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I am writing this instead of finishing the edits on my first draft before sending it back to my editor and a trusted friend.

We’re all aware of “the files.” The headlines. The strategic releases. The exposure of historical secret networks, power structures, and atrocities that feel both shocking and strangely familiar. And I cannot help but see…

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It feels like 2026 is already doing its best to pull us off center. To distract, to fragment our attention, to tangle us up enough that it becomes hard to know where to place our focus, or what actually matters.

Those of us in, or observing, what’s happening across the West are probably feeling it. A sense that anything could happen…

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Hi all, and Happy New Year

As the season and weather rolls in and the year gets underway, many of us are looking for our rhythm, and a way to come into our bodies and reconnect with what matters. Do you remember Lorilee Gillmore of Moksha Ayurvedic Phoenix? Well, she is happy to be back with us! She has created an offering that meets us wherever we are in that journey.

Join us for an expert-led 90-minute Zoom session on Tuesday, 3rd February where Lorilee will share with us what the five elements of Ayurveda are. The foundation of Ayurveda. Think of it as building the base of understanding for an Ayurvedic practice that is clear, grounded, and personal.

We’ll explore:

• Each of the five elements and their gunas (qualities) in both balanced and imbalanced states

• How to notice how these elements show up within your own mind, body, and relationships.

• The way the elements shape your dominant dosha

By the end of the session, you’ll have a clearer understanding of how the five elements influence your nature and how to work with them for greater balance.

—

Why join us?

Ayurveda teaches that the same five elements found in nature also live within us. When we understand and align with them, we tend to be connected to the rhythms of nature, others, and ourselves.

There will also be time for live Q&A, so you can ask questions to individualize your experience.

—

Lorilee will share these teachings in her grounded, accessible way, drawing on three decades of experience. Our hope is that you leave feeling more centered, clear, and inspired.

• Click to learn more and sign up HERE

We look forward to welcoming you and do reach out to me if you have any questions.

Love,
Adrienne

Lorilee has three decades of experience. She is an Ayurvedic chef and is recognized by the National Ayurveda Medical Association as an Ayurvedic Yoga Therapist. She is also a certified Second Series Ashtanga teacher. From the Himalayas to Kerala to Arizona, she is a well regarded and established teacher, trusted therapist, and consultant.

What a year, ey…

How’s 2025 wrapping up for you. Ready for it to be over. Ready for a new year to begin? However this year has met you, gently or not, I hope these last few days offer some form of rest, a clearing out, a tidying up, and maybe a few yoga poses to get you back into your body.

🩷

Think waterfall, to reverse the blood flow back to the h…

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Thank you for joining and for sharing your experience from yesterday’s live with Lorilee Gillmore of Moksha Ayurveda Phoenix!

Enjoy the full episode here.

Topics explored in this episode:

• Where Lorilee recommends beginning your Ayurvedic journey

• What calming practices to incorporate into your day

• How understanding the Ayurvedic clock becomes a guide for supporting your dosha

• What simple routines, our dinacharya, such as tongue scraping and oiling, can do for the state of our body, mind, and senses

This episode wraps up the first season of the podcast, and what a delight to end it here. Thank you to everyone who has joined me on the journey so far. I’m excited for what will unravel in 2026. I’ll have new offerings and more stories to share with you. More to come!

All previous podcast episodes are freely available on Apple, Spotify & Substack

Ways to connect with Lorilee:

Lorilee's Website

Lorilee's Instagram

For my last podcast episode of 2025, my friend and expert guest Lorilee Gillmore of Moksha Ayurveda Phoenix will be sharing her Ayurvedic wisdom on how tuning into your unique dosha and the daily rituals that support vitality, long term wellbeing, and help keep disease at bay.

Lorilee has more than two decades of experience. She is an Ayurvedic chef and …

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Thank you to all the ladies who tuned in for the second episode with the incredible Dr Karen L Hartzenberg!

In Part 2, we went deeper into perimenopause and menopause - bridging Eastern and Western medicine and exploring how to find a bit of relief through:

• Common Symptoms: Hot flashes, tinnitus, and hair changes

• Seed Cycling: What it is, how to start, and why it helps in every phase

• Cycle Phases: Understanding hormonal highs and lows through each stage

• Grounding Practice: A calming body scan to reconnect with yourself

Listen to Part 1

Why I Created This Space

Before I gave it all up and moved to this tiny island from the US and UK, I spent years working in male-dominated, high-pressure spaces - always moving, achieving, searching for something more aligned yet never truly feeling home.
Eventually, I knew I needed to pause. To unlearn the noise. To rebuild life on my own terms. To take the biggest risk yet. In many ways, I needed to return to the version of myself I knew before the conditioning, before menstruation, before the hustle and grief.

