Pregnant lady confession time. Here we go. The last few weeks, there have been minutes to hours when I couldn’t put weight on my right leg. Like, so painful I would scream if I just willed myself to step forward. Like, Zack had to wheel me from one room to another in an office…
Mother Like a Poet
I am surrounded by piles. Piles of things asking for my attention, energy, respect. A stack of bulletin boards and canvas paintings leaning against the wall behind my Ikea desk. Piles of bills and pen pal letters atop the file cabinets. Six laundry loads of clean towels and clothes next to me on the recliner….
The Mommy Nap Time Dilemma
Each day, that two o’clock hour brings up the same question… do I nap too? Should I cook and clean and launder? Or should I enrich my mind? Heal my body? Binge some Netflix? Phone a friend? This is the big question of the day for me on a personal level. What will I…
All the Ways I Meditate
Growing up Christian, the only type of meditation I was exposed to was Bible verse reflection. Just think about a sentence from Scripture over and over for like five minutes. It was fine. Childbirth was my introduction to boatloads of other meditation techniques. Hoping to go the natural route (but ending up with the “alls…
Church for Introverts
Turn and say hi to the person sitting next to you. Not my favorite. Pretty music to sing along with and reflect on. Love it. After visiting and settling down in many churches over the last 30 years, I’ve noticed that some liturgical practices and pedagogy are introvert-friendly and some are not. I’m not too…
Lucky with Men
There is no way to deny that I have been lucky with men. From the beginning. Because it’s Father’s Day, I feel inspired to take note of that. First, there is my dad. Alan. I’m his only daughter, so he has a giant Tasha sized pile of glitter in his heart for me. He is…
Ruminate on the Good Bits
Rumination I worry. The dumb things I said (or failed to say) get replayed during quiet moments when my mind has free reign. The decisions I need to make are met with recurring pro/con lists. The potential ripple effect of incidences and events are played out in the living color of my imagination. I worry…
Working Hypothesis: Diversity Nurtures Authenticity
Lately I have been working to identify the reasons why I have always been drawn toward diverse communities. During college I attended an Asian-American church and spent a fair amount of time volunteering with friends in Mexico. I took a job in Malawi, Africa after college. For several years I attended church at a homeless…
Calling vs. Accomplishment
The Day-to-Day Now that I’ve quit corporate life, and I am a full-time mom, it feels like I must choose a major. Sure, my days are taken up from morning until night with diapers and playdates, grocery shopping and cooking, laundering and cleaning, books and baths, library visits and music classes… not to mention physical…
New Moon Intention Setting
My favorite personal development co-conspirator these days is Rachel Lopez (pilates instructor, corporate project manager, nutritional guru, and peer life coach extraordinaire). She has gotten me into the habit of setting a new goal (or ‘intention’) at the start of each new moon. With each phase of that specific moon, we watch our lives lean…
What Does Nutritional Ketosis Have in Common with Quantum Mechanics?
You know those Magic Eye posters that you stood in front of for hours before seeing the hidden castle? Or those optical illusions floating around the web — you saw an old lady in the picture and your friend saw a young woman? I love experiencing these tricks of the mind! And even more, I…
Imagination Games to Neutralize Anxiety, Anger, and Self-Pity
My brain is not a quiet and docile place. If yours is, that is absolutely wonderful! You probably don’t need to read any further. This blogpost will serve as an invitation to calming down the mind using various imagination-based meditations – each is appropriate for a different kind of chaos or noise that is preventing…
MamaTash Survival Guide 