Season Two Finale
Tranquility du Jour
In this week’s edition of Tranquility du Jour, I’m sharing a list of 52 things I’ve Learned in 52 Years—from life’s tender truths to tiny practices that keep me grounded. You can grow up in the Great Plains of Oklahoma and still dream in (broken) French. The courage to veer off the expected path—like taking a gap year to ski and snowboard in Colorado post-college—can shape your soul. Midlife is a permission slip to nourish what you once neglected. Paralegal school taught me the power of precision—and that law firms weren’t my forever. A yoga mat in a living room can...
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Finding Yourself in Midlife
Tranquility du Jour
In this week’s edition of Tranquility du Jour, I chat with guest Dr. Ellen Albertson on: The Seven Steps to Rock Your Midlife Dr. Ellen shares a transformative framework from her book Rock Your Midlife, including: know yourself, love yourself, energize yourself, reprogram your brain, empower yourself, rehab your relationships, and enlighten yourself. Each step is designed to guide women toward deeper self-understanding, vibrant health, and personal empowerment. Redefining Midlife Through Resilience and Joy From blindness to breast cancer, divorce to career pivots, Dr. Ellen opens up...
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Writing, Wellness, and the Wisdom
Tranquility du Jour
In this week’s edition of Tranquility du Jour, I chat with Anne Flosnik on: Living Fearlessly and Fully in MidlifeAnne shares how she’s shed fear and self-doubt in this season of life. With a strong sense of agency, she sees midlife not as a narrowing but as an expansive time filled with opportunity, curiosity, and creative possibility. Honouring the Body with Gentle ConsistencyAfter a surprise osteoporosis diagnosis, Anne began building supportive routines like daily rebounding (mini trampoline), strength training, and mindful nutrition. Her message: small, informed choices can...
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Books, Bubbles, and Bold Lips
Tranquility du Jour
In this week’s edition of Tranquility du Jour, I chat with Julia Coney on: Intentional Living and Midlife PrioritiesJulia shares how midlife has invited her to slow down, be kinder to herself, and intentionally curate how she spends her time. From planning monthly bed days to saying no without guilt, she’s embracing presence over pressure and finding joy in the everyday. The Power of Routine and ReflectionWith three key notebooks—a planner, a journal, and a commonplace book—Julia tracks her thoughts, growth, and ideas. She begins each day with reading (sometimes just 10 minutes!)...
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Creative Seasons and Midlife Wisdom
Tranquility du Jour
In this week’s edition of Tranquility du Jour, I chat with Melinda Parkhurst on: Gracefully Embracing the Midlife ShiftMelinda reflects on stepping into the role of a wisdom carrier and how midlife offers perspective, legacy, and a chance to pass the torch. She encourages us to lean into change, not resist it—and to keep showing up fully. Creativity as Lifelong NourishmentA dancer, gardener, artist, and maker, Melinda shares how creative expression has evolved with her seasons of life. She listens to what calls her now, letting go of old projects and embracing new ones with curiosity...
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Yoga Beyond the Mat
Tranquility du Jour
In this week’s edition of Tranquility du Jour, I chat with Reema Datta on: The True Meaning of YogaReema shares how yoga’s roots in India focus more on the mind and consciousness than the body. She unpacks the essence of yoga as a practice of connecting to stillness, acceptance, and infinite potential—not just achieving physical poses. Embracing Change with GraceWhether transitioning into motherhood or midlife, Reema reflects on how yoga taught her to let go of labels and stories that no longer serve. Her practice helps her approach aging as an exciting opportunity for growth,...
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Pleasure Literacy in Midlife
Tranquility du Jour
In this week’s edition of Tranquility du Jour, I chat with Laura Zam on: Redefining Pleasure in MidlifeLaura shares how her personal journey with perimenopause and intimacy led to a deeper understanding of sensuality, eroticism, and pleasure. She introduces a four-part framework—sensuousness, sensuality, eroticism, and sexuality—to help women reconnect with their bodies and desires at every age. Creative Confidence and EvolutionFrom theatre to writing to public speaking, Laura discusses her lifelong commitment to creativity and how midlife has brought greater urgency and clarity....
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A Life Reimagined
Tranquility du Jour
In this week’s edition of Tranquility du Jour, I chat with Lauren Cerand on: 💗 Redefining Success in Midlife Lauren reflects on her journey from a career-focused New Yorker to a values-driven creative seeking slowness, depth, and shared experiences. She shares how time, not ambition, is now her most treasured currency. 💗 Letting Go of the Checklist Life From living in Italy to finding home in Baltimore, Lauren describes the evolution of her priorities. She beautifully illustrates how releasing outdated identities creates space for deeper alignment and soulful connection. 💗 The Art...
