When Pooja Desai first created her character Tia Bua — which means “aunt” in Spanish and Hindi — the story was intended just for the children in her family. It was 2020 when she wrote the book and there was so much anxiety stemming from the covid pandemic, she felt a story centered on mindfulness would be helpful.
Desai has made a career working in healthcare for the past 27 years but she is also a mindfulness coach, telling Jacqui Tricarico on One-on-One with Steve Adubato that it’s something she champions. Teaching children to use mindfulness tools can really improve their lives, particularly during times of stress.
You can catch Desai’s conversation with Tricarico on Tuesday, Jan. 21 on NJ PBS at 7 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. and on Wednesday, Jan. 22 at 12:30 a.m. on Thirteen/WNET. It will also be posted right here on Jan. 22.
The program will also be available on SteveAdubato.org, Steve Adubato’s YouTube channel, MyNJPBS.org, Thirteen.org, the Thirteen Explore app and the NJ PBS app after the first airing. The show will also be promoted on Steve Adubato’s social media accounts.
“The mindfulness journey is our family recipe. I really felt that I could communicate to children how to use these tools to improve their lives,” Desai said.
Using the book in a variety of settings, she brings story time to children in the hospital, teaching them how to be mindful before they go into surgery.
“This is a really important time to be mindful. I end up working with children in so many settings in the healthcare system.”
Diversity and multiculturalism are also covered in the story, something Desai said is important to teach at a young age. When children embrace different cultures, they have the opportunity to grow in so many new directions.
“Not everyone looks the same. For me, being in a multicultural family made it easier for me to connect to everyone.”
Desai’s Tia Bua series spans 30 books cover everything from diversity and illness to mental health and bullying. She released her second Tia Bua book last November and plans to drop at least one book every year. Her third book comes out on Nov. 11.
She considers herself a knowledge donor and strives to give back and pay it forward, sharing what she knows with as many people as possible.
Find out more on her website https://www.mykaiandco.com/.
