We were lucky to catch up with Adrienne Irizarry recently and have shared our conversation below.
Adrienne, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?
Leaving my secure W2 corporate job to start my own practice was one of the biggest leaps of faith I have ever taken. I had a mortgage, family and financial responsibilities that made taking a chance on myself terrifying, but it was the best decision I ever made. It was made possible through the love and support of my husband. He had been encouraging me to do it for some time at that point, but I finally decided that I was a sure investment and it was time to “bet” on myself and my skills.
The stress of corporate America was hard on my body. I was getting sick often. My kids would get sick and I would need to be home with them. It made the stress of the high pressure job that much worse.
Our business structure doesn’t take into consideration that women are cyclical beings with strengths in every phase of our cycle, but we are not experiencing our hormones in 24 hours like men. We experience ours in 28-30 days which gives us highs and lows that we need to work with. Nature doesn’t live in Spring and Summer energy all year long. Women’s bodies aren’t meant to either. It leads to lots of health issues, adrenal fatigue as well as immune system challenges that plague the ability to be productive.
I made the change from working in corporate America to working for myself for my health, for the wellbeing of my family and to give back to the world in a more meaningful way. My kids struggled with my work schedule and our home life suffered. My health suffered and I had recurrent miscarriages as well as catching every illness around me.
The leap of faith to work for myself and educate women about their bodies and empower them in their health journeys was the best decision I’ve ever made. I help women to understand what their bodies are telling them, how to support their health in meaningful ways, how to structure their work/life balance around the strengths in their menstruating bodies. I teach women how to understand the language their body is lovingly trying to communicate with them in so that they can support their health from an empowered place.
I am living a healthier and more harmonious life in this work in addition to helping others to do the same. In healing my own health challenges I was forged into an educator and practitioner who can speak from experience helping others do the same.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
My backstory begins the same as the narrative of thousands of women around the world — I had period problems and I wanted to have a baby. I have a master’s in Communication and had worked in nonprofits as well as corporate America in marketing and public relations for over a decade.
These jobs are busy, exciting, and intense and the demand of the schedule was taking a toll on my body. My periods had always been painful, irregular, and heavy from the time I started menstruating, but working in this environment these issues escalated and were the worst they had ever been. It was impacting my ability to contribute to my job in the way I knew I was capable of. After seeing several OB/GYNs the answer was always the same:
“Let’s try birth control to regulate your cycle” — the result? Weight gain, cramping, and eventually a “cardiac episode” which mirrored a heart attack at the age of 25.
“Let’s try pain management” — the result? Less pain but still heavy flow and utter exhaustion because the “faucet” wouldn’t turn off in less than 10 days.
“You have had a child. Maybe you should consider a hysterectomy” — the result? NO WAY. Why cut part of my body out because they couldn’t solve the problem? After years of trying to get answers, I had a friend who told me about vaginal steaming. My first impression was — “vaginal what?” but heard her out.
She explained it was like a sauna experience sitting over steam. It was very relaxing but the best part was the improvement in her period so she thought it might help me too. I honestly had nothing to lose so I thought “what the heck — I’ll give it a try.” I couldn’t have ever imagined the results I experienced. My first session was so relaxing. It was warm and like sitting in a hot bath.
I walked away thinking I would do it again even if it was just for 15 relaxing minutes. After steaming the first month, I couldn’t believe my next period. I barely had any cramping. I wasn’t bloated and groaning about getting into my pants. My period was even and HALF what it had ever been for flow.
I wasn’t physically exhausted at the end of my period and it only lasted 6 days instead of 10! Woah. Excited about my results, I steamed the second month and had another revelation. For the first time in my adult life, my period was pain-free, lasted only 4 days, and was even and moderate inflow.
Going from 8–10 day periods that were heavy for the first 5 days, painful and bloated to 4 days, pain-free and mild/moderate flow — it was like stepping into a new body. I had more energy for life and the dread I once experienced for my impending period each month turned to excitement to see how much better I would feel as each month passed with my new steaming regimen.
It was this success that drew me to getting certified as a peristeam hydrotherapist. Every woman should have a hassle-free period like this! If we all have to have a period, why do they have to be miserable? The answer is they don’t. I am on a mission to help others feel as good as I do now. The Western medical model is very invasive for women. Tools go in and out. Surgery is the “go-to” when medications fail.
