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…
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 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 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,…
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,…
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! 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…
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…
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…