Liberation with Shale, Brooklyn, NY (2026)

04/06/2026

I’ve been making some really intentional changes to how I take care of my body over the past few months.

Nothing extreme.
Nothing overwhelming.
Just steady, thoughtful shifts.

One of the simplest things I added was creatine.

I started taking it back in October, mostly because I wanted to build strength and support my metabolism.

But what surprised me is how much it affected my mind.

I noticed my thinking felt clearer.
My energy felt more stable throughout the day.
That low-level brain fog I didn’t even realize I had… started to lift.

And the more I’ve learned, the more it makes sense.

Creatine helps your body produce energy at the cellular level—including in the brain. And when your brain has the energy it needs, things like mood, focus, and overall mental clarity can improve.

It’s also connected to muscle and metabolic health, which are deeply tied to mental health in ways we don’t talk about enough.

Unstable blood sugar alone can show up as:
anxiety, irritability, mood swings, and fatigue.

So when we support the body, we’re often supporting the mind too.

For me, this has become part of what I think of as my “40-year glow up”—not in an aesthetic way, but in a deeper, more meaningful way.

I’m thinking about:
How do I support my brain long-term?
How do I stabilize my energy and nervous system?
How do I set myself up for midlife and beyond?

Creatine isn’t a magic fix.
But it’s been a really powerful support.

It’s helped me:
--stay consistent with strength training,
--feel stronger in my body,
--and have more clarity and capacity in my mind.

And that combination has made everything else feel more doable.

Curious if anyone else has experimented with creatine or noticed shifts in energy or focus from small changes like this—I’d love to hear.

04/04/2026

As city dwellers, we have to be intentional about getting our hands in the dirt. I mostly love living in Brooklyn, but this is something I really miss, easy access to nature experiences and sensations. I’m glad I made this part of our day. So grounding and settling.

When I moved in with my partner, I loved that he filled every surface of our place with plants. It was one of the things that attracted me to him. As we integrated our lives, I held the question, what is my role here? I took on being Queen of Propagation, taking clippings from our plants, putting them in water, and later potting them when ready. I made myself in charge of Zen Corners, making little corners of our place beautiful with plants and art. I also make the compost and take water from the fish tank when it’s time to clean it and put that in the plants. It fertilizes the plants and it is water conservation. We are celebrating eight years together next week, building this little ecosystem. 💞🌱🪴

02/17/2026

My yoga practice has been there for me through the many shapes of my body and the many shapes of my life. It has been there through stressful times and easy ones, through pregnancy, birth and postpartum. It has been there for me on vacation and during the hardest times at work. A steady friend I can always call upon.
🧘🏾‍♀️

02/04/2026

I’ve been noticing this particular feeling that shows up in late winter.

Not the deep quiet of early winter, when there’s a sense of choosing what you’ll carry into the dark. But this restlessness that comes later—when you’ve already done a lot of inner work and start wondering, is anything actually changing?

For me, this is the moment when impatience sneaks in. When I want warmth, light, movement… and instead I’m still here, holding something tender that hasn’t fully revealed itself yet.

I keep reminding myself that two things can be true at once. I can long for what’s next and stay with what’s still forming. The work right now isn’t pushing forward—it’s staying. Noticing what steadies me. Asking what I need to be okay inside this waiting.

There’s something quietly powerful about this in-between. The days are getting longer, even if we can’t quite feel it yet. We’re in that pre-change moment where nothing looks different, and everything is slowly shifting.

I shared more of this reflection in my newsletter this week, just as a place to sit with it a little longer if you want.

Where are you feeling the tension between wanting change and staying with what is?

02/02/2026

This has been my very delicious answer to the question, wtf are we gonna do with all these carrots? Trust me, they will be gone by morning.

Here’s the recipe:
Shred the carrots in the fridge with a peeler, at least 6 medium sized ones
Chopped scallions or white onions
1/4 tbsp shredded ginger
2 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp soy sauce or coconut aminos
2 tbsp honey
A generous sprinkle of sesame seeds, toasted is better

Toss and let it sit a few minutes. Serve and enjoy ✨

01/20/2026

Lately, I’ve been sitting with something that felt quietly clarifying.

Seeing my own brain map reflected back to me brought a kind of relief I didn’t expect. Not because it was dramatic—but because it named something I’ve felt for a long time: that my nervous system has been working very hard for many years.

I’ve kept going. Growing. Showing up. And still, there’s been this low-level strain that insight alone hasn’t fully touched.

What stayed with me most was the validation. That moment of oh… this makes sense. Nothing was wrong. My system was doing exactly what it learned to do to survive and adapt.

Lately, it feels like I’ve turned a small but meaningful corner. A bit more ease in my thinking. A bit more rest in my body. Enough to notice.

