From The Vital Force Editor

So Many Places to Share
We have many ways to share and disseminate connections made between regional communities and individuals: The Vital Force, the Guide’s newsletter, the Facebook group, and the New Mexico T’ai Chi Chih Association. It can be hard to know the difference between them or what to look for where. I see the content in The Vital Force as longer-form, insightful reflections. Often inspiring (and always heartfelt), the first-person articles share moments of discovery and accumulated wisdom. Why would you doubt your own experience, Justin would often ask rhetorically. And we publish event-related material, short snippets from participants, to allow more practitioners to have a voice. All are welcome, solicited or not.

Soliciting Articles
For perhaps the first time ever, I did not have to solicit articles for this November issue. Valuable material trickled in without me asking, which (in my opinion) reflects a lot of organizational movement from the top down (even though TCC is a lateral ‘non-organization’.) TCC is on the move. Although I usually try to limit writers to one article for any given issue, this issue contains multiple writings from a few writers: Adam Lacey, Amy Tyksinski, Jessica Lewis, Lisa Stroyan, Lorraine Lepine, and Marie Dotts. Their topics are timely and needed to be shared sooner rather than waiting until the February issue.

Diversity of Voices for February
I hope to read many other voices in the February issue — from all walks of our community, newbies and old-timers, students and new teachers, people up and down the Eastern Seaboard, and all around the world.

Year-End Contributions
Please enjoy the inserted, double-sided quotation card. If you feel moved to make a year-end contribution, The Vital Force (a 501c3) welcomes any offerings. Among other projects you funded, we digitized Justin’s video and audio tapes, and we are slowly making our way through editing them into bite-sized nuggets for a public archive. See taichichih.org/donate for how contributions are deployed. Next up (“abandon hope”): a detailed index of all Vital Force articles back to 1985.

From the Editor
Each issue of The Vital Force is woven from the voices, experiences, and insights of our global T’ai Chi Chih (TCC) community. As you’ll see in the pages ahead, this August issue brings a wonderful blend of practical tips, inspiring stories, and gentle reminders about why we practice.

Grounded in Connection
In “Libraries & Community,” Shelley Nielsen shares how a simple weekly class, supported by her local library, became a source of healing, belonging, and joy — not just for her, but for an entire community. It’s a reminder that TCC doesn’t need a special hall or exotic setting to thrive; it just needs a place, a teacher, and a willingness to share.

Wisdom from the Source
This issue features another excerpt from Justin Stone Speaks, where Justin explores the reciprocal nature of mind and Chi. His words remind us that TCC is more than movement — it’s an invitation to balance, awareness, and a deeper relationship with life itself.

Supporting the Next Generation of Teachers
Our new Teacher Preparation Suggested Curriculum and the launch of Teacher Prep Coaches reflect a community stepping up to support its own growth. The goal is simple: to make becoming a TCC teacher a joyful, enriching journey. Whether you’re preparing a candidate or thinking about becoming one, these resources are here for you.

A Practice for All Seasons
From playful “You’re in My Spot” stories to heartfelt reflections on softness from college students, this issue celebrates the many ways TCC meets us where we are — whether we’re seeking balance, working through change, or simply enjoying the Chi with friends old and new.

As always, thank you for reading, contributing, and practicing. You make this journal and our community come alive.

Spreading TCC Globally
This May issue contains dispatches from teachers making an impact in Belize, Costa Rica, the UK, the Netherlands, and Canada. It is inspiring to read about the growth of T’ai Chi Chih (TCC) in pockets around the world. And it’s a testimony to the power of the practice and sincerity. Locally here in the US, the Cape Cod community has shared a blueprint for how they are growing their regional presence. Through each gentle movement, we are creating ripples of peace that transcend borders, showing that the human spirit’s quest for balance and harmony knows no boundaries.

Justin’s Living Voice & A Donation
Imagine sitting across from Justin Stone himself, hearing the wisdom of T’ai Chi Chih (TCC) directly from its creator. This precious gift awaits you at Justinstonetcc.com, where since the site launched in March 2019, the treasured recordings of Justin Stone Speaks and the transformative two-volume Spiritual Stories of the East have been breathing life into our practice.

These spoken word collections are far more than mere recordings — they are vessels of direct transmission from the source. For those who never had the privilege of meeting Justin in person, these recordings bridge worlds, allowing his spirit and teachings to flow across time.

Now, through the generous heart of an anonymous benefactor, these three CDs are being meticulously transcribed and will grace Justinstonetcc.com by the end of May. This beautiful offering allows devoted practitioners to experience Justin’s wisdom in a new dimension — reading his words while his voice resonates in your ears, creating a powerful meditation that deepens your connection to the authentic roots of our practice.

Open your heart to Justin’s living voice. Let his stories awaken something timeless within you, just as his movements continue to transform lives around the world.

New Teachers in November
During the recent teacher accreditation in late 2024, candidates jotted down observations towards the end of their training, as they are asked to do. But for this February issue, seven of the 15 have also shared their experiences of teaching their first classes. The writing reflects a special metamorphosis. Hope all readers enjoy the new teachers and teaching. See pages 8 through 11 for individual sharing and then page 21 for the event summary.

Special Projects: Update
Thank you to all who donated to our project to make more of Justin’s teaching accessible to our community and the public by digitizing Justin’s archival videos and audio tapes. Phase 1 (digitizing) has been completed and Phase 2 (carving up the talks into digestible bites, titling them, and writing a summary sentence for each) is underway. Phase 3 (uploading the content and sharing it on social media) has been budgeted and stands ready when we are. We appreciate you, dear funders.

New Ongoing Idea?
Teacher Terry Jennings has suggested a quarterly idea: teacher contributors send a favorite one-liner used when teaching a particular T’ai Chi Chih (TCC) movement. I would then collect these into a column. Terry writes, “We teachers use many of Justin’s favorite sayings about Joy. I would love to read, for instance, teachers’ personal favorite sayings about Rocking Motion in the next issue of The Vital Force.” Let’s try it. Teachers: What one phrase or pithy instruction do you love to share while teaching Rocking Motion? Students: What one thing do you hear your teacher saying repeatedly?

Vital Force Gold: Archives
There is a rich storehouse of TCC experiences and knowledge in past issues of The Vital Force. They are found at taichichih.org/free-archived-past-issues. Lisa Stroyan is not the only teacher who uses previously published articles in her classes, but she is the most recent teacher to share her favorites with me — including the articles on pages 1 and 5. Stay tuned for more on pausing between movements in May. What articles do you continue to return to for inspiration?

Recurring Donations
Vital Force Board Member Guy Kent makes a case for supporting The Vital Force (a non-profit 501(c3)) with monthly recurring donations (via taichichih.org/donate) on page 4.

Change of Address
For your records, The Vital Force journal has changed its physical mailing address to The Vital Force, c/o Kim Grant, 7701 Cedar Canyon Pl NE, ABQ, NM 87122.

“Do Something!”
As Michelle Obama said in a different context in August, when confronted with change you want to see, ‘Do something.’ As the former Speaker of the House says, “Don’t agonize, organize.” What am I referring to? As T’ai Chi Chih teachers grow older and retire, many think that the Chi will step up and all will be well with the community and the number of classes offered around the country and world. Maybe. I certainly know from experience that the Chi is all-powerful. But I also believe in doing the active work to grow the community. If you agree, how can you help? What can you do?

New Column
Please see the Editor’s Note on page 3 about this new column. I hope readers will respond in the next Vital Force to the three issues posed (i.e., the letters to Justin).

The Generosity Continues
Thanks to three anonymous donors, The Vital Force has raised enough funds to digitize and get Justin’s archival videos online. As one donor said, “Glad to help in some way in having those precious materials digitized.”

Special Projects: Please Inquire

• Justin’s Zen Meditation has been out-of-print for more than a decade, and it will come back into print as soon as the funds are raised. Cost: $1000. Perhaps Zen is your jam?
• Digitize all audio tapes of Justin over the years: $450
• Edit, parse, and upload the audio tapes for all to experience: $500

From There to Here
In honor of the 50th anniversary teacher conference, I shared a timeline at the conference of all the teachers who preceded my tenure at The Vital Force journal and JustinStoneTCC.com. Here is a heartfelt appreciation to all.

