With over two decades of experience under her belt, celebrity television host and media maven star Tanika Ray is excited about her latest podcast venture titled, Mamaste.
Although the podcast is told through the lens of a Black woman, this is a podcast that any woman can get down on, while stuck on I-10 east or on the way to Taco Tuesday with mom friends, while waiting for the kids to wrap up after school practices.
“I have loved every second of my podcasting journey so far,” says Ray. “Being on TV for 21 years has given me the tools necessary to produce a fun, insightful, and rich episode every week that I’m truly proud of.”
I am Tanika
Her charismatic and carefree energy has led the Los Angeles native and Spelman graduate to work numerous shows for NBC, CW, HGTV, Lifetime, TLC, BET, TVOne, including OWN’s Ready To Love and Ladies Who List.
Ray’s versatility has also made her a popular choice for covering the red carpet for such prestigious events as the Oscars, Emmys, Golden Globes, Met Gala, MTV Music Awards, American Music Awards.
But Mamaste is her zen. The beauty of her podcast is that it allows her to be transparent while discussing essential topics for all mothers. Ray believes that we can’t shy away from having conversations about boundaries, respect, discipline, conscious parenting, and generational trauma.
“I’m passionate about my podcast because of all the chapters in my life, professional dancing, acting or tv hosting, motherhood is where I feel the most connected. Which was quite the surprise to me considering I never really dreamed of being a mom,” she says. Ray is the girl mom of 7-year-old Nyla.
She went on, “I was an ambitious achiever with just enough bandwidth for my needs. So if I was to add ‘mother’ to my skills, it was imperative that I honor the fact that I’m a living, breathing person too who still has dreams on my to-do list.”
Mamaste
Through her podcast, Ray hopes to speak to the ever-evolving woman trying to find a happy balance between motherhood and her identity outside of that title. The podcast’s name was manifested after the Hindu term, Namaste, which means “I bow to you.” Ray is creating a community where moms feel seen and heard. So she named her show Mamaste; “the mama in me bows to the mama in you.”
Mamaste offers an unapologetic and transparent conversation about navigating modern-day motherhood, from co-parenting and relationships to self-care and wellness.
The mom-centric, nontraditional podcast has touched on lifestyle topics such as single parenting, mental health, postpartum, and generational trauma healing, particularly in the Black community. Ray’s perspective comes from a Black woman’s lens and beautifully resonates with all women in her global community of Mamaste.
The Importance of Self-care and Balance in Parenting.
We’ve all heard the saying, “You cannot serve from an empty vessel.” Yet, mothers still face challenges with self-care and mental health.
“The importance of mental health as a parent is paramount to the child’s mental health,” explains Ray. “When Mothers don’t mother from a healthy mental state, they easily and unconsciously pass on their unhealed traumas to their kids that could turn into various behavior issues by age seven, if not earlier.”
Creating a balanced life for the busy star has been no easy feat, and she admits that it has had its challenges. “Juggling business and motherhood will always be tricky. I don’t profess to know all the answers, but I learn incredible new skills with each brilliant mom that grabs the Mamaste mic.”
In this age of perfectionism and where we judge ourselves against the airbrushed Instagram social media celebrities, Ray’s advice to the working mom is to cut herself some slack.
“What I can tell you is it requires grace for yourself and acceptance that your participation will sometimes have to be good enough. Sometimes the laundry sits on the couch in a mountain of clean, crumpled clothes for a couple of days. Sometimes your hair is thrown into a topknot, and a stash of deodorant, lotion, blush, concealer, lip gloss, and a breath mint in the car is the greatest emergency kit a mama could have. And most importantly, the only excuse you’ll ever need is ‘I’m a mom.'”
In a world where we find ourselves busier than ever, Ray believes that mothers must find a supportive village, which is what Mamaste offers.
“Working moms are smart, resilient, powerful but very busy, making it easy to mommy on autopilot,” she says.
“But at the core, our babies only desire a couple of things, food and to stay connected to their first love, Mom. A community where there is no judgment and no guilt in the way we choose to raise, nurture and love our kids is vital for our mental health and the wellness of our entire family.”
Ray is passionate about connecting to the everyday mom and finding relatability, even among her more influential guests.
Previous special guests of Mamaste have included best selling author and OWN contributor, Dr. Shefali Tsabary, author and Forbes contributor, Christine Michel Carter, actress and producer Lisa Raye, award-winning author Anita Kopacz and Grammy-nominated singer Maimouna Youssef.
“I’m excited about the moms that have said yes to connecting and chatting with me about the most important job we will ever have, creating and nurturing life.”
You can listen to the podcast Mamaste on Apple and Spotify.