Did you know there is an International Menopause Day? Until recently, I didn’t even though it has been around since 2009. This is not a hallmark holiday. It was established by the International Menopause Society and the World Health Organization to raise awareness about menopause and the support…
Do You Ever Feel Invisible? If so, You’re NOT Alone
Invisibility in midlife – feeling unseen, dismissed, or ignored – is an unfortunate reality for many of us. Whether it is walking past a group of men (or women) and realizing they aren’t even acknowledging our existence or our colleagues talking over or around us, it can be a rude…
Embracing Nudity (gasp!) in The Middle
Embracing Nudity In the Middle A few weeks ago, my older daughter and I had a “Tara-Mommy Day” at a Korean spa. We were excited to have some time together to hang out in the saunas and steam rooms and to try a signature Korean…
Embracing Each and Every Birthday
Embracing Each and Every Birthday The Many Gifts of Age This Thursday, March 3rd is my birthday. Yay! I will be 57. Yikes. That’s a biggish number. It’s entering the late 50s, with 60 in the not-so-distant horizon. It’s a number that, in my younger years,…
The Magic of “And” Remembering the Vastness of 2020
I recently reached out to my Zen teacher Diane. I was frustrated, yet again, grappling with a very old issue around self-acceptance. Despite my many years of personal growth efforts, this ancient and sticky issue keeps showing up. As Diane and I only talk intermittently,…
Survey 1 Data, Part 1
Part 1: Survey Says: We’re NOT So Vain! Midlife…. ahhhhh… such a rich, multifaceted time. Peaks of ease and depths of challenges. I’m personally and professionally fascinated with the gamut of the female midlife experience. My curiosity propelled me to launch a survey this past…
Embracing My MRI Results
Embracing My MRI Results! On a glorious San Diego day last September, I started my running app and took my first few jogging steps, just as I have thousands of times over the past 40 years. But on this day, on my first step, a…
Got Weight Crazy?
I know exactly when my weight crazy began – it was the summer between 6th and 7th grade. I was 12-years-old and my dad, who had quit smoking, decided to take up jogging to get rid of his recent weight gain. Though I wasn’t fat…
MentalPause – What Is It?
In August 2016, I was participating in my approximate 30th Zen meditation retreat. On the most basic level, the “simple” (i.e., incredibly challenging) directions of the particular retreats I attend is to be present to your breathe and bodily physical sensations. When thoughts arise, as…