Elle Macpherson Says Getting Sober Helped Her Get to ‘Know Myself on a Deeper Level’

Elle Macpherson is open about how her life has changed since deciding to quit drinking.

In a new interview for an Australian magazine Body + Soulsupermodel, 59, reflected on recently marking 20 years of sobriety and shared that abstinence from alcohol has allowed her to better understand herself.

“I stopped drinking in 2003 because I felt that I could not be fully present in my life, and it was a wonderful springboard for getting to know myself more deeply,” she explained, noting that it was a choice she has never regretted.

“Everyone has their own journey and I’m not interested in telling others what to do, but I know it was a decision I’ve never regretted,” she explained.

“Although it required discipline and persistence, the bottom line is that you can’t be well and present in your life if you’re not present and well, and alcohol doesn’t really support that. It’s very hard to know yourself if you numb yourself,” Macpherson continued.

Elle Macpherson.

Swan Gallet/WWD via Getty

Macpherson also told the magazine that as she’s gotten older, she’s come to realize that beauty isn’t just about her physical appearance, but her overall health and well-being. “I used to equate beauty with youth, and as I matured and as my experience developed, I realized that beauty is more related to well-being,” she explained.

“The other part of that concept is that well-being is physical, emotional, spiritual and mental well-being and that they are all integrated. That was the biggest discovery – that you can’t divide them and they’re not separate,” Macpherson continued. “If something’s wrong, it affects others, so the secret to a happy, healthy life is really keeping all these aspects in balance. It took me a long time to figure that out.”

As she contemplated turning 60 in 2024, Macpherson said her attitude was not to focus on aging.

“I think it’s more important to focus on the quality of life you live and how you live it to the fullest,” she noted. “They always say it’s not the years in your life, it’s the life in your life. The years.”

For inspiration, Macpherson said she follows women on social media who exemplify aging gracefully and embrace life to the fullest. “I’m more interested in their lives than what they look like per se,” she told the magazine. “I’m interested in the lives of women in general, the depths of their souls, the breadth of their experience, their heart connections – without sounding too brash about it. The quality of women’s lives is what I’m interested in.”

Elle Macpherson.

Daniele Venturelli/Getty for the Red Sea International Film Festival

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Macpherson said she also focuses on maintaining a sense of “childlike curiosity” as she gets older. “There is an art in taking life seriously, but not solemnly,” she explained. “I want to keep that childlike curiosity and spontaneity in life, and at the same time keep its meaning.”

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She has also changed her approach to fitness after a career strutting down international runways and posing for fashion magazines. “We all worked out, calories in and calories out, you went to the gym and got your body in shape and we all talked about Jane Fonda-type fitness,” she recalled of the “gym bunny” era.

These days she said that she prefers to go out into nature and hike or go for a bike ride or a swim.

Elle Macpherson, 58, shares timeless bikini pic: ‘I take care of my mind, body and spirit’

In a 2022 Instagram post, Macpherson also shared that meditation is a key part of her daily wellness routine. “Every day I take care of my mind, body and spirit with breathing exercises and meditation,” she wrote at the time.

“My daily practice involves meditating for about 25 minutes in the morning – either guided or in silence. I try to live my life in a constant flow of meditative connection, not just at a set time,” added Macpherson.

Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education