Community Generosity

• Thank you to an anonymous, generous donor whose funding helped The Vital Force Board of Directors take a leap of faith to bring Dora Wiemann’s vision for the “How to Move Deck” to life.
• Upon hearing that Justin’s Photo Text would go out of print after the current print run was soon gone, Benjamin Brisjar and the Pittsburg Fifty Plus Club stepped up to donate the funds to keep it in print. (It was always to remain digitally available.)
• Thank you to Corine Reeber for donating the funds to re-design, edit, and publish 20th Century Psalms, which had been out-of-print for more than a decade. Her donation also covered the first print run, the profits for which will see the next print run, in perpetuity.
• The conference played a Justin Stone talk that had been recently digitized from an earlier conference. Upon seeing this and learning that there were many more recordings to preserve, a teacher donated funds to digitize all available recordings from the last 20 years.

Special Projects: Please Inquire

• Justin’s Zen Meditation has been out-of-print for more than a decade, and it will come back into print as soon as the funds are raised. Cost: $1000. Perhaps Zen is your jam?
• Edit, parse, and upload the videos of Justin over the years, for all to experience: $750
• Digitize all audio tapes of Justin over the years: $450
• Edit, parse, and upload the audio tapes for all to experience: $500
• The Joy of Meditation (currently published by Square One): Stay tuned…

Senior Teachers Speak
This May issue has three amazing Q&As from longtime T’ai Chi Chih (TCC) teachers: Paul Ciske (accredited in 1991), Christina Tillotson (1993), and Kathy Grassel (1994). Their stories are inspirational, personal, and universal. These are the lights of our TCC community. These are the people whom other teachers can meet in July and students can learn from in classes.

Speaking of the 50th Anniversary Conference
Please jump to page 14 article by Lauren Marble, accredited in 1991. She emailed: “With the upcoming Teacher Conference in Albuquerque this summer, I wanted to pay tribute to Justin Stone for creating TCC 50 years ago. Attached is a piece I wrote about the first time I met Justin in 1988 at a weekend retreat on heightened awareness.”

To state the obvious, there will not be another 50th anniversary TCC gathering and celebration. Many of us will not be here for the 75th.

To all teachers: Please join us if at all possible. Financial help is available.

To all local students in the Southwest: Please attend the open practice on Saturday afternoon at 3:30 in the main ballroom of the Albuquerque Marriott Pyramid North hotel.

For teachers already signed up, consult the ‘Look Who’s Coming” list and hyperlink on taichichih.org/conference-2024. See someone missing from your accreditation cohort? Reach out, let them know why you are attending, and that you want to share this once-in-a-lifetime gathering. We all like to know that our presence makes a difference.

Conference 2024 & Teacher Listing Pages
Teachers: Come to the conference ready to create, finish, or finesse your teacher listing page. Come with a photo of yourself, bio/TCC story, and a list of your classes, accessible on your phone or laptop, or even a printout. I’ll pop them into your listing.

20th Century Psalms
With a little luck and the help of a patron saint, this title of Justin’s will be back in print in time for the conference.

Events
If you normally skip reading about events, I encourage you to break that habit for this issue. Pages 19–21 reflect on TCC events in Italy, the UK, and Pennsylvania.

This Issue: ‘Intuition after Practice’
Subscribers have never emailed so many positive comments about a thematic idea. It was personally delightful reading so many shorter expressions. Perhaps teachers attending the 50th anniversary conference this summer will write immediately and intuitively after a practice.

E-Books at 50% Off
Jessica Lewis emailed asking for quotations by Justin to use in her forthcoming Tupelo course. The easiest way is to search for words or phrases via a PDF or e-book. Since Jessica did not have any, I created a 50% off coupon to cover all seven of Justin’s e-books. I encourage everyone to use promo code ebooks-50 through 2024 at Justinstonetcc.com. (Price after discount for all seven books? $35.)

Conference 2024 & Justin Stories
To whet your appetite for the celebration this summer of the 50th anniversary of TCC, please see stories on pages 8, 14, and 15.

Here’s one more: When it was clear that Justin would soon die, my web designer at the time, Sandy, was nowhere to be found; she’d been hiking the Appalachian Trail for months. Upon his death, I envisioned a new, simple homepage with Justin’s name and life dates: 1916–2012. I wasn’t sure how I was going to make the change without Sandy. As I was driving to Justin’s house, as he was taking his final breaths, Sandy called from a payphone in a tiny Tennessee town with the website’s username and password. She didn’t really know why she was calling, just that she wanted to pass along some information. I had never contacted her because I knew she was unreachable. But I got it Just-in-Time.

Post-Conference Camaraderie Continues
After the conference ends on Sunday, July 28th, all teachers are invited for an ‘after-party’ at my house. It’s less than 7 miles (13 minutes) from the conference hotel and less than 20 miles (24 minutes) to the airport. Please RSVP via email so I may plan for the food and beverages. Arriving early or staying later in Albuquerque? Visit my website for a few daytrip itineraries (more to come): See slowdownseemore.com/places/western-us/new-mexico

Taichichih.org
Have you seen the redesign of the home page of Taichichih.org and of the ‘Find a Teacher’ page? The teacher directory has been removed from the homepage, and many changes have been made to the directory design and functionality. See additional reflections on page 20.

50th anniversary of the origination of TCC
One of the most popular aspects of the 2023 conference was folks sharing first-person stories about Justin. While some think that Justin is being deified, others are craving a connection they didn’t experience firsthand when he was alive. Many want to know more about this guy who originated our amazing practice. Come to the conference to understand Justin — and the practice — on a deeper level.

Come to the conference to connect with teachers who dropped away from the community for whatever reason — teachers who are attending because of the significant 50-year milestone. Personally, one of the most rewarding aspects of editing The Vital Force is the Q&A with senior teachers. I always learn a new piece of TCC’s history when I speak to someone who was teaching two decades ago. It feels important. Come to connect! See page 11. As an aside, I will be offering a special gift to attendees at the JustinStoneTCC.com table.

Teachers: if you would like to invite 10 other teachers from your accreditation year, please email me. Personal outreach is most effective.

Delay of this November issue
Sincere apologies for the delay in this issue. It was due to a significant and unforeseen death in the family. Justin would have acknowledged it and continued apace, but death got in the way of life, and work piled up.

From the Editor
Seijaku: Available Online!
Seijaku, the advanced form of T’ai Chi Chih is now available wherever you have an internet connection. Seijaku, which translates as “stillness in the midst of activity,” is an advanced and powerful form of the T’ai Chi Chih (TCC) discipline. Many students believe they do not understand the vital principles of softness (so intrinsic to TCC) until they practice Seijaku, which involves holding fast and letting go.

This 50-minute presentation includes instruction and insights by its originator, Justin Stone, and is quite useful for beginning Seijaku students as well as those already familiar with Seijaku. Many students integrate Seijaku movements into their regular TCC practice to greatly enhance the flow of Chi.

Visit: justinstonetcc.com/Seijaku-streaming-video-lifetime-access/

Daily Meditations, A Reminder
A new batch of 26 meditation postcards (aka ‘Series 2’), with quotations by Justin Stone, is now available. Support your TCC practice with daily motivations. Each features words of wisdom by Justin Stone from one of his books, videos, or audio recordings. Draw one from the deck every day or week; use them as gifts to encourage friends to join you in practice. Teachers use them to promote classes and prompt discussions within classes.

Visit: justinstonetcc.com/daily-meditations/

Senior Teachers Speak
If you were accredited in 2000 or earlier, we want to hear from you! Send me an email, and I’ll send you questions from which you can pick and choose to respond. I’ve heard from readers that they love the connection.

Justin Stories
Many teachers recorded stories of their time with Justin for the teacher conference. We have a sneak peek of two in this issue; see Jeneth Rundle’s and Laurie Jacobi’s recollections on pages 14 and 15. Stay tuned for more to come.

Graceful Conclusion
This issue contains many reflections, understandings, and experiences with T’ai Chi Chih (TCC) movements, “coming to a graceful conclusion.” One of Justin’s most effective teaching methods was through the use of repetition. And he always used this phrase when practicing with us. When I queried my computer for all the instances of this phrase, across all of his books and articles, it turned up 441 instances.