This space, and the book I’m writing, grew from that decision to begin again. To share stories whether drawn from real life or shaped through a slightly fictional lens that speak to the quiet, unglamorous work of becoming a home for oneself. It’s a space for tending to the inner soil, for unearthing what’s been buried, and for nurturing the truths that want to grow as identities shed.

It’s for the women who sense that the journey home is rarely comfortable and easy, but always worth it. I’m still surprised at how many women I’ve met who have braved the storm, taken the risks, and trusted themselves when nothing made much sense. Without them, without you, this becoming would feel a bit, well… less than full.

Thank you,

Adrienne

Dr Karen info

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It feels like almost every day, I’m noticing something new — the subtle creases in my skin, the random crepey-ness, the fatigue, it can catch me off guard. And that’s just the surface.

Some days, I feel grounded, energized, and self-aware. Other days, I feel tired, or unsure of what to expect next. And while I try to hold it all with grace and comedy, it’s not always easy.

For many, this was once a quiet, almost invisible transition. But for us, it’s undeniable. It’s hot flashes, anxiety, tinnitus, brain fog, tears out of nowhere, and wondering: “what the hell is going on?”

Even in the discomfort and unpredictability of perimenopause and menopause, something beautiful is unfolding. Our intuition feels sharper. Boundaries clearer. The inner voice louder and more certain. It’s as if our body is guiding us toward something deeper — a clearing-out, a renewal, a return to the wild feminine spirit.

I tell myself; “this isn’t a loss of control,” it’s a transformation — one that invites us to live from the inside out, to trust our bodies, and to ask for support as we find the good and humor in this huge change.

Join Me & Dr Karen Live — Unmasked: Part 2

Friday, October 10th | 9:00–9:45 AM (Mauritian time)

Together, we’ll dive deeper into:
🌸 Symptom support — understanding what’s really happening with hot flashes, hair loss, and tinnitus
🌱 Seed cycling — understanding the four phases of our cycle
💧 HRT — debunking myths and offering options
☯️ East meets West — blending holistic and medical support
💨Mindfulness Exercise — a simple way to self-soothe and ground

🔗 Join us live here — you may need the App to join.

I’m thrilled to welcome Dr. Karin L. Hartzenberg back for a live conversation on Unmasked!

Reach out if you have any questions!

We hope to see you there,

Adrienne

Get more from Adrienne K in the Substack app

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That is why I was so grateful for our live conversation with Dr. Karen, Medical doctor, Lifestyle Medicine Specialist . It felt like a community gathering. I am already hoping for a part two.

In this expert-lead conversation, Dr. Karen answers questions that a lot of us have:

• What is really happening in the body during perimenopause and menopause and when do the first signs tend to appear?

• Why are we experiencing hair loss, facial hair, insomnia, hot flashes, mood swings, fatigue, even tinnitus?

• What natural tools and therapies such as seed cycling and safe hormone support can help us feel like we aren’t going crazy.

• And why this season, while often overwhelming, can also be a reckoning and even an opportunity for embodiment.

What has struck me most about all of this went beyond the symptoms. It’s the fear and uncertainty many us feel. This conversation is really about preparedness, support, and empowerment. It is about being seen and moving through this transition with more confidence, relief, and maybe even liberation. Many of us notice we stop people pleasing when we arrive at this stage of life and there is a certain freedom in that.

Join us on Tuesday, September 30 at 7:00 PM for our next Unmasked expert session with Lorilee Gilmore — Ayurvedic Professional, Yoga Therapist, and holistic wellness teacher. Lorilee has been instrumental in helping me understand how yoga and Ayurveda can restore balance, shape lifestyle choices, and support mental health with practical, embodied strategies.

Why did I create Unmasked? Before I gave it all up and moved to Mauritius from America and the UK, I spent years interviewing executives from large corporates. Now I get to share a space with women (and some men who are down to have these conversations) from all over the world who are unmasking, risking, and beginning again. These are the conversations I long to have and this one with Dr. Karen is just the beginning.

See ya on the next one! Adrienne

Contact Dr Karen

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In Mauritius the Hindu festival Ganesh Chaturthi is being celebrated. Ganesh, the elephant headed god, is known as the remover of obstacles. His image is full of reminders. The elephant head represents wisdom and memory. His big ears remind us to listen deeply, his small eyes to see beyond the surface, and his curved trunk to stay flexible. The rat at h…

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What if we could skip the most painful parts of our life? Skip the days,
months, years that brought pain, fear, shame, tremendous worry. Skip the versions of ourselves that allowed the pain to enter when we knew better. Remove those years where we felt lost, unforgiven, and scared of how life was looking.

