Today we’d like to introduce you to Amy Siegrist.
Hi Amy, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I thrive in co-creation and transformation. What does that mean? I collaborate with others to support individual and community wellbeing. Being well looks different to each person, team, organization and community, but a strong foundation is usually built on physical, mental, emotional and spiritual wellness. Efforts and intention that build into this foundation often involve subtle shifts or transformative change – whether it’s at the individual or community level. I started The Lumen Process to support action that fuels positive momentum toward integrated wellness in different ways – across physical, mental and emotional domains.
Life is full of distractions, transitions and competing demands that can lead to mental overload and burnout, lack of action around our highest priorities, poor physical health, and feeling discontent – or like we are not reaching our full potential. I have struggled through these challenges and align with initiatives that create calm, clarity and action. Recent efforts that I am most proud of involve learning and teaching while (1) designing and leading wellness workshops/retreats ; (2) serving as a transition and thought partner for people navigating important life/work decisions and changes – in the areas of corporate strategy, personal and professional development, higher education, corporate strategy, relationship continuation or divorce considerations and financial and legal circumstances that require information processing and clear communication; (3) leading Tai Chi classes in the community and for organizations that support people who have or have had cancer; and (4) acting as co-investigator for a Tai Chi research study at the UT Lab School.
People say I have a knack for looking at a situation in its entirety (10,000 ft view) and focusing in on the details, decisions and action steps that are directly in front of us (4 ft horizon). They say I ask good questions that help cut through the noise, process a situation more clearly and communicate key points. That I roll up my sleeves and work with others toward common goals.
What jazzes me up? Teaming with others to co-create solution-oriented responses in challenging situations – from a foundation of calm and positivity. Education and experience in human development, business, and Tai Chi helps me approach these challenges and initiatives with a unique perspective that I hope contributes to constructive change – whether it’s in subtle shifts or full-on transformation.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
My experience with obstacles and challenges aligns with the question about the role of luck so I have combined the two responses below.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I connect with individuals, groups, organizations, and communities in support of a mind-body approach to wellbeing and being well through 1) transition and thought partnering; 2) workshops and retreats; and 3) collaborations around teaching, learning and research in Human Development and Tai Chi.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
“Maybe good luck and bad luck are all mixed up. You never know what will happen next.” I resonate with Stillwater’s musing in the children’s book, Zen Shorts, by Jon Muth.
Co-creating with others and our experience involves being open to whatever comes our way and moving through it as best we can in that moment. Life sure is full of surprises – some feel beautiful, others not-so-much. Regardless, I try to release what can’t be controlled, be present in the situation, and engage with intention and effort however I can. So, in the face of the surprises and challenges that have shaped my course, I’ll focus on how I have responded and tried to initiate positive and productive action steps. Here goes…
Responding When Plans go Awry – After college, I moved to Chicago to work in business consulting at Arthur Andersen, an accounting firm that went under amidst the Enron scandal in 2001. Bad luck? Unemployed – with bills to pay and a $4 balance in my checking account at the end of one month – I found temporary jobs while looking for a new job. As an audience member extra on a reality court TV Show and an event planner for the Chicago Midwest Beauty Show I was able to pay my bills until I found a more permanent position in finance. Around this time, I volunteered as a Court Appointed Special Advocate and classroom helper with young children at a Head Start program. Without this disruption in the professional path I had so neatly curated I would have missed out on these formative experiences that broadened my world view and influenced my decision to shift from a career in finance to human ecology.
Curiosity & Openness to the Unknown – I moved to Austin 22 years ago for a doctoral program in Human Development at UT Austin. I had the good fortune to learn and work with a faculty member who researched the influence of social, political and economic conditions – like income, employment, preschool and child care, media and K-12 education – on children and adults.
Where does luck come into play here? I had never heard of human development as a field of study and research. When I learned about the work of my future mentor I discovered the scope and depth of work I wanted to do. I emailed her inquiring about her research and graduate study opportunities with her at UT. Hearing about my hopes and interests, she asked: “Have you considered programs in human development?” And, my course changed direction. Over the years, my connection to the department expanded. I have served as an instructor, practicum director, researcher, and briefly, as interim co-director of the UT Lab School. I am grateful for the opportunities, collaborations and friendships that stemmed from a single email inquiry into a program I didn’t know existed.
Nurturing Healing & Being Well – My journey toward mindfulness and Tai Chi stepped out of a major turning point in my family’s life – when my father was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma. Losing 6 inches of height due to spinal fractures he was in severe pain and we were confronted with the uncertainty of how to beat his aggressive form of the blood cancer. Fortunately, we found and received quality medical care from a top-notch oncology team and had access to resources – financial and social support – to better navigate a truly tumultuous time. Life as we knew it changed in one excruciatingly long moment. His cancer was out of control, and certainly out of our control. Bad luck? It just is. Importantly, it continues to guide how I choose to live this “one wild and precious life” (to borrow from Mary Oliver).
How did I respond? By shifting into overdrive, creating frameworks and solutions however I could, and seeing the next (and last) three years of his life as a gift. During his illness and especially after his passing – when I experienced my own set of health symptoms – I gained a new appreciation for health and wellness both for myself and others. I took a good look at my life – saw that I had made no time for hobbies or self-care – always too busy working and distracted by life experiences that were not aligned with my core. Enough. Life is too short to be lived that way. I restructured my habits and lifestyle, dusted off an old fitness routine and started meditation and mindfulness practices.
Knowing the research on the positive benefits of Tai Chi for health and quality of life I had wanted to try a Tai Chi class for years but had not made space for it. It was time. With a heightened appreciation for peace, joy, health and being well I walked into my first Tai Chi class, in 2017, and found a practice that supported what I had committed to create and live out – literally and figuratively – moving meditation.
Training with Austin Systema & Taijiquan for the last 8 years has filled me up beyond measure and served as a springboard for starting Water Way Tai Chi – founded on the hope of supporting community health and wellbeing. I am grateful to be a part of this community – learning, teaching and growing together – engaging in breath and movement practices that support calm, confident and effective responses and capabilities – both in training and the real world.
Full Circle: Expansion of Vocation – A culmination of these experiences fuels my purpose, direction and efforts in co-creating with people and experience. Together, we examine the full scope of a situation, identify hopes and needs, formulate strategies and take the necessary action steps to advance positive change and wellbeing. I feel lucky to live and work in concert with my community, and I look forward to its expansion.
So, what happens next? Let’s see what unfolds…on the path to being well.
My Texas Two-Step
One step, two step
Redirect
Quick, quick
Held in a junction
Slow, slow
Moving through
Follow, lead
Shuffle & spin
Dancing through life
Learning in turn
One step, two step
As luck may guide it
To readers, if you made it this far, thank you for sharing time with me. To Voyage Austin, thank you for the questions. I enjoyed responding.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://thelumenprocess.com
- Instagram: @waterwaytaichiatx
- Other: https://waterwaytaichi.com