Senior Teachers
The Q&As with senior TCC teachers continue to be two great ones. Ann Rutherford (accredited in 1998) spent most Saturdays meditating at Justin’s house and attending tesho after dinner out with the group. Ann also worked very closely with Justin and Amy Tyksinski to transcribe and edit Gateway to Eastern Philosophy & Religion. Tara Stiles was one of TCC’s earliest accredited teachers (1978) and recollects TCC’s very earliest days.

Postcards from Justin
Justin often communicated by typed index cards that served as postcards. Sometimes, teachers were lucky enough to get his hieroglyphic scribblings. Teacher Mary Wichmann has shared a series of them in this issue, along with the prompts that preceded or responded to his.

If you have postcards from Justin that you think the community would enjoy, that offer a glimpse into his teachings or him as a human being, The Vital Force welcomes them.

I received hundreds of notecards from Justin over a period of 30 years. They were always Zen riddles, on the surface saying one thing and below the surface another. Sometimes the riddle was immediately clear, sometimes its meaning would appear when least expected.

Teacher Email Signatures
What’s the easiest and most effective way to share your teacher listing page and promote your classes? Sign every email with your teacher URL, i.e., taichichih.org/teacher/kim-grant. It’s amazing how many people are curious and click through.

Caption Correction: In the February issue, on page 16, the participants are doing Joyous Breath, not Rocking Motion.

Abandon Hope: Back in Print!
After a long hiatus, Justin’s book, Abandon Hope, is back in print — thanks to the amazing generosity of the Northern Colorado teachers (taichichih.org/teacher/northern-colorado), Rebecca Paulson (in particular), and Carmen Brocklehurst. Order pre-release copies at 30% off through March. Use discount code ‘abandon30’ at checkout. See justinstonetcc.com/shop/tai-chi-chih-books/abandon-hope-book. ENJOY.

Abandon Hope: ‘Do the Work Yourself’
In preparing Abandon Hope to go to the printer, Justin wrote about the need to do our spiritual work by ourselves. He said the same to me shortly after I moved to Albuquerque and went to his house. Justin asked, “Why are you here?” to which I replied, “I’d hoped I could get some help from you.” He unequivocally said, “What makes you think I'm going to help you?” I was stunned and immediately realized, yes, we have to do the work ourselves. It’s an amazing book if you want to know Justin.

Angel Donation
When a teacher asked if promotional postcards were still available, I said, “Not until we find an angel to donate funds to print the cards.” Within a week that teacher had sent a check to cover the printing of 5,000 cards. They are available free to all teachers for the price of shipping: $8.75 for 50 cards and $14.75 for 100 cards. Please use the form at justinstonetcc.com/donate. (Also see back of card on page 19.)

Senior Teachers Speak
We continue to highlight senior teachers with 25 to 30 years of experience: Dora Weimann (accredited in ‘89), Caroline Guilott (‘99), and Linda Robinson (‘99). In reading Caroline and Linda’s recollections, I was pleased to reflect on my own accreditation experience in their same class.

The Cleveland Clinic & Arthritis
Teacher Sally Sherwin took the initiative to promote TCC and it yielded huge results, see page 4. Belvoir Media Group, LLC has granted permission to The Vital Force to reprint the article “Try T’ai Chi Chih” from the October 2022 issue of Arthritis Advisor in the organization’s newsletter. This is for one-time use only.

Senior Teacher Profiles
We continue to feature senior teachers with about 25 years of experience: Margery Erickson (accredited in ‘97), Nancy Jo Bleier (‘97), Nancy Werner-Azarski (‘98), Janet Oussaty (‘99), and Linda Robinson (‘99), who was in my accreditation class.

The Growth of Certainty
Over the last couple of years, student Johnnie Marquez has moved from a reticent writer and newbie TCC practitioner to one announcing his intention to undertake teacher training. It’s been a gift to watch in real time.

A New Series of Daily Meditations and Motivations
Support and inspire your practice and daily life with a new set of 26 postcards available at justinstonetcc.com/product-category/postcards. Each features words of wisdom by Justin Stone from one of his books, videos, or audio recordings. Draw one daily or weekly; gift them to encourage friends to join you in practice; prompt class discussions.

Authority & Truth
T’ai Chi Chih teaches us to trust our experience of the truth. A teacher shared this quotation by Sadhguru: "Authority is not the truth, truth is the authority."

Got a Teacher Event Offering?
If you teach a class online or have a special event offering that’s of interest to a national population, it’s eligible to appear on https://taichichih.org/events/ for a one-time fee of $25. Send your information to Kim Grant.

Photo Text Translations
The Italian, French, and Spanish translations — meant to supplement the primary Photo Text — are now available for purchase online as e-books and printed products. See https://justinstonetcc.com/product-category/tai-chi-chih-books/.

This Issue
Publication was delayed to include coverage of the late July conference. Hope you enjoy it in relative real time.

Einstein & Vital Force: Juxtaposition & Reconciliation
"Two things fill the mind with awe and wonder the more often and more steadily we reflect upon them: the starry heavens above me and the moral law within me… The former view of a countless multitude of worlds annihilates my importance as an animal creature, which must give back to the planet (a mere speck in the universe) the matter from which it came, the matter which is, for a little tim,e provided with vital force, we know not how. The latter, on the contrary, infinitely raises my worth as that of an intelligence by my personality, in which the moral law reveals a life independent of the whole world of sense… a destination which is not restricted to the conditions and limits of this life but reaches into the infinite."

Reprinting Articles on Teacher Listing Pages
Are you a teacher with a teacher listing page (i.e., taichichih.org/teacher/kim-grant)? Have you written an article recently that you’d like to share with new and prospective students? Let me know, and I’d be happy to upload it for you after the issue is distributed to subscribers.
See taichichih.org/teacher/dorene-krause.

Hannah Hedrick’s Seated TCC Idea
In this issue, you are treated to a dozen teachers sharing their seated practice of T’ai Chi Chih and how they teach it. You will notice a variety of approaches and adaptations. For example, some move their feet, while others keep their feet flat on the ground throughout. Since seated TCC is a modification of the standing practice, the adaptations must meet the needs and abilities of each individual practitioner. There is no such thing as one size fits all when it comes to the seated practice. The key is to feel the flow of energy, balanced and grounded. Thank you to Hannah Hedrick for the idea to do this. If you have an idea for the next journal, please share it with me.

Q&A with Senior Teachers
Last year, Lynne Roberts (page 8) suggested collecting stories from the more experienced teachers in the community. With this issue, it’s begun bearing fruit. Twenty-six teachers accredited between 1977 and 1986 were invited to answer any number of 10 questions put to them about their journey – in the hopes that the story of T’ai Chi Chih’s early days could be captured. Questions posited:
• When and where were you accredited? By Justin? Paint a picture of the experience.
• How did you learn originally about TCC? Why did you become accredited?
• Tell a first-person story about Justin.
• How has teaching changed you?
• How has your teaching changed over the years?
• How do you incorporate instruction/lessons learned from Justin?
• Relate a teaching experience you had that made you laugh at yourself.
• Share an “aha” moment from your teaching.
• Share an innovative teaching method that you have developed or learned from another teacher.
• What lasting lesson(s) have you learned from Justin and his teachings?

After Editing Each Issue
When an issue boomerangs back for proofing from the designer, I get a chance to assess it from 10,000 feet rather than as a mass of granular grammar edits or thematic couplings. I am always more impressed by the experiences and reach of TCC than when the editing began for that issue.

Dispatch from … Your Area
Teachers: Organize a few submissions about what’s happening in your community. It can double as a promotion, and you can put it on your teacher listing pages.
Students: Talk to fellow practitioners about something you are discovering and working on with your teacher in class; share it with us.
All by yourself? Write about how connected (or not) you feel to the community-at-large.

Celebrating & Remembering Justin
Justin packed a picnic basket for every serious student he encountered. It was stuffed with all the essential teachings and, more importantly, pathways to access Knowing.

