The Lighter Side (August 2020)

It was my first time teaching seated T’ai Chi Chih via Zoom. I was completely comfortable with the group since I’ve been teaching at their center for six years and completely comfortable with teaching seated TCC, but not comfortable at all with my recently acquired webcam purchased for my desktop computer.

In order for the class to see me from head to toe, I had to sit on a chair placed in the very back of my room, away from the desk. From that distance I could see myself practically taking up the entire screen. There were smaller pictures of the students in a row lined up above me. Although I could see their faces, I couldn’t see their hands very well. It was a combination of my camera angle and theirs. 

I recognized everyone in the class, except one gal, Melissa. Since she was new to TCC, I offered some basic tips and then we got started.

About halfway through the class, another person “popped” in. Although their picture was small, she had a beautiful smile. Since I didn’t recognize her and realized she was new, I offered tips such as, “If you get tired, stop and rest, and pick up when you can.”

After continuing the practice and teaching about four or five movements, I noticed she still had that same smile on her face. I thought, “Wow, for her first practice, she really is getting the joy in TCC, Joy thru Movement.”

After Cosmic Consciousness Pose and remaining quiet for one minute, I moved my chair back to my desk, where I was much closer to the computer screen. To my surprise, I saw that same beautiful smile, and to my embarrassment, I realized it was a still photo of Melissa which she had posted when she left.