Today we’d like to introduce you to Amanda Lynch.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Amanda. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Nearly twenty years ago, I began as a classroom teacher in Richmond, VA. Many of my students struggled due to community and domestic violence. The communities that I serve are plagued by violence and substance abuse. A few years into my career, my best friend, Angel Jackson and her father Herbert Levi Sharpe, Sr. were murdered. This changed the trajectory of my entire career and I began to focus more on mental health and mindfulness in the black community. Since that time, I have become an expert in classroom management, trauma-informed instruction, and working with youth who have been diagnosed with mental health disorders. I was named a Yale National Fellow in 2011 and 2012, Style Weekly Top 40 under 40 recipients and was named Teacher of the Year for the Richmond Squirrels in 2013.
I am a children’s book author and regularly serve as a contributor to The Mighty. In addition, I provide virtual workshops to families and community members about trauma. Students from across the country regularly attend my workshops. Both is a person and virtually. I received both my BA and MA at Mary Baldwin College and I also have a Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Autism Spectrum Disorders from VCU. I am an ACE Interface Master Trainer and maintain my Postgraduate Professional Teaching license, where I am certified in Gifted and Intellectual Disabilities. I am a Certified Trauma Practitioner, Koru Mindfulness Teacher in Training, and Registered Yoga Teacher.
I am passionate about connecting children of color to yoga and mindfulness and in building healthy communities by disrupting historical trauma and poverty. I am the owner of Rethinking Resiliency, a think tank that provides professional development for educators and administrators that address issues related to poverty, mental health, cultural competency, and addiction. In my spare time, I enjoy spending time with my husband Marcus and my children Justin, Ava, Hazy and Rosebud. I am also the author of The Mindfulness Room, The 5-Minute Mindfulness Journal for Kids, and Breathe, Baby, Breathe and will release Circle Up: A Kid’s Guide to Restorative Practices over the summer.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It hasn’t been a smooth road. I launched my business last year and have been providing virtual and in=person workshops since that time. I left my full-time job last summer and released my first children’s book shortly thereafter. It’s been a whirlwind traveling all over the country to talk about mindfulness, self-care, and adverse childhood experiences. I have four kids and my husband struggles with mental health issues, so it can be quite the balancing act. This work is both personal and professional for me.
We’d love to hear more about Rethinking Resiliency.
I am so proud of Rethinking Resiliency! I am most proud of the transition that we made to go virtual, which has allowed me to provide meditation for those in recovery and those suffering mental health issues. It’s also allowed me to expand my workshop offerings to students all over the country. What sets us apart is that many of us work and live in the communities that we serve. We are working to build healthy communities in Baltimore, Atlanta and Richmond, VA one family at a time.
What were you like growing up?
I loved theater and writing short stories as a child. I was always a creative and energetic child. I am the youngest of a large blended family and spent most of my time “in the country” with my cousins, siblings and grandparents. Fun fact, nearly all of my maternal family lives on one street, so I grew up in a beautiful isolated community. My interests include reading, traveling, bird watching, meditating, writing, and spending time with my family.
Pricing:
- My children’s book, The Mindfulness Room is $20. (Available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and most online retailers)
- My children’s book, Breathe, Baby, Breathe is $12.50. (Available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and most online retailers)
- My children’s book, The Five-Minute Mindfulness Journal for kids is $9.99 (Available on Amazon)
Contact Info:
- Website: rethinkingresiliency.com
- Phone: 804=709-2777
- Email: rethinkingresiliencyllc@gmail.com
- Instagram: @_themindfulnessroom
- Facebook: /rethinkingresiliency
Image Credit:
Nick Davis (Just the meditation photos)
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