I began hearing about Justin and T’ai Chi Chih in the late 1980s while living in Boston with Lisa Otero, Carmen Brocklehurst’s niece. You cannot know that family and not know Justin or TCC. I began flying to Albuquerque shortly thereafter. At first, it was once a year, then twice, and then it increased as the years passed. I moved to Albuquerque in September 2005 to spend more time with him, often seeing him five days a week, until he moved on, on March 28, 2012.

Justin would patiently teach the movements and other Zen lessons in his living room, at dinners, while doing errands in his Infinity, at meditation retreats, while watching Sunday Night Football with the volume turned way up, while talking about the stock market and about Good Karma Publishing (the precursor to justinstonetcc.com). Over time, I understood more and more. Sometimes the lessons and koans would burst forth on the return flight to Boston. Sometimes a little smile would develop when Justin said something seemingly innocuous.

About mid-way through my years with him, he asked why I was in New Mexico, and I said, “For your help.” “What makes you think you are going to get any help?” Bingo: We must do the work ourselves. Through TCC, the work is easy. We just practice. The Knowing and healing come of their own accord.

I was a reticent TCC student until Carmen said, “Practice daily for 30 days and if you don’t like it, I won’t mention it again.” The benefits began pouring in and piling up. My awareness of Justin’s teachings grew; dim light bulbs brightened. When I spent a month in Albuquerque preparing for teacher training, Justin let me come to his house daily to meditate. Deep in the Turiya state, he said, “Let’s go…!!” (Jump. Fly.) After that meditation, and from then on, I chanted the Heart Sutra without reading it.

Justin was born on November 20, 1916, and I am immensely grateful that our paths crossed in this lifetime. But I still miss him.

A Supremely Important Reminder & Request
I was entrusted with the copyrights to Justin's words and works – and the trademark to T’ai Chi Chih (TCC) – in December 2020 when Good Karma Publishing folded. A huge part of that involves making sure that the TCC we know today, the TCC that Justin left us, is the TCC that will exist decades into the future.

I understand the desire for teachers to meet students where they are, but a dangerous and slippery slope is emerging. Please do not change the names of TCC movements. Please do not present TCC as something else. Please do not mix the teaching of TCC with other modalities. Please do not embellish it; keep it simple. Please do not imply that a seated meditation at the end of practice is part of TCC. If this continues, we (and the world) will not recognize TCC in short order.

There is power in TCC as Justin originated it. We’ve experienced it. It’s profoundly changed lives. Please let others have a chance to experience its unadulterated potency.

Conference 2021 Articles
This issue is packed with modified conference presentations – great for teachers and students. Enjoy! Special appreciation is reserved for Marie Dotts and Becky Shinas who liberally and effectively utilized Justin’s words and The Vital Force excerpts. Lovely.

Students
You are an integral part of this community, and The Vital Force readership wants to hear from you. Thank you in advance.

Oldies… but Goodies: A Note from Meara Joy Norice
“I am deeply grateful for the amazing people I have met through T’ai Chi Chih: other teachers, wherever annual gatherings were held, and mostly what I’ve learned about life from my students. Becoming a teacher in 1990 in Bemidji, Minnesota, I made a commitment to myself to walk my talk, daily practice, attend teacher gatherings whenever possible, and pass along the Joy of Movement to others. I celebrate the wisdom gained from others in the community. One of my dearest memories is from a teacher conference many years ago, when I was invited by Antonia to co-create the circular dance of gratitude and dedication at the end of Saturday night’s activities. My life service of ceremony and celebration continues until a graceful conclusion.”

Stories and a Request about Justin
Teachers Donna McElhose and Nancy Werner-Azarski were talking the other day about their experiences with Justin at conferences and other events. As they said, many teachers who knew him best are gone and or getting older. Their stories will be lost if we cannot capture them soon. Donna’s students got to know Justin from sharing stories that were important to her. As Donna writes:

“At a conference, Justin yelled, ‘Stop, you’re doing it wrong.’ Teachers near him in front froze. I’d never heard him do that, so I knew he was upset. He described what teachers were doing wrong during Daughter in the Valley and then how to do it correctly. I tell, show, and explain Justin's way to my students. Stories big and small help them feel closer to the originator of our form. Imagine, my students are only two generations removed from Justin; students of teachers I have guided to become teachers are three removed. They may not be hearing any stories of Justin.”

Hopefully, teachers will step up, capture memories to share, and save part of TCC's heritage.

Student Testimonial
I have been a TCC student for almost 30 years and learned using the DVD. As an international flight attendant, I did TCC in the airplane’s galley. At the time I skied, and after two months of TCC, my skiing and balance improved tremendously. Recently, though, I lost use of a quad in my right leg during knee replacement surgery so it was impossible to do TCC. After a really bad fall, I’m now doing TCC mentally with great benefits. – Janet Jones, Larkspur, California

Teachers: An Easy Way to Promote Yourself
Include your teacher listing page URL (i.e., taichichih.org/teacher/kim-grant) at the bottom of every email you send, i.e.
Kim Grant
617-901-9628
http://kimgrant.com/
taichichih.org/teacher/kim-grant

Classes Post Covid-19?

Teacher Jim Shorr poses a good question: What happens to TCC practices when the pandemic is nearly over? What are the opportunities? For the next edition, please consider writing about what classes and approaches you will be pursuing.

Teacher Listing Pages
Teachers: I’d like to draw your attention to different teacher pages, so that you may perhaps apply some different ideas to your pages. Students: Some of these teachers offer Zoom classes that might work for you. Speaking of Zoom, teachers on taichichih.org/teacher/teacher/zoom/ are supposed to include Zoom links on their pages. All teachers who have a photo and bio are listed on this featured page @ taichichih.org/teacher/teacher/featuring/.

~~ Dorene Krause, who embedded a page of student testimonials from The Vital Force @ taichichih.org/teacher/dorene-krause/

~~ Northern Colorado, an association page (available to all regional groups) @ taichichih.org/teacher/northern-colorado/

~~ Amy Tyksinski, who tells a strong story of her TCC journey @ taichichih.org/teacher/amy-tyksinski/

~~ Lisa Stroyan, who effectively uses subheads on her meaty page @ taichichih.org/teacher/lisa-stroyan/

~~ Jessica Lewis, who has multiple pages for different types of students @ taichichih.org/teacher/jessica-lewis/

~~ Donna Tiroly, who wanted to share her personal story and recommend resources to her former students, as she was stepping down from teaching @ taichichih.org/teacher/donna-tiroly/

~~ TCC Association, which is in essence a mini website @ taichichih.org/teacher/tccassociation/

~~ Justin Stone, with a creative use of embedded photos @ taichichih.org/teacher/justin-stone/

Justin Stone Quotation Cards

Mary Ruiz chooses a different card each week to focus on during her TCC practice. And her Buddha holds the space. See https://justinstonetcc.com/product-category/card-decks/

Taichichih.org/events

Reminder to Teachers: If you are offering a daylong or weekend virtual (or real-life) event, you may have it posted on taichichih.org and on the back page of The Vital Force. Simply send details to me.

Vital Force Subscription Auto-Renewals

Since the subscription renewal rate for The Vital Force is about 95%, and because the administrative time to contact every subscriber each year is huge, we thought it was safe to move to auto-renewal. What? When you subscribe online (which we highly encourage because that also saves us from having to deposit checks), your subscription will renew automatically on that date each year – unless you tell us otherwise. I suggest you note that date, just in case you want to cancel your membership. Of course, we hope you never cancel ☺

Time Is an Illusion
As Justin Stone wrote and said, “Time is an illusion.” As practitioners know, T’ai Chi Chih is done in 40 minutes, but it’s timeless.

“Time present and time past
Are both perhaps present in time future,
And time future contained in time past.
If all time is eternally present
All time is unredeemable.
What might have been is an abstraction
Remaining a perpetual possibility
Only in a world of speculation.
What might have been and what has been
Point to one end, which is always present."
~~ T.S. Eliot in 'Four Quartets':

Justin Stone Quotation Cards

Mary Ruiz chooses a different card each week to focus on during her TCC practice. And her Buddha holds the space.

