What happens when partying stops being fun and starts becoming survival? Jason from The Monkeymind Meditation Club knows this turning point intimately. Eight years ago, he was the loudest voice at the bar, the first one ordering shots, the guy who’d party until morning without question. Two-day benders turned into three-day benders, then four. Until one day he woke up in London with no memory of how he’d gotten home, and realized he was sinking fast.
Meditation quite literally saved his life. Not the Instagram-perfect version with incense and perfectly aligned chakras, but the messy, real, accessible practice that meets you exactly where you are. Today Jason teaches meditation to people who don’t traditionally meditate, working alongside Jomo—the world’s first and only meditating monkey—to create what he calls “a quiet, playful rebellion” against a culture that never stops demanding our attention. His philosophy is beautifully simple: you feel what you feel when you feel it.
In this conversation, Jason shares how sobriety and meditation became inseparable tools for rebuilding his life, why he spent an entire day calculating his ikigai to confirm his calling, and how a velvet-vested puppet monkey helps heal parts of people they didn’t even know needed healing.
Show Notes
[03:29] The Breaking Point: When Fun Becomes Survival
Jason describes his descent from “work hard, play hard” to forgetting the work part entirely. His marriage had ended, his consultancy work fell apart, and he found himself in a corporate job he hated while drinking harder than ever.
The pattern escalated from two-day benders to four-day affairs with no clear end
Blackout drinking became normal—waking up not knowing how he got home
People around him were increasingly concerned as his life spiraled
He recognized he was using alcohol as a numbing mechanism rather than celebration
Key insight: “It was fun until it wasn’t” became Jason’s defining realization that something had to change.
[05:38] Finding Meditation: From Apps to Life-Changing Practice
Jason’s introduction to meditation started casually but quickly became transformative. He began with apps like Headspace and Calm, doing 10 minutes a day.
Attended a talk by a well-known meditation teacher and immediately signed up for a weekend intensive
Started attending group meditations regularly nine years ago
The practice profoundly affected him in ways he couldn’t ignore
His background in learning and development made him want to teach others
Key insight: Jason spent an entire day working through his ikigai (Japanese concept of life purpose) mapping what he could be paid for, what he loved, what the world needs, and what he’s good at. Everything converged on becoming a meditation teacher.
[08:02] The Problem with Meditation’s Image
Jason became increasingly frustrated with how meditation was portrayed in mainstream culture. When you Google “meditation,” you’re met with images that create barriers rather than bridges.
Skinny white women in impossible yoga poses on clifftops
Perfect bodies in perfect lighting that alienate most people
The message: “You need to be this to meditate”
This perception keeps people who desperately need meditation from trying it
Key insight: Jason realized meditation needed to be democratized and made accessible to people who don’t fit the Instagram aesthetic—especially those dealing with real struggles like addiction, grief, and overwhelm.
[13:45] Creating Jomo: The Universe’s Gift
The story of how Jomo came to be is almost magical. Jason wanted to create something warm, accessible, and non-threatening to guide meditations.
Originally planned to use his own image but felt it wasn’t quite right
His partner suggested a monkey—something playful yet wise
A designer created Jomo with specific instructions: kind eyes with depth and soul
The puppet was hand-dyed and crafted to exact specifications
Key insight: Jason believes the universe delivered exactly what was needed. Jomo heals parts of people they didn’t even know needed healing, creating a safe space that feels magical yet grounded.
[26:15] Meditation and Sobriety: Inseparable Tools
For Jason, meditation became the foundation that made sobriety sustainable. He practices 30-40 minutes daily, usually in the morning.
Meditation helped him process the emotions he’d been numbing with alcohol
The practice taught him to sit with discomfort rather than escape it
He developed the ability to observe cravings without acting on them
Meditation created the mental space to make conscious choices
Key insight: The Buddhist teaching of the two arrows—the first arrow is unavoidable pain, the second is the suffering we add by resisting it. Meditation helps gently lower that second arrow.
[32:40] The Relapse That Sealed Everything
After six years sober, Jason had one night of drinking. Rather than derailing him, it became the final confirmation he needed.
