San Mateo meditation expert writes kid’s Christmas book

Published in October, “Christmas in the Himalayas,” is Tang’s first children’s book, following a little girl’s journey to discover the true meaning of Christmas, learning new traditions, traversing different landscapes and meeting interesting characters along the way.

Tang said the book itself was surprisingly easy to write, given the story came to her about 20 years ago while meditating during a backpacking trip near the Himalayas, and the backdrop of the mountains inspired a magical storyline.

“It was the easiest book to write, but it took 20 years to produce it. I had kids and worked full time, so it was something that was on the back burner for a while,” she said.

The book’s publication comes years after her initial moment of inspiration, but after meeting the artist Martin Hsu, she felt like she had finally found the right person to bring the story to life.

“I randomly met an artist at an event, and we just started talking,” Tang said. “I kind of pleaded with him to work with me on this because he’s really a fine artist who does large-scale fine art paintings and not really children’s books.”

The book follows Sasha, who is carried away from her home in San Francisco to a new part of the world, befriending several animals along the way, each with their own personalities and strengths, and learning different lessons about what the holidays mean.

“She starts off just wanting presents, and then realizes the true meaning of Christmas is about giving,” she said.

The whimsical imagery and unique characters are sure to intrigue kids, and both adults and children may be fondly reminded of fantastical themes from some of their favorite stories, with elements from the “Wizard of Oz,” as well as popular holiday characters who are forced to shed their shallow perceptions of Christmas and come face to face with its true meaning. The story also incorporates themes of stillness and presence, blending both East and West traditions, Tang said.

“I am not a very religious person, but I do have Christian roots, and I think all these traditions are beautiful,” Tang said. “I’ve been teaching these different eastern philosophies of Buddhism, Hinduism and Vedic philosophies so it’s a nice nod to them, to say that all these traditions can coexist.”

Over the last couple decades, Tang has seen firsthand the growing acceptance of meditation as a way to improve mental health. Perhaps, it could start to spark more inspirational children’s books as well.

“When I was little, my favorite thing was reading books and being read to as a family,” she said. “I think it’s just a beautiful art form that can bring families closer together.”

The book is available for purchase at https://christmasinthehimalayas.com.