Year-End Tax-Wise Giving Tips to a 501(c)3

Special incentives to encourage charitable giving in 2020 are set to expire on December 31. A temporary 100% AGI deduction for cash gifts when itemizing allows especially generous donors to reduce their 2020 federal income tax to zero. If you don’t itemize your deductions, you may reduce your taxable income by $300 above the federal standard deduction for your contributions of cash to public charities

A gift of appreciated securities provides the giver with the additional advantage of avoiding capital gains tax that may be incurred if you were to sell the securities. The more highly appreciated the security, the more capital gains tax you will avoid.

Teacher Listing Pages – Who Are We?

• Please visit the taichichih.org homepage and scroll down to find the link for featured teachers and teachers teaching on Zoom or FaceTime.
• The site currently profiles 85+ teachers, including Justin (the original teacher) and one association (see Northern Colorado).
• Starting with this August issue, when a teacher authors a Vital Force article and they have a teacher listing, that URL will be listed under their byline so readers can learn more about that teacher.

We understand that teacher listing pages are not top of mind during COVID-19. A safe vaccine, vital medical interventions for those sick, and properly enforced health regulations are. However, let me take a crack at why it matters now:

— Students want us to offer; these pages are promoted on Saturdays on Facebook, and about 300 students click through every weekend! Help them find you.
— Even if you aren’t teaching, let’s showcase the breadth, depth, and uniqueness of our teaching community. Why?
— Because when about 250 profiles (of the 750 teachers who indicated they wanted to be on the site) are complete, I will promote TCC to my journalist colleagues who write for major publications. We need to look “real” and worthy movement.
— These pages help us stay connected through COVID-19 isolation. They are akin to “TheFacebook,” when it launched way back in 2004.
— Consider supporting the website so others may learn about TCC. (I do not get compensated for helping here; the funds go to pay off the developer.)
— Students need current contact information. I must contact all teachers who have not created a page starting in the autumn. Please don’t make me spend 85 hours contacting 500 teachers, asking them to take responsibility or if they want to be removed. If you’ve done a profile, look for a friend who has not claimed their page, and please contact them. This site belongs to everyone.
— Sandy and Pam reminded me that we used to charge teachers $5 or $10/year to have contact information on the website. Hopefull,y $10 or $40 for your own promotional page seems like a great value.
— See also page 14.

Please join the chorus. Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good; seize the moment.

Toot-Toot to You

The May issue received more email accolades than any issue in a decade. Thank you to all who contributed and subscribed. Without both, the VF would simply not exist! Full stop. As Julie wrote: “The newsletter is a lifeline for many of us who yearn to hear from others about their profound experience(s) with the Chi.” And as Richard echoed: “Keep it up for all of us. It really does matter.”

Let’s Be Ready
Justin used to affirm a breakout moment for T’ai Chi Chih. Let’s be ready – when a big publication writes about TCC or a significant medical study includes TCC or when your teaching venues open up again.

* I’ll wait to pitch TCC to a national reporter after a significant number of our pages are “claimed.” Otherwise, we won’t look particularly vibrant.

Teachers: Find Yourself on Taichichih.org
The teacher database has long been burdensome for this volunteer organization to maintain. Going forward, we ask that teachers take responsibility for their own details.

Update Your Contact Information
It takes about 10 minutes to create a user account and then update your phone, email or town where you teach. For instructions, see taichichih.org/teacher-listings or email Kim.

Promote Yourself (& Encourage Other Teachers)
Teaching on Zoom? Teaching a ‘real life’ class soon? Not teaching at all? Why bother?? Because first impressions matter, and this website is the primary vehicle to show the world who we are, what we do, and how to share TCC with the world.

Please take a few minutes to upload a photo of yourself and write 100 words about yourself. Don’t be shy. Perhaps say what motivates you as a teacher, why you started practicing, what special populations you might teach, your favorite movement, and why… that kind of thing. It’s basically a mini presentation. This is the place to market yourself and tell your part of the world (in essence) why it needs you to teach TCC to them.

Include the type of class (on-going, drop-in, weekend, series of eight, etc), time/day/duration of the class, its cost, level of student for whom it’s appropriate, etc. Basically, put up a virtual class flyer.

Examples
Lisa Otero: taichichih.org/teacher/lisa-otero
Lisa Stroyan: taichichih.org/teacher/lisa-stroyan
Margery Erickson: taichichih.org/teacher/margery-erickson
Nancy Hebert: taichichih.org/teacher/nancy-hebert
Annette McNeil: taichichih.org/teacher/annette-mcneil

Students: Find a Teacher on Taichichih.org
We know it’s essential for students seeking teachers to have up-to-date information. Know your teacher’s name? Start typing it in the FIND A TEACHER box. Or start typing a town or state in the NEAR ME box. *In both cases, let the boxes auto-fill and then choose. Click the ‘GEAR’ icon and search by distance.

Focus Shifts to Local Events

Conferences are a time-consuming act of love and service. While a majority of teachers in attendance at the amazing 2019 Minnesota conference voted to affirm having an annual conference, there was not enough time or interest for another community to volunteer to host the 2020 event.

Make It $1/Month
Become a sustaining member of taichichih.org and The Vital Force with a monthly, recurring gift of any amount, even $1/month. Go to Donate or call Kim at 617-901-9628 with your credit card. It’s like Netflix but for TCC.

Taichichih.org/teacher/Your_Name_Here
Teachers: stay tuned for details about how to promote yourself and your classes on our main website. Students: stay tuned to learn more about our teachers and where they are offering classes.

Promotional Postcards
Back by popular demand: a professional way to make an impression after a presentation. Bundles of 50 double-sided cards for $10. Call Kim at 617-901-9628 with a credit card or mail a check payable to The Vital Force to the PO Box on page 24.

Daily Meditation Cards
Package of 26 different quotations by Justin about T’ai Chi Chih for $16. Use them like angel cards, to prompt discussions in class; as a daily or weekly meditation; as gifts. (Teachers, combine it with other materials and use your discount code. Email us to get the code.)

Solidifying
Something feels afoot with T’ai Chi Chih, and the image that comes to mind is a projectile in a slingshot. TCC feels ready to be propelled into the world with a force that would break apart if it weren’t fundamentally solidified. Hurled out of a slingshot, it would disperse into pieces and fall to the earth. But it feels like TCC’s core is strengthening – from the quality of new teachers and a broadened participation of existing teachers, to the resurrection of Justin’s materials being available and the forthcoming taichichih.org with a prominent focus on students being able to find teachers and teachers being able to easily and thoroughly market their classes. Ready, aim, fire the Chi.

Submissions For This Issue
With each passing issue in the last year, especially, we’ve received more accolades about the quality of reflections published here. More teachers and students are contributing for the first time, or for the first time in a long time. We’re gratified that practitioners feel compelled to share their experiences. The diversity of encounters with Chi bodes well for Justin’s vision of TCC’s impact in the world.

www.justinstonetcc.com
The pent-up demand for Justin’s teaching materials has been clear since the Justin Stone TCC site launched in early March. It’s heartening, and I can feel Justin smiling that practitioners wanted to dig deeper and get closer to the source. On a personal level, Justin’s presence has become more tangible through each call or email answere,d and every order packed and shipped. Teachers: please email me for a discount code for ordering if you don’t have it.

www.justinstonetcc.com
Justin’s T’ai Chi Chih teaching materials are alive and well! His published writings, instructional DVDs, and recorded music and spoken word are now available to all in perpetuity. The website for free downloads and for purchasing physical copies of Justin Stone’s teaching materials is in process. Its completion is expected by mid-June (and hopefully earlier). Please visit the new website to sign up for notification of its progress and special deals as tangible items are made available. Students and teachers wishing to order physical products may do so through the site; teachers will continue to receive the former discount.

www.taichichih.org
The principle public face of Justin Stone’s T’ai Chi Chih moving meditation needs to inspire and inform current and potential practitioners. It also needs to be supremely useful for present and future teachers, and to connect students with teachers. This new website is coming along; it’s been exciting to approach a major refresh. Please email me by mid-March with your “pain points” – what do you need the site to do, in order of preference, what are your priorities for the site? Thank you!

Correction
The August 2018 article, “Help For PTSD“ has been retracted as it details a process improvement project that was misrepresented by the author as valid scientific research. The project did not receive Institutional Review Board approval, required to conduct a study with human subjects. The measurement tool used in the project for data collection was neither reliable nor valid to measure subjects’ responses, and so the data generated has no clinical significance. The project manager, who also authored the article, did not have permission from the Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center or the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to present the process improvement project as valid scientific research or to publish the article. The Editor was informed of these facts after the article’s publication.