I shared more of this reflection in my newsletter this week—no pressure, just a place to sit with it a little longer if you want.

I’m curious—where in your life have you been quietly holding more than you realized?

01/07/2026

Back by popular demand! Veggie pot pie was a hit, so I made a bigger and better one, this time stuffed with roasted squash, quinoa, and all the veggies in the fridge. I shared some process pics so you can see it coming together. 💗

01/02/2026

Healing doesn’t unfold at the speed of motivation.
It unfolds at the speed of the nervous system.

We live in a culture that treats healing like a productivity project:
set the goal, do the work, optimize the tools, expect results.

And when that doesn’t happen, people assume they’re failing.

But often, nothing is wrong.

In this piece, I explore:
• why healing is non-linear
• how motivation culture quietly interferes with integration
• why effort alone isn’t what sets the pace
• and how slowness, safety, and support actually create change

If you’ve ever thought, “I’m doing everything right—why isn’t this shifting?”
this article is for you.

You’re not behind.
You’re responding to what your nervous system actually needs.

👉 Read: Why Healing Takes Longer Than Motivation Culture Allows
(link here: https://www.brainzmagazine.com/post/why-healing-takes-longer-than-motivation-culture-allows)

12/30/2025

In my time in Shela, I felt my body heal and my energy soared. I’m sure this was for a lot of reasons, one of them being easy access to farm grown organic produce. When I got back, I promised I would figure out how to raise the vibration of the food I’m feeding my body and my family. I signed us up for which has been such a godsend and a blessing, making it easy for us to get high quality, organic farm grown food delivered right to our door. On Mondays, I have to figure out how we are going to eat all the veggies in the fridge to make room for our order. Veggie pot pies did the trick! Thanks to for the inspo and support 💗 also featured here, the homemade almond flour crackers I made, plus the dinosaur shaped ones for my little guy. 🦖 They are a pain to make, but fully worth the moment of delight on his face.

12/16/2025

If you feel more anxious during the holidays, you’re not imagining it.

Holiday anxiety is real.

Your routines shift, your emotional load increases, you have more sensory input, more expectations, and less space for yourself.

If your body feels more tense, overwhelmed, or dysregulated this time of year, it’s not you — it’s your nervous system trying to protect you.

That’s exactly why I created The Anxiety Reset Experience — a 5-day somatic and subconscious reset designed to help you come back to yourself gently.

If you want to feel more grounded, regulated, and connected in your body again, the link is here: http://holistic-approaches-to-mental-health.teachable.com/p/the-anxiety-reset

12/11/2025

Warm beverages are a scientifically backed anxiety tool. Here’s how.

1. Warmth activates the vagus nerve + parasympathetic system.

2. Warm liquids soothe the gut → gut calms brain → brain calms body.

3. The ritual of making tea slows your pace and anchors presence.

4. Holding a warm mug increases oxytocin and safety signals.

5. Sensory rituals help break anxiety spirals.

If this resonates, you’ll love the 5-day Anxiety Reset Experience. Check it out here: http://holistic-approaches-to-mental-health.teachable.com/p/the-anxiety-reset

12/04/2025

I’ve been sitting with this for a few days because it feels big.

My exclusive interview with Brainz Magazine was published this week — and it feels like such a reflection of my journey, my lineage, and the work I’ve been called to do.

In the interview, I talk about something so many of us feel but rarely name out loud:

✨ When you’re doing all the things — therapy, mindfulness, self-care, productivity, affirmations — and you still feel anxious, overwhelmed, or disconnected.

If that’s you, you’re not broken.
Your nervous system isn’t malfunctioning.
Your spirit isn’t failing you.

Most of us were never taught how to understand our bodies, our histories, or the systems we live inside.

In the interview, I talk about:

• Healing that honors your mind, body, spirit, and lineage
• Why traditional mental health tools often fall short
• How to listen to your nervous system with compassion
• What it means to find safety, softness, and self-trust again
• The quiet pain of looking “fine” while feeling overwhelmed inside
• How liberation + spirituality + science can coexist in healing

Sharing this feels tender and powerful at the same time.
This is the work of my heart, my ancestors, and my calling.

If you want to read the full interview, it’s here: https://www.brainzmagazine.com/post/why-are-conventional-mental-health-tools-not-working-exclusive-interview-with-shale-maulana

💛

Thank you for being part of this journey with me.
Truly.

— Shale

Liberation with Shale

04/06/2026

04/04/2026

02/17/2026

02/04/2026

02/02/2026

01/20/2026

01/07/2026

01/02/2026

12/30/2025

12/16/2025

12/11/2025

12/04/2025

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