T’ai Chi Chih in Wisconsin

Chi at Work

By Cary Fellman

In July, 2004, I taught T’ai Chi Chih® Joy Through Movement at the School of the Arts at Rhinelander, WI. Founded in 1964, this one-week summer enrichment program for adults is provided by the UW-Madison Department of Liberal Studies and the Arts. Eighty classes are offered by a faculty of 46 instructors. There are eight categories of instruction and TCC fits into the Dance, Movement and Relaxation area.

This is the second year I’ve been asked to teach at the school. I limit the class to 15 students, a number I can easily keep track of. This year the student ages ranged from 35 to 82. One student was pregnant and, at the end of the week, she gave us a baby report. Her usually active baby became very quiet while she practiced TCC.

Classes were 1 ½ hour long for five days. These students learned quickly and by the end of the week were moving very well through all the movements. On Thursday noon, during “Works in Progress” time in the auditorium, we were allotted five minutes to demonstrate TCC. I chose Rocking Motion and Bass Drum, two movements my students were most comfortable with. After a very brief explanation of TCC, I began Rocking Motion and was aware of total silence from an audience of approximately 100 people. Later that day, a least a dozen people shared with me their reaction to our demonstration. They felt calmed and quieted just watching us move and said they’d like to take the class next year. Due to school policy, I’m not able to sell videos and other Good Karma items to those students but do supply the ordering information. I know most do purchase a video and continue to study using it.

I also teach an eleven-week, one-hour class at a school for seniors in Milwaukee. They learn a bit more slowly and after-50 bodies move less easily. But all my students have said they feel so much better, are more energized, more flexible and attribute that to their practice of T’ai Chi Chih. And they all order videos in order to continue practice at home.

It is such a pleasure to share the gift of TCC with others. I give thanks to Justin, to my teacher Carol Mackovak and all those at the 2003 gathering in Banff who helped me fine-tune my own practice.