In this episode of The Midlife Purpose Project, I’m joined by author Ann Tashi Slater for a beautiful conversation about bardo, a Tibetan Buddhist concept often translated as an “in-between state.”
Ann is the author of Traveling in Bardo, a book about how we move through uncertainty, change, transition, loss, illness, identity shifts, and all the spaces where life no longer looks the way it once did — but the next chapter has not fully arrived.
And isn’t that so much of midlife?
Our bodies change. Our roles change. Our relationships change. Our children grow. Our identities shift. The world around us can feel uncertain and unstable. So often, we want to rush through the discomfort and get to the place where everything finally feels settled.
But what if the in-between is not something to escape?
What if it is actually a sacred place of possibility, insight, and transformation?
In this conversation, Ann and I explore how bardo can help us understand the human experience of impermanence, why our resistance to change often creates more suffering than the change itself, and how we can begin to meet the uncertainty of life with more presence, compassion, and inner steadiness.
We also talk about the connection between Tibetan Buddhist wisdom and yoga philosophy, especially around acceptance, karma, action, alignment, and the importance of living in a way that reflects what truly matters to us.
This episode is for you if you are in a season of transition, questioning what comes next, grieving a life that no longer exists, or learning how to stop fighting reality and begin listening for the wisdom that can only arrive in the quiet.
Ann Tashi Slater has written for The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Paris Review, and many others. In her Darjeeling Journal column for Catapult, she writes about her Tibetan family history and bardo, and she blogged for HuffPost on similar topics. She presents and teaches workshops at Princeton, Columbia, Oxford, Asia Society, and The American University of Paris, among others. Her new book, Traveling in Bardo: The Art of Living in an Impermanent World (Balance/Hachette), has been named a Next Big Idea Club “Must-Read.” Learn more at anntashislater.com.
SOCIAL MEDIA:
https://www.facebook.com/ann.tashi.slater
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ann-tashi-slater-977b21b/
https://x.com/anntashislater
https://www.instagram.com/anntashislater/
If this conversation resonated with you, I would love to invite you to continue the journey with me on Substack, where I share reflections, practices, and resources for midlife women who are seeking peace, clarity, purpose, and a way back home to themselves.
And if you are in your own in-between season and would like support reconnecting with yourself and creating a more aligned life, you can visit my website or book a discovery call using the links in the show notes.
Katie Farinas is a midlife coach, yoga teacher, and spiritual guide who helps women navigate midlife with clarity, peace, purpose, and empowerment. Through yoga philosophy, mindfulness, nervous system regulation, and energy-based practices, Katie supports women in reconnecting with themselves and stepping fully into their most aligned and authentic lives.
✨ Ways To Go Deeper:
If you’re ready to feel less overwhelmed and more connected to your body, needs, and inner voice, explore my 4-week private coaching experience for midlife women: Reconnect With Your Body and Yourself. Learn more here.
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