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Red Lipstick & Reinvention
Tranquility du Jour
In this week’s edition of Tranquility du Jour, I chat with Aga Rhodes on: 💗 Grieving with Grace and Grit Aga shares the profound shift she's experienced since losing her husband, highlighting the importance of honoring grief while gently moving forward. She encourages women to embrace the messiness of healing, giving themselves permission to feel deeply and take it one day at a time. 💗 Beauty as Self-Expression and Therapy As a seasoned makeup artist, Aga offers practical beauty tips—like the uplifting power of blush and bold lipstick—alongside reflections on how small acts of...
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Style & Soul
Tranquility du Jour
In this week’s edition of Tranquility du Jour, I chat with Michele Nidiffer on: 💗 Healing Through the Senses Michele shares how scent, sound, and movement have helped her connect more deeply with herself and others. Her practices, including sensory walks and aromatherapy, serve as gentle invitations to slow down and tune in. 💗 Living in Alignment with Nature Rooted in the rhythms of the seasons, Michele’s approach to life and work embraces natural cycles of rest, renewal, and bloom. She encourages midlife women to honour their internal seasons with softness and curiosity. 💗...
info_outlineIn this week’s edition of Tranquility du Jour, I chat with Ananda Leeke on:
1. The Power of Surrender in Midlife
Ananda discusses the importance of embracing surrender as a key tool for navigating midlife changes, grief, and the challenges of postmenopause. She highlights how surrender fosters growth and acceptance in the face of life’s uncertainties.
2. Mindfulness as a Lifeline
Ananda shares her lifelong journey with mindfulness, from discovering meditation in her late 20s to integrating practices like yoga, Reiki, and journaling. These tools have evolved into a central part of her thriving midlife approach, promoting grounding, self-awareness, and emotional resilience.
3. Creative Evolution Through Decades
Creativity remains a core part of Ananda’s life. From art and writing to exploring new hobbies like crochet, she embraces creative expression to honor her ancestral connections and celebrate personal growth through mixed media projects and storytelling.
4. The Soft Life and Self-Care Practices
Ananda emphasizes the importance of a softer approach to life in midlife, focusing on self-care, boundary-setting, and activities that nurture her body and mind. From tennis and biking to journaling with tea, her examples illustrate how everyday moments of joy and care can rejuvenate and inspire.
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Grab your journal, a cuppa tea, and settle in.
Our Guest: Ananda Leeke
Ananda Leeke is a Thriving Mindfully Coach, Human Design Doula, artist, and author. Ananda discovered mindfulness, self-care, and wellness when her career as a lawyer, an investment banker, and a digital communications professional stressed her out, caused burnout, and did not produce the level of success she expected. During her healing journey, she studied and practiced meditation, yoga, reiki, journaling, art-making, and creative writing. They helped her develop self-care practices, navigate change, and become resilient. As a result, she became a certified yoga + mindfulness teacher, a digital wellness educator, a reiki master practitioner, a sound healer, and an artist-in-residence at Howard University Hospital and Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.
Today, she leads Ananda Leeke Consulting, a wellness company, and the Thriving Mindfully Academy, an online education platform and network. She also hosts and produces the Thriving Mindfully Podcast. Her books, Love’s Troubadours, a yoga-inspired novel; That Which Awakens Me, a mindful creativity memoir; and Digital Sisterhood, a mindful technology memoir, are available on Amazon. Currently, she and her father Dr. John F. Leeke are co-writing his memoir, American Change Agent (Fall 2024). She is also writing her midlife memoir, Thriving Mindfully as Theresa's Daughter (2025). In addition, she is creating a body of artwork and spoken word music that celebrates the ancestral relationship she has with her mother Theresa.
Find Our Guest
Mentioned in the Show
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Coterie waitlist: a yearlong signature immersion to support women in finding more beauty, balance, and connection in midlife
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Subscribe to my Substack Private Collection for five monthly tranquility tools, my month in review with resources, and occasional extras for only $1.90/week ($99/year)
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All Tranquility du Jour offerings: work 1:1, salons, digital courses, and more
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Save your spot in A Tranquil New Year happening on January 5 at 6 pm ET
Podcast Host: Kimberly
Kimberly Wilson is a psychotherapist, author of seven lifestyle books, and host of the Tranquility du Jour podcast. She also serves as president of the Pigs & Pugs Project.
With over 25 years of experience, Kimberly is dedicated to helping midlife women find balance and beauty in their lives. She holds master’s degrees in Women’s Studies and Social Work and has been featured in publications such as Huffington Post, The Washington Post, and Cosmopolitan.
Living in Washington, DC with her rescue pugs and longtime partner, Kimberly shares her passion for tranquility, ballet, loving her 50s, and more at kimberlywilson.com.