with me or you're two years out and you just really quite haven't figured out how to relax. It's important.
to be open and vulnerable with someone you can trust and look into these things so you can learn how to be more resilient to stress and not go back or turn to alcohol. Yeah.
Julie Blamphin (28:38.316)
Right? Yeah, absolutely. And it's easier than you think. So many people are like, I can't practice yoga. I'm not flexible. I'm like, okay, hang on a second. First of all, listen to what you just said. Second of all, that's why you should be practicing yoga. And I hear a lot of people say, I can't meditate. Well, you know what? Neither could Buddha, but it's a practice, right? So we get into these moments and then we're there and it's all good because you're going to tell yourself, okay, I'm here and it's all good. You're not going to like.
Maureen Benkovich (28:41.94)
Mm-hmm.
Maureen Benkovich (28:59.774)
Yeah. Yeah.
Maureen Benkovich (29:05.704)
And here is wherever you can be in the moment. Yeah.
Julie Blamphin (29:08.234)
Exactly, exactly. Because if you keep saying, no, I can't do that. no, I can't quit drinking. no, I can't practice meditation. Then you're right. Exactly. Yeah. Exactly. Yeah.
Maureen Benkovich (29:12.99)
Mm-hmm.
Maureen Benkovich (29:16.936)
Right, what you tell yourself matters. So it's that curiosity piece, like, well, let me try. And I love how you use the word practice because learning how to not drink, how not to turn to alcohol for stress, for relaxation, for celebration is a practice. And I know, because I've been living it for three and a half years, alcohol-free. And it's becoming more and more, of course, commonplace to me now. But in the beginning, it was a very conscious
Julie Blamphin (29:36.216)
just.
Maureen Benkovich (29:45.195)
practice, which is what I have to do with yoga right now, but I'm determined to get better and more flexible and strengthen my pelvic floor. So, yeah, so that's how these two things work together. And I just love that. Plus, we become good friends and I love that too. Yeah. So you talked about your retreats. One is in Costa Rica. You can go to Julie's website. You've also written some books.
Julie Blamphin (29:48.6)
Yes.
Julie Blamphin (29:53.378)
Yes, it's practice.
Julie Blamphin (30:00.558)
Hello!
Julie Blamphin (30:09.76)
I have, yes, I've been the featured writer in a number of books this past maybe two years. And I'm almost done with my own. I have a workbook coming out, Yoga Workbook, so that's gonna be really fun. And I've got another one that is pretty much already written in my heart and soul, and that'll be coming out after the one I'm working on now. So yeah, I do a lot of writing. I'm a featured writer for AARP, the Ethel, and...
Maureen Benkovich (30:33.663)
Great.
Julie Blamphin (30:35.564)
Love being on podcasts and I love speaking at events. so whomever's out there who is interested in booking me to speak, I'd love to speak. I speak on obviously women's wellness, pelvic floor wellness, but also balance and energy, sexuality. I love it.
Maureen Benkovich (30:52.51)
And one of the things you shared with me when we were taking the break with alcohol and you've changed your relationship with alcohol is you felt more clear in your writing and in your speaking. And so I just love that you just share that with people because there are true tangible benefits that happen when you change your relationship with alcohol.
Julie Blamphin (31:09.748)
Absolutely. Absolutely. And benefits that you wouldn't even expect. Yeah.
Maureen Benkovich (31:14.302)
Yeah, and they keep coming. They keep coming. Well, I love to ask people on my podcast, what do do to feel sober fit, whether it's physical, mental or emotional or all three?
Julie Blamphin (31:26.014)
I practice stillness. I mean, it's not easy to practice when you're so focused on your next drink. And we don't even realize when we're, we put so much, thank you. We put so much into, what am I gonna have?
Maureen Benkovich (31:41.086)
Mental chatter, yes.
Julie Blamphin (31:45.708)
What am I gonna have to drink later? Or what am I gonna have next? Or should I have it now? Maybe I should drink slower. I mean, there's just so much that goes on. It takes up so much space. And so now I just, I love that I have more space. Totally. Yeah. And I'm taking those moments and I'm really savoring those moments. And that, from what I understand, is how we really cultivate something and make it even more.
Maureen Benkovich (31:47.07)
Yeah. Yes.
Maureen Benkovich (32:00.906)
So you've noticed that, that you have so much more space. Yes.
Maureen Benkovich (32:15.508)
Yes, you have to notice the benefit, celebrate the benefit and that locks in that neural pathway. So that is such a great testimony right there. And so all of her links, all of Julie's links will be in the show notes and you guys can connect with her and I'm going to continue to work on my pelvic floor health. And thank you so much, Julie, for being on Sober Fit Life.
Julie Blamphin (32:15.918)
a benefit.
Julie Blamphin (32:22.765)
Yeah.
Julie Blamphin (32:40.002)
Thank you for having me, it was awesome.
