Students Write: In Celebration of Their Teachers

We were asked by our T’ai Chi Chih instructor to do something nice for ourselves this week — to be kind to ourselves. It is sad that we have to be reminded to treat ourselves kindly, but as women, in particular, this is all too true. We are always placing others before ourselves in our roles as care givers and feel guilty if we allot any time just for ourselves. However, it is impossible to love and care for others if we don’t love and care for ourselves as well.

I found that it is much easier to write about this subject than it is to practice it. However, I set out this week to follow the wise teacher’s instruction. Looking back, it has been both easy and difficult.

It was surprisingly easy for a simple act of kindness to lift the spirits. At least twice this week, I was able to hug myself and say, “it’s okay,” in response to mistakes I made. I also stopped in the middle of working to sit for a few minutes to watch two young squirrels play with a pine cone. Just those few minutes for myself made me feel special and lifted my spirits.

The difficult part was the ingrained habit of not being kind to myself. That was hard to break! It was especially hard to deal with other people when caring for myself interfered with their plans, but I was able to persevere, we compromised, and things worked out. I gained a new respect in their eyes, as well as my own.

– Anne Alley Smith, Columbia, MD
Student of Sharon Sirkis

Feel Great with T’ai Chi Chih

A few days after I started T’ai Chi Chih, my family became ill with severe stomach flu, but I was unaffected. I nursed my family and remained well. I never became ill with the flu and I believe that the reason was my first class of TCC. TCC has strengthened my immune system! I have also noted that when I come to class with discomfort I leave feeling good. Also, when I have had only a few hours of sleep, I am amazed that practicing TCC on awaking provides me with the much-needed energy. I joined a second class before my first session of classes finished and now practice daily.

– Donnamarie Biddle, Dublin, CA
Grateful student of Virginia Cepeda

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Many times as I walked in the park I would see groups of people doing T’ai Chi. At the time I was not aware that there were many types of T’ai Chi. These people looked so completely relaxed. A number of years passed before I decided to try it. Many physical problems I learned to live with. It was when I discovered I had Fibromyalgia, a form of arthritis that affects the muscles, that I tried T’ai Chi Chih. I needed to relax the muscles to alleviate the pains. T’ai Chi Chih has made it possible to continue with many activities.

Virginia Cepeda is a caring and dedicated instructor who helps and encourages her students.

– Frances Miller
Student of Virginia Cepeda