We can’t. These are the most important parts. They…

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In this empowering conversation, we open up about:

• How trusting our intuition leads you "home”

• Why meeting other digital nomads helped to see life as an experiment.

• What it was like in an Islamic school in Saudi Arabia.

• Why Lizard is her favorite yoga pose.

Why did I create Unmasked? Before I gave it all up and moved to Mauritius from America and the U.K., I interviewed C-suite leaders and Heads Of from Fortune 500 companies. But now, I get to share a safe space with women from all over the world who are—or have—risked so much to begin again. These women are inspiring, unmasked, and navigating life with purpose. These are the types of conversations I long to have.

Live Friday, 29th August 9:30 AM MU time I’ll be joined by Dr. Karen who's based in Mauritius. She'll be offering up her knowledge blending Eastern and Western medicine. Subscribe to join us!

Subscribe now

See ya on the next one!

Adrienne

This solo pod episode is a short introduction to one of the topics I’ll be diving into more deeply in future conversations—the seasons of a woman’s life, specifically midlife clarity and perimenopause.

One of my hopes for Unmasked is not only to bring on inspiring guests who have taken bold steps and started over, but also to invite experts on who can offer insight, guidance, and support.

If all goes well, the first expert will be joining me in a few weeks who is a female doctor based in Mauritius that merges both Eastern and Western approaches. Her perspective is thoughtful and holistic—aligned with where this podcast is headed.

You know how they say all doctors should have a great bedside manner? Well, she has that in buckets.

Our next live episode is Tuesday, August 5th, where I’ll be joined by a global traveler and professional “starter over.” She’s navigated cultural shifts, personal transformation, and uncertain crossroads—it should be a good time.

See ya on the next one!!

Adrienne

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Liking and sharing this publication helps it reach others who may be interested in these topics and in return supports this publication. Thank you!

I remember finding myself in a black hole late one night watching an online shopping channel. It’s mesmerizing what’s sold on those channels. It kind of felt like it was preying on women’s insecurities and wallets. Mind you, this was well before streaming services were a thing. I was watching this late one night in an attic room in my flat in London. It…

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In this episode, I sit down with Valeria from Rome, Italy who recently resigned from a big-four consulting company to pursue a more meaningful, self-led life as a female entrepreneur. After living in the U.S., London (twice!), and Japan, she found herself at a crossroads: “Is it me—or is it the city I’m living in?”

This question is so familiar for many of us and it sparked a conversation about:

• Leaving behind a stable corporate career to become a female entrepreneur

• The emotional push and pull of starting over in another country

• Reclaiming authenticity and how starting over isn’t always clean—but it can be clarifying

• Having a few backup plans

  

Unmasked is about the real stories behind change—the mess, the risk, the quiet bravery. It’s what it actually feels like to begin again, beyond the mask.

Thank you for being part of this growing, global conversation.

See ya on the next one!!

Adrienne :)

Whether you're standing at the edge of change or slowly stepping away from what no longer fits, this one's for you.

This podcast is part of Unmasked—real reflections on starting over, reclaiming self-worth, and dropping the masks we wear in the world.

• Read & subscribe on Substack for more midlife reflections, true stories, and updates

• Follow along on Instagram:

• Listen & follow on Spotify:

Adrienne

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Share Adrienne | Where East Meets West

This first series explores what it really feels like to begin again. Not the polished or glamorous version. The real one—the mess, the fear, the uncertainty, and the quiet courage it takes to try again. Guests will be joining from all over the world, sharing their unique experiences of starting over.

In Episode One, I chatted with my friend Cindy about what it required of her to begin again, what surprised her along the way, how she’s feeling now—and whether she’d change any of it.

If you’re standing at the edge of something new, or slowly unraveling an old chapter or version of yourself, I hope this episode lands with truth, reassurance, and the audacity to keep going.

Note: The full video of Unmasked sessions will be available exclusively during our live Substack sessions. But you can always listen to the full audio in these newsletters—or on Spotify, where the podcast has just launched! This is a starting over moment for me too. :)

See ya on the next one!!

Adrienne

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Something new is beginning.

I’m launching a live, 15-minute conversation series on Substack. Short, real-time conversations with people I admire—about change, clarity, and what it really means to start over. The mess. The uncertainty. The bravery. Moving across borders. Learning how to adapt.

My first guest joins me next week!

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Sometimes, I don’t write about island life—rather, I write about how I’m transformed by living on an island.

Coming from the West—what some often call the First World—I try to be discerning about how I interpret what I see and feel, the opinions and judgments I form, and the vast discrepancy between life in the U.S. and U.K. versus living on a tiny rock …

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