Magic of RAIN

Pinelopi Sioni is an embodiment guide of yoga, meditation, and the Alexander Technique, integrating trauma-informed principles and polyvagal theory into her work. In her over fifteen years of practice, she has guided countless groups in connecting with their bodies, emotions, and deeply held beliefs. Pinelopi lives in Berlin, where she runs her own studio and offers retreats, workshops and classes.Avital Yomdin is a multidisciplinary artist whose creative journey has spanned theater design, street art, sculpture, comics and installation, always with drawing at the heart of her work. She resides in Berlin, Germany. Tara Brach, PhD, is a clinical psychologist, an internationally known teacher of mindfulness meditation, and the founder of the Insight Meditation Community of Washington. She is the author of bestselling Radical Acceptance, True Refuge, and Radical Compassion. She has contributed numerous articles to popular magazines and websites. She lives in Virginia.

"A children’s introduction to meditation.This mindfulness manual opens with a dense foreword from Tara Brach, the method’s creator, explaining that 'RAIN, an acronym for Recognize, Allow, Investigate, Nurture, is a simple, memorable process for cultivating mindfulness and self-compassion.' Brach boldly emphasizes the value of mindfulness with the Dalai Lama’s strong statement that 'if every eight-year-old were taught mindfulness, there would be no war within a generation.'These are heady concepts, yet the story itself is fairly simple. Faye, a brown-haired, tan-skinned child, meets Yaya (Grandma) after school. Though they usually enjoy their time together, today Faye is upset. When Yaya asks if Faye is OK, Faye responds with a firm “No!” Yaya guides Faye through the four-part RAIN process of identifying and responding to hard feelings, first moving through the waves of emotions and then discussing Faye’s personal conflict at school. Finally, Faye can '[send] love to the hurting part of me.' Faye’s story is followed by a lengthy guide for caregivers, with a thoughtful personal anecdote from Sioni. The story serves its purpose quite sufficiently; Faye’s challenge is addressed with empathy and gentleness, and Yomdin’s affably rough watercolor and ink illustrations are colorful, playful, and emotionally expressive.A purposeful, direct, and broadly encouraging read. (Picture book. 5-9)" — Kirkus Reviews “The Magic of RAIN offers children (and adults) a simple and potentially life-changing pathway for handling difficult emotions.” —Tara Brach, author of Radical Acceptance and Radical Compassion and leading voice on RAIN meditation“Behind every difficult feeling is a part of you that’s hurt,” says Yaya—and that’s the truth. Likewise, behind every book that gently helps children navigate their emotions, as beautifully and succinctly as Magic of RAIN does, is an author with a part that is kind, wise, and capable of showing a highly recommended, practical path to transform emotional storms into sunny self-compassion—and that’s the truth of  Magic of RAIN.“ —Dipl.-Psych. Ana Cristina Pires–Systemic Psychotherapist for Individuals, Couples and Families, IFS-Therapist and Supervisor"Children yearn to be seen. This wonderful book provides exactly that through its elegant and profound writing, offering this gift with remarkable generosity." —Ilana Weiser-Senesh–Author, playwright, screenwriter and editor"As children grow, they can sometimes be over-whelmed by unexpected and strong emotions. Lucky is the child like Faye in this charming story, who has a wise and caring Grandmother to guide her. This simple method of RAIN takes a complex emotion and breaks it down into steps every youngster can learn and use. This process also helps validate their feelings, rather than avoiding or ignoring their emotions, this in turn allows the child to move through the moment. With practice and over time this leads to healthy emotional intelligence. I highly recommend Pinelopi Sioni’s book to every parent, educator, and those who work around children to help them navigate their emotions." —Mariana Kim Huffine-Educator at ASM and Sacramento Unified school District“What better enables a child psychologist to connect than joining these young protagonists and feeling the emotional raindrops falling within? By following the letters one by one—R-A-I-N—we discover a powerful approach. As (grand)parents, therapists, and educators, we practice allowing ourselves to RAIN our mirror neurons and empathically attune to the child beside us. Immersed in Pinelopi's narrative and Avital's illustrations, we move fluidly between our own experience, the child's world, and the inner child within ourselves—helping to release emotions and gently allowing the emotional storm to subside. This mirrors the heart of expressive psychotherapy with children: we observe, recognize, and witness their internal landscape, then create space for it to be fully experienced, processed, and communicated. Through this journey, children develop reflection and insight, nurtured by authentic relationships and opportunities for growth. The author and illustrator have created an intuitive and accessible toolkit for children to thrive as they experience, express, and navigate both their rainy and sunny feelings." —Dr. David Senesh-Clinical Psychologist and Child Psychotherapist, specialist in how significant life events and traumas are processed within individuals and across generations in families."Magic of RAIN introduces children to the wisdom of their inner world through whimsical cloud people that visually represent different emotional parts. Similar to IFS principles, the story invites young readers to recognize and connect with angry, hurt, and sad parts with kindness and compassion. This beautiful book provides children with a tangible method for self-regulation while nurturing emotional resilience. What a gift for families!" —Steffi Bednarek-trauma and IFS psychotherapist and director of the Centre for Climate Psychology"As a kindergarten director, I see children every day struggle with their emotions, especially the ones that are still regarded as bad by society. If they don't learn how to deal with these emotions, they might find it difficult to express their needs. This could lead them to developing ways of coping that result in violent behavior....RAIN is truly magical and I am so glad that there is now a book to guide other caregivers, parents, and teachers through this experience. The lovely watercolor pictures go perfectly well with the funny and heart-warming words in the book. Here is my special tip: you can also try RAIN to explore happy emotions with children, and it works wonders too!" —Yann Guyomard-Early Childhood Educator and Kindergarten Director, Berlin