Teaching Wherever We Find Ourselves
On a recent slow boat trip through Vietnam for 11 days, I found myself teaching T’ai Chi Chih at 6 am to most passengers on board. During the first of many communal meals, as we introduced ourselves, I mentioned TCC, and much to my surprise, the passengers clamored for a morning class. (It reminded me of being in Melbourne and spontaneously teaching TCC to thirty Lonely Planet authors and staffers during a 10-day in-house workshop. Those authors around the globe continue to practice, and some even participate in the TCC Facebook page.)

In Vietnam, we rose before dawn to watch the sun rise, with the boat moored silently in the middle of the river, and began with Rocking Motion. Currents ran around us, but the flat-bottomed boat remained so still that a glass of water showed no signs of movement. The practice and its effects came up in conversations throughout the day, during shore excursions, and well into dark, quiet evenings. For our last morning, we tied up to the shore, and as we gathered for our final practice, a dozen school kids riding by got off their bikes to watch us move. I get reports from passengers, who’ve become friends, that many are still practicing. We never know when or where; we just have to seize the moment.

As Justin says When the Chi flows freely and is balanced, the Cosmic Rhythm begins to move us.

Giving
Please consider a tax-deductible year-end gift to support the far-reaching, impactful activities spearheaded and continued by The Vital Force (detailed below on this page).

JustinStoneTCC.com
Watch this website for Justin’s life’s work, most of which will be available for free download and/or viewing. Book groups, like this one from Northern Colorado using Spiritual Odyssey, will have physical books as long as there is breath. As Justin said to me after he died, “You have my words now.” Little did I know what that meant.

Good Karma Publishing: The End Of An Era

Allow me to change hats for a moment, from editor of this quarterly journal to my former role as GKP publisher. It was my distinct honor to run GKP from January 2004 until mid-February 2015. Working with Justin and preparing Justin’s materials to reach a wider audience was a privilege. Even before becoming the CEO, I vividly remember photographing him at a rental studio for the photo textbook. It was 180 minutes of non-stop paying attention to lessons. There were many more to come. I have been grateful for all, and Justin’s teachings echo throughout the day.

During my professional freelance career in publishing, I acquired many skills that would come in handy at GKP: author, editor, photographer, designer, publisher, app developer, marketer, public relations writer, small business owner, and more. I do not believe the earning of those skills was coincidental.

On July 16, 2018, the Good Karma shareholders and Board of Directors voted to dissolve the company, effective at the end of 2018. The vote was 4 ‘yes’ and 1 ‘no.’ Please see Vic Berg’s message on page 18.

Were other alternatives considered? Yes. Please note this important fact: On October 9, 2016, the GKP Board voted 3 ‘yes’ and 2 ‘no’ to offer Justin’s trademarks, copyrights, inventory, and a sum of GKP cash as seed money to the T’ai Chi Chih International Foundation. The Foundation Board declined the offer.

On July 16, 2018, GKP voted to offer me the same, minus the inventory. I accepted the offer and am humbled and happy to resume my role as caretaker of Justin’s writings and teaching materials. Minus the profit requirement.

The night Justin died on March 28, 2012, while I was still the CEO of GKP, he said to me, “You have my words now.” In the intervening three years, I’ve had to consider and reconsider what Justin’s words must have meant. What I have concluded is this: In Justin’s absence, we all have his words. He left us a lifetime of lessons, books, and transcribed talks to absorb and re-absorb, videotapes to watch and re-watch.

As the custodian and guardian of his words now, I have one mission, which was the same mandate I had while running GKP: to keep Justin’s words and work alive, to keep them available and easily accessible to all. To that en,d I will create a new website where all his words and work are free and accessible to a worldwide audience. I will also keep in tangible form many of his books and audio/visual materials. Please be patient as details develop.

I would like to thank everyone who supported GKP over the years: teachers who shared Justin’s materials with their classes, students who availed themselves of every resource available to them, and my wonderful, dedicated assistant, Mary Ruiz. The future of T’ai Chi Chih resides within every sincere practitioner. The path forward is clear. Sincerity and integrity light the way. Thank you.

Thoughts
I recently attended Lisa Otero’s workshop in Fort Collins, Colorado, where Lisa shared a handout with 10 philosophical keys to understanding the writings of Justin Stone. Not only did they spur lively commentary, but they infused the practice with another layer of richness and depth. Caroline Guillot (also in attendance) and I welcomed the opportunity to chime in with a few first-hand stories about our years with Justin.

A Sketching Challenge & TCC Movements
Judy Kistler-Robinson recently joined a challenge issued by the international Urban Sketchers group to sketch 100 people in one week. She decided to sketch the T’ai Chi Chih movements from short videos of Lisa Otero’s class and last October’s Teacher Training (shared on the T’ai Chi Chih Facebook page). Some sketches were first done with ink and then filled in with watercolor; others began as watercolor, with ink outlines added. As Judy says, “Some might recognize themselves here.”

In Justin’s words from Spiritual Odyssey:
It is necessary to remember that T’ai Chi Chih is a spiritual discipline and must be taught with this in mind… we wish to urge that the teaching always be kept on a high level and that the teacher practice his own self-cultivation so that he will exude this spiritual quality.

Intentional Communities
I split my time between two locations and travel frequently for work. I recently experienced four different T’ai Chi Chih groups and feel better than ever about our teaching diversity and TCC’s reach. The amazing Northern Colorado teachers host dozens of weekly events and during my week in Fort Collins, I attended an outdoor practice and potluck dinner, Spiritual Odyssey study group, silent teacher practice and many student classes. On Hawaii’s Big Island Hannah Hedrick introduced me to her faithful TCC student and his spiritual practice spot on a slab of smooth lava. We spoke outdoors for hours, long into velvety darkness as the sun disappeared from the sky. As Justin once said, the moon gives light too. Hannah and I met Sharon Cashman at the blocked entrance to Mauna Kea, where Sharon supports native Hawaiians against the desecration of sacred lands. TCC is right up their alley. I participated in Amy Tyksinski’s TCC retreat in the Bay Area, and experienced a new day in bridging communities. Upon returning to Albuquerque, I slipped back into the supportive Saturday night meditation group without missing a syllable while chanting the Heart Sutra, after which we gathered for Saturday Supper, just as we did when Justin was alive. Look around. Expand your intentional communities. As Justin said, “You meet the nicest people in T’ai Chi Chih.”

Smile.amazon.com
Every time you shop online (not on the mobile app or on www.amazon.com) using Amazon, the company will make a donation to the Vital Force Journal, which goes directly to support taichichih.org. Simply type in smile.amazon.com and then type Vital Force Journal and then hit “select.” Voila.

Every little bit counts and adds up. It’s painless and doesn’t cost you a penny.

Grounding & Graceful Conclusions
In the November 2013 issue and now this one, I’m grateful for the continuing conversation (and tone) in relation to whether we practitioners rise after closing a movement – or remain with knees bent before starting the next movement. I’m glad everyone feels free to make his/her experiences known.

Using Justin
“We started class tonight by listening to parts of Spiritual Stories of the East. There is something about hearing Justin speak. Merle (one of my students) heard the chanting for the first time when she came to Sunday meditation. It was special for her to hear Justin chant and then give an explanation. It set the tone for a very good class. Thanks for making so many excellent materials available to us.” – Sheryl Adair, Atlanta, Georgia

Stu Goldman’s Artwork In This Issue: “Embracing My Continuity”
“I am among the fortunate: I have made my living from doing things that most people only dream about doing. Since childhood, I have been an actor, cartoonist, author, illustrator, stained glass artist, and now a T’ai Chi Chih instructor [as of the November 2013 accreditation]. These are all, believe it or not, related careers. They all communicate, infor,m and energize intellectually.

The most accidental of these was the stained glass. While copying one of my political cartoons for syndication distribution, instead of reducing it, I enlarged it so big that only a portion of the image appeared. It was a minor mishap and easily remedied, but the lines looked like the lead lines of a stained glass window. Later that week, walking past a stained glass studio in my Philadelphia neighborhood, I noticed a sign in the window offering lessons. I signed up. The next twenty years became history, as the saying goes.

