MINDFUL BEINGS: NC's Rashmi Kumar Shah tours with children's book 'I Found My Piece'
- Shannon Rae Gentry
- Jun 13
- 5 min read
Updated: Sep 16
"We all are mindful beings. It’s just up to us whether we create moments in our life where we are aware to that."
Those sentiments are from Rashmi Kumar Shah, who literally wrote a book to help introduce mindfulness to children and explore their emotions in a playful, accessible way in "I Found My Piece." Especially in times of big changes at a young developmental age.
"I Found My Piece" features a story of Nezzo, whose family is moving for mom's new job, which means a new home, a new school and new lots of things; the things that can feel a part of us, pieces of who we are. When those pieces start to come apart, his mom introduces him to meditation.
"My favorite lesson from Nezzo’s mom is that there is 'no trick,'" Shah writes to Encore. "So many times we, adults and children, want the shortcut to feeling good. The easy button. We don’t want to sit in the challenge. But putting away the want of the shortcut, is so mindful!"
Shah says these lessons in emotional literacy—the ability to express emotions and feelings with speech and other forms of communication—are important for both children and adults to develop this key skill. When we can own our emotions, name them, express them, and deal with them, we can then use them to better navigate daily life.
"By working on our emotional literacy, we develop a deeper relationship with our emotions and are more aware of the guidance that it can give to us," Shah explains.
"We therefore end up making better decisions and feel more at ease. If we develop this skill as children, we establish that relationship early in life and it becomes a part of our innate wheelhouse growing up to an adult. As an adult, the emotional literacy improves and impacts communication, relationships, and our overall well-being personally and professionally. "
Shah says it was her own life's journey and personal path to mindfulness that informed the book. In fact, the character and illustration of Nezzo has followed Shah since she was about 6 years old. As Shah would doodle mostly henna patterns along paper edges at school, this character would always find a way in the middle of it. "I am so thankful I found a way to finally share him!"
Shah shares Nezzo, these the mindfulness tools and messages, in a way that she could have seen, felt and connected with at younger age. As an adult, hindsight has shown her the power and impact of mindfulness and where she could have benefited from that awareness and those tools throughout her life.
At 6 years old, Shah moved from England to North Carolina with her family in 1989. She says her 6-year-old self could have learned a lot from "I Found My Piece," but the most important lesson being that she was not alone. "Moving, or just showing up in a new place, is not unique," Shah says. "Moving, changes, and transitions are embedded in our lives as children and adults, and these experiences help us grow."
As a child at a pivotal developmental age, Shah learned how to navigate and assimilate three cultures. Three very different cultures that have all shaped Rashmi, the mom, the immigration lawyer, the writer, the person she is today.
"I am British, make shepherd’s pie for holiday meals, and love Christmas English traditions. I grew up in Eastern North Carolina, and my southern drawl naturally shows up when I am speaking to someone from 'home.' I am also proud to be of South Asian heritage of both my mom and dad’s side, and was a competitive Indian dancer when I was young."
Moving brought growth and diversity into her life—not many British and South Asian folks living in eastern North Carolina at the time. North Carolina became, and remains, an integral piece to Shah's puzzle. "I am so thankful that my family’s life path brought us to North Carolina," Shah laments. "It is an amazing state to live in, and I feel fortunate every day to raise my kids here."
Nevertheless, as a young child, she describes a lack of internal confidence to put her uneasy feelings about all of these changes into words, not quite understanding why or how to explain them. For 6-year-old Rashmi, there were no books or resources that showed what this experience is like from a child’s perspective, presented in a playful way with which a child could connect.
"I wanted to provide that connection experience to kids, and the grown-ups that read these stories to them," Shah explains. "As an adult and mom, I read a lot of children’s books. I find that there are good ones that are concise, provide lessons, and just get to the point. I am still constantly learning from this genre, and I think that’s the beauty of a 'children’s' book. It doesn’t have to be just for kids."
As an immigration lawyer of 15 years, Shah hopes "I Found My Piece" can also shine light on the hidden perspective of children in this space. Most especially that their feelings and experiences around immigrating are not unique to just immigrants and that label.
"I wish people understood that immigrants are just people striving for the same thing everyone else," she says. "We are all working hard to grow, evolve, and provide a better, more stable, life for ourselves and our loved ones. We all can connect with that."
As I think about my own 7-year-old—who rolls her eyes when I break out meditative affirmations—I ask Shah what she finds hard about mindfulness for kids and their parents/caregivers?
[laughs] "My children can definitely do the same," she commiserates, "and would categorize something mindfulness related as 'mommy would like that.' As if the space, tool, or skill, is for me because that’s 'my thing.' However, I think that’s the whole point.
"I think that small, simple, steps toward being more mindful are key. Simple things that are just focused on being aware of our body, our emotions, our breath, the sounds around us, and what is truly feeling alive in within us in that moment. This can be sitting, aligning with our breath, in meditation as Nezzo shows us. Mindfulness can also look like a mom and daughter sitting on the front steps of their home in the evening watching the moon rise together. Just being together in silence, with no devices or distractions. No other intention apart from what that moment is. Simple things, that help us sit still with ourself."
Before you go, what do you like to read, listen to, follow...
I always take away some insight from the Hidden Brain podcast, and love the ever so funny and thoughtful Amy Poehler in her new podcast “Good Hang.”
I can’t divulge how many books, IG accounts, and podcasts I follow that all revolve around protein—and how to get more of it. This is what 42 looks like!
Event Details:
June 21, 12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.
The Roasted Bookery, 1102 Castle Street,101
Event Description:
Come in and enjoy a reading of her book 'I Found My Piece,' followed by a mindfulness activity, book signing and Q&A.
Also features local artist Marcus Dawson to guide families through a collage art project.
Book available to purchase or pre-order through through bookshop.org and limited paperbacks available on the day of the reading.
This event is free and open to the public.
