Editor’s Note: Donna passed away in 2021 but this page will remain live for her students to reference.

I believe strongly in T’ai Chi Chih – Joy thru Movement and its many benefits, such as reducing anxiety and stress, improving the immune system, promoting health and harmony, and bringing balance. Having experienced these benefits personally and seeing them in so many of my students, I have long felt this technique is important to have in our “Life Toolbox,” to use either as a primary practice or in tandem with other practices. However, this is especially true in today’s world. Twenty minutes per day is all that’s needed to begin experiencing many of these benefits.

Although in-person classes are not currently available, I’ve created this Resource Section to be easy to access and used by everyone.

Please read on to find resources to maintain your current practice:

• Learn how to do T’ai Chi Chih
• Introduce someone to T’ai Chi Chih who has never heard of it
• Find teachers in other locations and those teaching virtually
• Find materials, benefits, research, and much more!

For all my students:

Here are the resources I recommend for continuing your T’ai Chi Chih practice:

• Photo/Text Instruction ($15.95) by Justin Stone, originator of TCC
• Justin’s Instruction DVD (with a practice with four teachers) ($32.95)
• Justin’s Streaming Instruction (with four hours of content; $32.95)
• Carmen Brocklehurst’s TCC practice on YouTube
• Readings from Spiritual Odyssey, written by Justin Stone

ABOUT DONNA TIROLY

Originally, I was a special education teacher, then later worked as a Director of Religious Education. It was during these classes that I began introducing meditation and guided imagery practices into children’s classes and adult programs. The many positive comments and requests indicated that the experiences I was sharing brought positive and healthy change for both the individual and families.

Years later, after a string of personal life challenges, I realized I needed to focus on my own personal change. How does one cope with everything? I asked myself. So, I continued to study and learn. I found classes that offered techniques, practices, and processes that could lead to positive change in my own life, and possibly be helpful to others, classes that supported harmony, balance, healing in every way. Over time, the benefits could expand out to families, communities, and beyond.

I became certified to teach Judith Cornell’s techniques, “Drawing the Light from Within” and “Luminous Mandalas for Healing”, and later became a certified “Laughter Leader.” I was now able to offer classes, workshops, and retreats that more fully integrated these diverse techniques and practices. Yet still something seemed to be missing…

MY INTRODUCTION TO T’AI CHI CHIH

In 1996, I attended a meditation retreat that had originally “called” to me, yet after day one, it was clear this particular meditative technique was not for me. Still, I decided to stay anyway. The next day, an accredited T’ai Chi Chih Instructor led us in some of the movements. As she shared and demonstrated, I was aware that this might be what I needed and had hoped to find! At first, I kept losing my balance, unable to do the movements. A back injury years earlier had made me very sedentary and unbalanced. Eventually, I realized that even though I wasn’t fully doing the movements, I could feel the flow of energy in my hands, like my experience with “Drawing the Light from Within.” I remember thinking “This is really powerful, even though I’m not fully doing the movements, I still feel the energy!” I spoke with the Instructor about concerns about my prior back injury; she reassured me and suggested “relax and continue” as best I could. As the days went on, I began to move better and noticed even my back was feeling better! It was then that I knew that this was the reason I was at the meditation retreat, and T’ai Chi Chih was the missing piece! At the end of the retreat, I thanked her and updated her on my back and experience overall. She was not surprised.

While I was committed to continuing instruction in this form, the only teacher in Ohio was 5 hours away. Fortunately, Marlene Brown, another accredited instructor, suggested Justin Stone’s Instruction Book and Video as a way to learn the form in tandem with her monthly instruction. In 1999, I received my Accreditation and began teaching. Even in that first class, students shared the beneficial changes they experienced. This was just the beginning! My running list of the ways T’ai Chi Chih has positively impacted my life, and those of my students over 20+ years, is long, diverse and amazing! This list is why I think everyone should try it.

My experience learning T’ai Chi Chih is why I believe every person can experience benefits to their health and well-being by including a T’ai Chi Chih practice, even in today’s world. With all the recent major changes from COVID-19, this could be an excellent opportunity to try T’ai Chi Chih – What benefits/positive changes might you experience – physically, mentally, emotionally, socially and/or in your life experience? You can find a list of all the RESOURCES you may want or need listed on this page.

Please contact me with any questions or for more information.

Donna Tiroly has been teaching at Shadybrook, Inc. in Mayfield Village, Ohio until the cessation of classes due to the shutdown from the coronavirus pandemic in March. Please stay tuned to shadybrook.org for information on virtual class opportunities via Zoom.

See all accredited TCC teachers in Ohio here.