From early on, as inspiration, I combined my interests in Japanese Haiku and Sumi-e ink drawing. The melding of these two art forms is known as Haiga. It’s noteworthy that the root of the term illustration is ‘to bring light to…’ I like to think that I used the light to ‘come through’ as well.” – Stu Goldman, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida

Where In The World …
TCC is practiced around the world, and we have two new photos in this issue to prove it. Keep them coming.

This Issue & The Conference
The Boulder conference in mid-June was nothing short of stellar, amazing, and impressive. The ramifications for, and influences upon, teachers and students will be far-reaching. Among other things, it demonstrated to all in attendance that the community is thriving, coalescing, and expanding.

Although many of these issues’ articles are drawn from conference talks and demonstrations, they are directly applicable to students of all levels. These include articles by Dora, Caroline, Amy, and Dorene on “Feeling the Chi” (pages 3, 9, and 14) and by Pam and Carmen on Grounding (pages 7 and 8). We are saving others for the November issue.

A Thousand Points of Light
The Sunday morning conference session, where teachers shared news of projects and ongoing community initiatives, was particularly inspirational. Dozens of teachers stood to briefly mention ways they are sharing T’ai Chi Chih. It was so heartening to see Justin’s oft-professed wish, that each teacher pursue his/her own path, was taking hold. Teachers were not waiting to be told what to do; they were taking the reins to shape their teaching lives. There was cross-pollination and camaraderie; there were supportive groups and spontaneous connections.

That TCC lacks an institutional organization, espoused by Justin since the beginning, is what allows a “flat” structure where each of us is empowered to lead. Nothing could control or corral the energy popping up that morning.

Onward
It’s an exciting time to be a practitioner, a new teacher, and/or an experienced teacher. Justin– pictured on page one with his friend and teacher Roshi from the Bodhi Manda Zen Center in Jemez, New Mexico, towards the end of both of their lives – would be pleased at the abundance of inner sincerity.

I’m sure everyone attending the 2017 conference is eager for this year’s gravitas, grounding, playfulness, and lightness to be taken to the next level in 2018 in the Philadelphia area. (No pressure to April Leffler and Kathleen McAllister!) The Vital Force will do everything in its power, in print and through social media, to support their efforts. Starting to make plans now.

If you are a serious student thinking of becoming a teacher, there’s no better time to register for a training course, so that you can play with us next summer.

Remembering Justin
It’s been about six months since we celebrated the 100-year anniversary of Justin’s birth and less than two months since we noted the five-year mark of his death. His stories and personal interactions with him are never far from the surface; in fact, they exist more like Chi pressed into our bones.

Many, many interactions with him pop to mind. When I traveled back-and-forth between Boston and Albuquerque for a decade, I would spend the return flight to Boston writing down the revelations and riddles that my time with Justin prompted. Here are a few stories.

We’d been in our Albuquerque house for two years, but Justin had never accepted an invitation to visit until he invited himself over – the morning my cat was to be ‘put to sleep.’ Justin made a beeline to my office, where the cat was curled up (although no one had told Justin anything), and he made one of the most compassionate comments that I’d ever heard him utter. Then he left. Later that afternoo,n when he opened the door for meditation at his house (which he never did, as we all just barged in), he said, “I’m glad you are here; you’re in the right place.”

Another time, I’d been doing T’ai Chi Chih with Justin and three others in his living room when he began really hammering home on some point about how I was moving. I became upset and refused to go out to dinner with them afterwards. When examining what had happened later that night, I said out loud, “I don’t trust that guy,” and in that instant, an enormous and related issue was completely resolved. It “only” required Justin’s expression of unconditionality.

Another time, I was having a difficult conversation in his living room with him and another person. Justin interrupted, got up, and asked me, “Dear, would you like a soft?” He was referring to a soft drink, but in that moment, he was telling me to let go of the matter. My response? “No… thank you.” He returned without a drink (for himself or me), to a softer situatio,n and we exchanged a small smile.

There are a thousand more stories, all different but the same.

Photos & Conference 2017
The images featured on pages 4, 5, 10, 11, and 17 were taken in and around Boulder and at the conference center, compliments of Lisa VV, as a way to entice you to attend the conference on June 15-18th.

Annual Board Meeting Report
The Vital Force Board meets annually to monitor and provide direction for the fiscal health of The Vital Force, a non-profit 501 c3. We also review the prior year’s activities and set priorities and intentions for the forthcoming year.

We are pleased to report that membership levels remained consistent from issue-to-issue (and even increased by a few percentage points). Your current tax-deductible membership fee exactlycovers editing, designing, printing, and mailing the journal. All other activities that The Vital Force engages in are entirely supported by donations.

What else does The Vital Force do? We:

• Create and maintain the community’s website (taichichih.org), which includes posting events and conference materials for the benefit of all;
• Maintain the enormous database so students may find teachers.
• At the community’s urging, update the database by contacting (multiple times) each of the 2500+ teachers in the database.
• Maintain the social media platforms of Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, Flickr, and a website blog, so that people around the world may find and connect with other practitioners.
• Provide free subscriptions when we have resources

Donations

Without them, we will be unable to continue the above endeavors. The Vital Force is committed to supporting these community outreach activities during 2017. But this is not sustainable if the current trend continues.

Membership Fee Increase
As a result, the Board voted to increase the annual fee to $50. This will cover some of the above activities. We have begun a free monthly e-newsletterette with Vital Force excerpts (to practitioners who’ve requested it) as a way to test growing the community.

Big Thanks
Huge gratitude to the benefactors who have allowed The Vital Force to maintain its outreach. If you wish to participate in the community-building outlined above, you may donate on taichichih.org or by calling or writing using the contact information for The Vital Force on page 24. Mary and I agree that it is an honor and a privilege to serve in this capacity.

The Board consists of Lisa Otero, Guy Kent, and Dora Wiemann.*

Free e-newsletterette
Have you ever noticed the “Get Updates from Us” form on the homepage of taichichih.org? About 200 people have. So we have begun sending a free, monthly e-newsletterette featuring snippets from The Vital Force. This outreach has a dual purpose: increase subscriptions by offering teachers (who have signed up for the e-newsletterette) an easy way to electronically share inspiration with their students, and 2.) introduce students to the rich sharing within The Vital Force. Please sign up through the homepage if you’d like to receive it.

Updated Teacher Database
Per the request from the community, our database of teachers has been updated! We sent three email requests to every teacher for whom we had an email address. And we called everyone for whom we only had a phone number. If we did not get a response during our outreach, we removed that teacher from the list.

Please visit the Teacher’s page to see if your name is missing. If it is, it’s because we didn’t hear back from you. In that case, please email us at kim.grant@taichichih.org if you need to be reinstated.

We “abandon hope” undertaking this endeavor. Since your membership fee only covers the creation of the quarterly issues, extra projects like this are entirely funded through contributions. If you would like to make a donation towards this important effort, you may do so through the green “Donate” button on the homepage. Thank you.

New Teacher Voices
This issue features a wealth of reflections by new teachers accredited in Pennsylvania and Colorado during the last quarter. It’s apparent that they, individually and collectively, had an incredibly transformative week. Surprised? Many of the stories were the basis of their in-class presentations. Many are reflections of before, during and after the intensive process. All are heartfelt.

The impact of these pages might be threefold (as if anything more is needed than simply taking time to reflect and share):

• Inspire other serious students to take the leap and teach.
• Help current teachers reconnect with their own initial sparks of wonder.
• Gently challenge forthcoming teacher trainings to continue the outpouring.

To paraphrase Nancy Werner-Azarski elsewhere in this issue, we see the future of TCC. Enjoy.

Request To All Teachers: Contact Information Update
From Sandy McDonald, Hayward, California

Many people become teachers because they find benefit in the practice and want to share it with others. But this is hard to do if prospective students can’t find you. The taichichih.org website has a list of teachers. This list is woefully out of date. It is not unusual for me to receive calls from people looking for a teacher in their area, as the ones on the list they have tried either don’t teach anymore or their contact information is not valid. Frankly, this is not a good reflection on the quality of TCC teachers.

