Advertisement If you’re looking to make long-term changes to your drinking behaviour, consider subbing your gin for a little meditation during this happy hour. That’s the message from meditation teacher Rory Kinsella who stopped drinking alcohol some three years ago after attending an alcohol-free meditation retreat in Mexico and continuing the sober life on return. Dry July can be a great opportunity to try meditation, using it to overcome cravings and to start re-wiring our brains to reduce the compulsion to drink. Credit:iStock “Meditation is a good bridge between partying and sobriety because it takes you out of your mind and your thoughts into a place of peace,” Sydney-based Kinsella says.