He went out with friends and decided to have “just one drink”
The experience wasn’t what he remembered or hoped for
Rather than opening a gateway back to drinking, it closed the door completely
He felt grateful for the experience because it removed all doubt
Key insight: Sometimes a relapse can be the best thing that happens because it eliminates the “what if” question and reinforces why sobriety matters.
[42:32] Rules for Sober Socializing
Jason developed specific guidelines that help him navigate social situations without alcohol.
Always pay for your rounds (though friends now spot him for lime and soda)
Leave when the first person starts slurring—that’s when everyone “clicks up a level” together
Don’t stay once you realize you’re not on the same wavelength anymore
The “Irish exit” (slipping out via the bathroom) is perfectly acceptable
Key insight: Jason noticed he’d become invisible in drunk conversations, like the zombies in World War Z that don’t attack people who are already “infected” with something. Once everyone reaches a certain level of intoxication, the sober person gets erased from the dynamic.
[45:04] Meeting Jomo: The Magic Made Real
The conversation concludes with Jason bringing out Jomo, revealing the physical puppet that guides thousands through meditation.
Jomo is larger than expected, carefully handcrafted with poseable hands and feet
His eyes were designed to have depth and soul—the most important feature
Every detail was intentional, from the velvet vest to the thread matching his skin tone
Seeing Jason and Jomo together in real time creates a rare, special moment
Key insight: Jomo represents the Joy Of Missing Out (JOMO)—a gentle rebellion against constant connectivity and the fear of missing experiences that don’t actually serve us.
Key Quotes
“It was fun until it wasn’t.” - Jason
“You feel what you feel when you feel it.” - Jason
“Jomo heals parts of us inside that sometimes we don’t even know needed healed.” - Jason
“The first arrow is the pain itself—unavoidable and devastating. The second arrow is the suffering we add by resisting that pain. Meditation helps us gently lower that second arrow.” - Jason
“When the first person starts slurring, that’s when I leave. Because I now know that everybody has just clicked up a level together and I’m not there.” - Jason
Resources Mentioned
Meditation Apps: Headspace and Calm (Jason’s entry point into meditation)
Ikigai: Japanese concept for finding life purpose through the intersection of what you love, what you’re good at, what the world needs, and what you can be paid for
Buddhist Teaching: The Two Arrows—a framework for understanding pain versus suffering
JOMO: Joy Of Missing Out (vs. FOMO)
Where to Find Jason
Social Media: Find Monkeymind Meditation on YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok (primarily TikTok)
Jason offers live meditation sessions with recordings available to subscribers. Join the community for guided meditations, honest reflections on sobriety and anxiety, and the chance to meditate with Jomo.
Ready to Discover What’s Possible?
If Jason’s story resonates with you—if you’re sensing that alcohol might be holding back your creative potential or wondering what life could look like without it—you’re in exactly the right place.
The Sober Creative Method™ is a 90-day journey designed specifically for creative professionals ready to remove alcohol as the barrier to their greatest work. This isn’t about crisis intervention. It’s about transformation and possibility.
You don’t need to hit rock bottom to make a change. You just need to be curious about what clarity could unlock in your creative life.
Thank You
A heartfelt thank you to Carína Brighid, Noelle Richards, and to everyone who joined us live for this conversation, and to Jason for his extraordinary openness and wisdom. Your presence and engagement make these conversations possible.
What’s Next
The Sober Creative is more than a newsletter—it’s a movement of professionals reclaiming their creativity by choosing clarity over coping.
🎯 Take the Clarity Quiz: This assessment reveals certain areas where alcohol may be the exact thing that is quietly sabotaging your creative potential. It’s free and only takes a few minutes.
✍️ Read the Essays: Stories and strategies for building a clear, creative, and intentional life.
🎙️ Join Clear Conversations: Honest talks with creative professionals navigating the intersection of sobriety, self-discovery, and breakthrough work.
💬 Curious about your next step? If you’re sensing that something’s holding you back, but you’re not sure what—reach out. Coaching, community, or clarity—it all starts with a conversation.
✨ The Sober Creative Method™ is a 90-day journey to remove alcohol as the barrier to your greatest work.
Each step forward is an act of becoming who you’re meant to be.
Thanks for walking this path with me.
Josh
P.S. Missed previous episodes? Browse the Clear Conversations archive to explore more conversations with creative minds in sobriety.
