ART + MEDITATION
About Amy J (EANGUENAT)
JAWN-GWA-NAW
Hello! I describe myself as a scientist, artist, and meditation teacher. All three of these hats have played an important role in my life and career. While they may appear as separate roles, I often find them intertwining and providing me with unique perspectives to better navigate the world around me. As a child I was often creating art, singing karaoke, looking under a microscope, or even dissecting something at the kitchen table. I was lucky to have a 'cool' job as a forensic scientist and work on criminal and humanitarian cases from all over the World. However, I saw a lot of violence, and eventually, I noticed the downside of how a career in criminal justice can affect you mentally, physically, and emotionally.
I started meditating to help myself overcome the effects of stress, burnout, and trauma. Often people in those situations want to help others. I soon found myself soaking up teacher training in meditation, mindfulness, yoga, trauma-informed approaches, Eastern philosophy, and social justice. I use the best of what I have learned to curate training for teams experiencing similar workplace stress and burnout.
Art became a critical piece for me to experience the present moment and flow state. In 2022, I switched pipettes over to paintbrushes. I often play with watercolor, gouache, and mixed-media abstract art to explore new beginnings, local landscapes, and work inspired by my meditation practice.
Meditation- Example Projects
TEAM MEDITATION
Meditation is a great way to decrease perceived stress and improve creativity and critical thinking skills. Learning and practicing meditation as a team can improve psychological safety making it easier for individuals to communicate and share their ideas. I have met with teams at Accenture, Capitol One, and Salesforce to provide education, training, and practice with meditation at work.
RESILIENCE COACHING
Our ability to navigate an ever-changing external landscape in the face of adversity is sometimes regarded as our resilience. Stress, burnout, and vicarious trauma are just a few things that can affect our ability to bounce back. I've worked with individuals and teams within the criminal justice system to provide training based on scientific, ancient wisdom and evidence-based approaches. These messages have been delivered via keynotes, workshops, and courses.
Art- Example Projects
FINDING BALANCE
My meditation practice often informs the artwork I create and in turn, creating art often becomes a form of meditation. In 2022, I started painting a collection of images that have been informed by my studies in Yoga, Ayurveda, and Meditation. These practices are often guides to helping me balance life.
18"x24" 2022
MY HOME IS THE BLUERIDGE MOUNTAINS
Inspired by local landscapes and color, the images I create are a mix of reality and curiosity. Using pastel, acrylic, and collage this painting of Rockfish Valley came to life. I am currently working on a collection of local mixed-media pieces from my favorite views of Central Virginia.
12" x 12" 2023