Healthcare for women’s reproductive health is very painful. When I tell people what I do, many get a mental picture of some sort of tool with steam that gets inserted into the vagina because it is so ingrained in our culture that reproductive healthcare requires tools that go into the body.
The Western approach attempts to deal with symptoms, but they do not get to the root of what is causing the symptoms in the first place. Peristeam hydrotherapy is about addressing the “why.” I don’t know about you, but I was always the “why” child. I needed to understand why things happened in the world around me or what was happening in my body.
As I work with women, I find I am not the only one. They want to know how their menstrual cycles or menopause symptoms became what they are now. The standard healthy period lasts 4 days, medium flow, and arrives every 28–30 days. No cramping, no brown blood, no clotting, no arrival before/later than that, and no heavy bleeding. Anything outside of this tells a story.
For the vast majority of women, the period I just described is a unicorn and many who read it probably laughed out loud. It is possible to achieve even after years of dysfunction by using steaming as a therapeutic tool. The beauty of this practice is just sitting over a steaming pot of herbal solution customized for their body’s needs.
We can address why they are having the symptoms they are experiencing and get to the heart of the matter, breaking the cycle and restoring harmony in the body. It’s gentle. It’s relaxing. In 10–30 mins. they can turn back the hands of time and restore (or maybe even establish for the first time) a healthy cycle for their body.
This practice is so much more than just periods. It can help with hot flashes/night sweats in menopause. It can break infection cycles without antibiotics. It can support fertility for women who are struggling to get pregnant. It helps the body recover after having babies.
This practice is supportive to every woman from the time of menarche all the way through post-menopause. Using steam, herbs, and food therapy I am showing women how to take control of their health and it’s a game-changer.
I have broadened the scope of my practice to include herbalism, sound healing with Acutonics, and auricular therapy. We are an intricate tapestry of emotional, physical, and spiritual bodies, and using tools to respond to these needs of our body becomes a powerful therapeutic approach to care.
I am using my podcast, The Reproductive Rebel Podcast, to raise awareness of these concepts so people can take meaningful control of their approach to health and wellness.
Do you think you’d choose a different profession or specialty if you were starting now?
If I could go back and start over again, I would have started this work earlier in my life instead of having it be a second career. This work truly is my calling in life and I wish I had more years of making an impact in the lives of others.
If I had started in this field earlier, I would have saved myself from years of menstrual dysfunction, medical procedures, medications and hospital visits. I would have had 15 more years of helping shift the relationship for women with their bodies.
Yes – I absolutely would choose this over again. My only regret is not starting sooner.
Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?
Authenticity and knowledge. I am a real down to earth person and I feel like my clients connect with that.
“I define connection as the energy that exists between people when they feel seen, heard, and valued; when they can give and receive without judgment; and when they derive sustenance and strength from the relationship.”
― Brené Brown
I love this quote. I believe that meaningful connection is at the heart of my work. We are comprised of an emotional, spiritual and physical body. Feeling seen and heard is as much a part of the healing journey as the work on the physical body.
Because of the very intimate nature of the work that I do, my reputation and my clientele have grown organically – practitioner to client, friend to friend, family member to family member.
One of the biggest challenges I hear from my clients they don’t feel seen or heard by their doctors because of the limited time they spend with them. I believe that family and friends and even others in the medical field refer to me because I am able to give this time and attention to my clients and their outcomes reflect it.
I am a life long learner and work hard to make sure I have as much information as possible about my area of expertise so I have earned a position as a trusted resource for people in my industry.
I mentor practitioners coming up in the field because I believe its important to pay it forward and help other practitioners grow. A rising tide lifts all boats and I strive to help others in the peristeam hydrotherapy profession because my hope is to elevate its status as a meaningful option for women before needing to turn to more invasive procedures.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://moonessence.life
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moonessenceme/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MoonEssenceME/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrienne-irizarry-phc-07017ab
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/moonessenceme
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCx6rlwLrsSm0VLMT2wi6Rlg
- Other: https://anchor.fm/reproductive-rebel
Image Credits
Abbigail Eva Photography