Why “Intra Compass”?

In January 2025 I started an Instagram account called Sober Compass which is where I share the day to day experiences of living in recovery from alcoholism, the healing journey (which never ends) and battling addiction in general – something I still do in varying degrees, though not with anything as destructive as alcohol.

Logo looks familiar, right?…

Anyway, there’s a couple of elements to the name and logo….

The word “Compass”…

I’ve been around recovery from addiction and healing long enough to know that everyone’s journey is unique.

I wanted something which emphasised that I don’t have all the answers, and all the things that work for me may not work for you – but some of them might.

So through using the page to share an honest portrayal of the ups and downs of recovery, I hoped I could at least point people in the right general direction.

Like a Compass, rather than a GPS.

The mountain in the logo…

This is a nod to the excellent book by Brianna West, “The Mountain is You – Transforming Self-sabotage into Self mastery”.

Along with various forms of therapy and working the 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous, this book was pivotal in helping me see that while outside circumstances can absolutely have a bearing on us, often the only person standing in our way to a better life, is ourselves.

So, “Intra Compass”…

As we say in AA, “it’s an inside job”, and while we need the help of others along the way, true healing, and improved mental, physical, emotional and spiritual wellness comes from exploring and excavating our inner worlds.

An often excrutiatingly painful but ultimately rewarding journey, when I realised that my life’s purpose was to help others, I needed a word which captured the essence of “inside”, so settled on “Intra”.

There were others I preferred, particularly “inside compass”, but they were all taken, so here we are with “Intra Compass”.

And as is so often the way, over time I’ve come to prefer it 😊

So, there you have it.

Author: Intra Compass

  • Why “Intra Compass”?

    In January 2025 I started an Instagram account called Sober Compass which is where I share the day to day experiences of living in recovery from alcoholism, the healing journey (which never ends) and battling addiction in general – something I still do in varying degrees, though not with anything as destructive as alcohol.

    Logo looks familiar, right?…

    Anyway, there’s a couple of elements to the name and logo….

    The word “Compass”…

    I’ve been around recovery from addiction and healing long enough to know that everyone’s journey is unique.

    I wanted something which emphasised that I don’t have all the answers, and all the things that work for me may not work for you – but some of them might.

    So through using the page to share an honest portrayal of the ups and downs of recovery, I hoped I could at least point people in the right general direction.

    Like a Compass, rather than a GPS.

    The mountain in the logo…

    This is a nod to the excellent book by Brianna West, “The Mountain is You – Transforming Self-sabotage into Self mastery”.

    Along with various forms of therapy and working the 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous, this book was pivotal in helping me see that while outside circumstances can absolutely have a bearing on us, often the only person standing in our way to a better life, is ourselves.

    So, “Intra Compass”…

    As we say in AA, “it’s an inside job”, and while we need the help of others along the way, true healing, and improved mental, physical, emotional and spiritual wellness comes from exploring and excavating our inner worlds.

    An often excrutiatingly painful but ultimately rewarding journey, when I realised that my life’s purpose was to help others, I needed a word which captured the essence of “inside”, so settled on “Intra”.

    There were others I preferred, particularly “inside compass”, but they were all taken, so here we are with “Intra Compass”.

    And as is so often the way, over time I’ve come to prefer it 😊

    So, there you have it.

  • Breathing into the next chapter…

    And so it begins. I’ve started offering free sessions, both group and individual, so I can just breath test (sorry not sorry) how I structure and deliver sessions, to ensure they’re engaging, enjoyable and most importantly, effective.

    I’ve done a lot of training, a lot of preparation, but no amount of theory and planning is quite like the real thing.

    As Mike Tyson said “everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face”, and while I hope not to get punched in the face by any participants, I’m sure a little bit of nerves or the newness of it all will throw up some good learnings.

    Learn by doing…

    Alongside the theory, the science and the curation of material, what I have got is extensive lived experience of Breathwork.

    Whether it be the transformative opening session where I was introduced to the practice, and which to my surprise unearthed some deep consciously forgotten memories and emotional pain that 15 years of therapy hadn’t discovered, and which I was able to then process and release.

    To the day-to-day techniques I use to help soothe a nervous system with a default setting of “dysregulation”, whether that be through ADHD, being a Highly Sensitive Person, or simply experiencing the human condition whilst navigating the trials and the challenges that come at us all from the modern world.

    Put simply, it’s made so much difference in my life, and if I can translate even a fraction of that into a similar experience for you, I’ll consider it a success.

    I don’t know how things will look a year from now, but while I’m a little nervous, at this moment I feel ready and I feel excited to get going.

    If you’d told me four years ago when I was in the iron grip of alcoholism that I’d be embarking on adventure where I helped others find more peace and happiness through breathing, I’d have said you were barking mad.

    I knew no peace and happiness at that time, but I get more than my share of both now, and Breathwork has played a big part in that.

    What about meditation and nutrition?

    I believe wellbeing is the sum of many parts, and while meditation and nutrition are both significant and necessary factors in my overall wellbeing “strategy”, and will for the timebeing be weaved into the sessions we share organically, it’s the breathwork that will be the primary focus for now.

    I’m looking forward to sharing this wonderful, powerful, ancient practice with as many of you as possible.

    To learning and growing alongside all of you along the way 💙