TCC in Belize: A Cultural Exchange

At the 50th Anniversary T’ai Chi Chih (TCC) Teacher Conference, I generated interest for an excursion to Belize. Lisa Stroyan and I decided we would invite teachers to help spread TCC in Corozal as we experienced its warm culture and people. From the U.S., four teachers, a spouse, and a guest were met with balmy weather, sunshine, and tropical breezes. Fronds of coconut and banana trees swayed in cosmic rhythm while the trees yielded fruit that titillated our taste buds and kept our thirst at bay throughout the eight-day event.

We hosted a gathering with community members, volunteers, and corporate collaborators. April Leffler spoke eloquently about the benefits and joys of this practice. Corozal’s Honorable Mayor Rigo Vellos tuned in to the healing nature of this art by joining in with a few movements. Mayor Vellos shared his commitment to health and acknowledged the wellness his community could sustain from the regular practice of TCC. He vowed to support and promote TCC throughout all districts of Belize in his role of President of Mayors.

We held two daily practices open to the community: a morning practice at Beverly’s Platform, and a shaded afternoon practice on the teal Bay of Corozal. We practiced on the sacred grounds of Corozal’s ancient Chetumal pyramid and experienced local art depicting Belizean history from servitude to independence. Students attended many gatherings with gratitude.

That my fellow Chi buddies would journey from the U.S. to Belize to support me as a new teacher, celebrating the inaugural opening of The T’an Tien: A Platform for Mindful Moving, demonstrates their depth of teh for this healing art. I enjoyed an enhanced personal connection with everything and everyone associated with this event. We were indeed one in the circular flow of Chi.