Please take a few minutes and look at the website to see if your information is up to date. If it is not or you are not teaching at this time, please send that information to changes@taichichih.org. If you think you might teach in the future we can always add you back on the list.

Written Content
The Vital Force would be an empty shell without your contributions. Thank you for always putting fingertips to the keyboard.

Visual Content
If you are a visual artist, The Vital Force welcomes a submission of 10-12 images of your creative work. (Of course, we welcome single, stand-alone photos and specific photos to accompany articles, too.)

Regional Focus
Consider organizing three to six articles from your community for a higher-impact double-page spread, which you can then use to promote TCC in your area.

August Teacher Conference in Seattle
For those attending (see taichichih.org/conference-2016 for forms), please take notes about presentations and your experiences – to share in articles with those unable to attend. Photos of practitioners moving are always welcome!

Social Media
Please share the Chi and amplify the message by posting images on social media, including on Facebook.com/taichichih, and on Twitter and Instagram using #taichichih. Whether you are attending the conference, teaching a class, or practicing outside with a group of people, let your visuals be part of a broader conversation.

As Justin wrote:

“It is the absence of any pressure, moving slow motion in a dream, that allows softness to prevail.”

“You can chase your shadow all day and never catch it, but stand still at noon and it will merge with the body – with no effort.”

Contributions
The quality of, and participation by, a wide range of students and teachers continues to be inspirational. May The Vital Force remain a safe and independent harbor for expression.

Albuquerque Teacher Training
I was fortunate to speak about The Vital Force at the recent teacher training, where I also sought and received feedback and input about what was working (or not). A challenge was also extended to each candidate to write about their accreditation experience, why they chose to become a teacher, or to offer their oral presentation as an article. As a result, this issue contains six training-related articles. I hope that future candidates will pick up that mantle and that the community will hear even more reflections from our newest members. You inspire us.

Movement Articles
Teachers and students continue to say that movement articles are helpful in teaching and learning. But I can’t print them if I don’t have them.

Art Submissions: Sculpture Photos
The issue is peppered with images taken by Rebecca Paulson, who writes: “The northern Colorado T’ai Chi Chih community is doing outreach practices in one of Loveland’s parks, a sculpture garden. Last month, while strolling through, I spotted one delightful sculpture that is all giant feet, with a vanishing point perspective up to a tinier waist. I squealed with delight: Grounding in the soles of the feet! I hope you have enough pictures from this collection for The Vital Force.”

Media Rate
To save money, beginning with the May issue, The Vital Force will be shipped at media rate rather than first class.

An Anecdote
“As a first-time mother-to-be, there were times, especially during the later months, when I couldn’t sleep at night. Baby was keeping us both up. So I would wander through the house. I found that if I did some T’ai Chi Chih moves, these would calm the baby and me and we could return to sleep.” Stephanie, Elbridge, NY.

In Justin’s Words
In Spiritual Odyssey: “You cannot give the same teaching to two people. It must fit the Karma of each one and never be a teaching by rote. How do you know what teaching to give? You will be guided.”

Community
Something seems to be happening out there. Communities are growing and strengthening through grassroots efforts. One teacher at a time. Each responsible for herself or himself. It’s heartening.

T’ai Chi Chih Musings
“Many times during my TCC practice on my lanai I feel Justin Stone looking down from the heavens and feeling him seeing someone or some many practicing TCC all in the same moment, all over the world. It is quite astonishing to feel this and fills me with joy.” – Terry Jennings, Honolulu, Hawaii

Facebook
Have you dipped into the T’ai Chi Chih Facebook page recently? At press time, facebook.com/taichichih had 2,036 followers. Share the page with your friends, students, and families. It links a worldwide community of practitioners who might not otherwise have connected with like-minded souls. And we know, Justin, it doesn’t take the place of practice, practice, practice. That said, you can always count on a heartfelt discussion, shared TCC experiences, archival videos of Justin, videos of new students and teachers practicing, quotations by Justin, open-ended questions, and specific questions. Thanks to Lisa Otero and all who participate.

Wanted

• Anecdotes about your time with Justin, or, if you’d never met him in person, an anecdote about how you’ve come to know him through his writings.
• Interviewees as we present with Marie Dotts; see page 4-5.
• Articles about your experiences with prajna; you will make April Leffler pleased.
• A double-page spread of articles from your community. (Hello New Jersey, Northern California, Portland … and more.)
• Articles about your experiences with various movements; you will make Stan Corwin very pleased; see page 3.
• Where in the World photos
• Artwork (5-10 thematic images)

Justin wrote, “The great secret in T’ai Chi Chih is what happens to the Vital Force. We should be grateful for it.”

Nothing more is needed in this moment. Justin’s statement and joyous visage are enough. One “right” second in his presence (whether in person or through his work) always had a way of sweeping things clean.

Conference 2015 – August 6-9, North Carolina
Read all about it at taichichih.org/conference-2015. It’s not too late to register.

Inside May
This edition follows up on some compelling interviews from the February issue – with a few more teachers sharing their motivations for teaching T’ai Chi Chih, their ideas about training the next generation, and connecting with others in the TCC community. If you would like to contribute, please email me for a set of questions that will help frame your thinking.

Justin’s Storytelling: Truths To Live & Die By
During his younger year,s Justin created children’s records for a publisher-friend of his. He didn’t have a contract, but rather relied on a mutual agreement between the two of them. Justin trusted what he knew to be a clear understanding. The recordings went on to generate millions of dollars, but Justin never received a penny because the publisher reneged on their deal. Justin always referred to his publisher as stealing the royalties out from underneath him. The publisher had been able to do this because the t’s had not been crossed and the i’s had not been dotted.

Justin always told stories with a pointed purpose. And he told them to (and for) specific people in the room. When I became the CEO of Good Karma Publishing in January 2004, Justin relayed this particular story when another member of the TCC community and I were in the room. It was a haunting story.

Justin’s heightened awareness allowed him to see things, to Know – whether in the present or future. No matter our listening prowess, Karma unfolds one way or the other. Knowing what I Know now, I’d still rather play the part of the trusting and trustworthy actor. Any day. It’s all a play within a play; the lesson has been internalized. With each turn of a screw and on the drop of a dime, we actors choose our roles.

Animals & TCC
Most of us have heard stories about animals being attracted to our presence as we practice TCC. Some of us have experienced it. And we know how viral animal stories and photos can become on social media. To that end, please send photos and short stories about the intersection of your practice with wild or domesticated animals. We’ll share the interspecies love in The Vital Force and on the web.

Interviews In This Issue
The Vital Force posed the same series of questions to a number of T’ai Chi Chih teachers in the community, with the intention of sharing their light. We have published the first four interviews in this issue, and we hope and expect to share more throughout the year. Whether you are a student or teacher, we also hope they inspire you vis-à-vis their thoughtfulness, integrity, vibrancy, and the sheer variety of voices within our community. Enjoy.

Your VF Membership & Teacher Website Listing
The Vital Force will not charge non-subscribing teachers for their listing on taichichih.org/tai-chi-chih-teachers, as outlined in the November issue. Although it costs $39.52 for us to produce the four quarterly issues of The Vital Force, which carries a $40 U.S. membership fee, thereby leaving nothing leftover to operate taichichih.org, we hope enough readers will donate to The Vital Force to cover these operating expenses.

YouTube Videos: Voting Up/Down
Each of us has the power and ability to exert responsibility for how the public perceives T’ai Chi Chih. Log onto youtube.com/user/tccabq and click the “thumbs up” for videos you think show TCC at its best. If you see video clips by anyone doing a disservice to TCC, click the thumbs down. If you want to go one step further, add a comment that says, “To really understand Justin Stone’s T’ai Chi Chih, please visit taichichih.org. That would be of enormous value and a vital contribution to spreading the word. Thanks.

Andrea Vargas Studio – Featured in this Issue
“As an artist, I frequently create in response to ecological disasters and aspects of violence against the body. However, with T’ai Chi Chih, I can hear and honor my spirit’s desire to create with peace and love. What I have contributed to The Vital Force is a collection of paintings that utilize the energy and spirit of water.

To work with pigment and water is to balance control with surrender, rhythm, and practice. For me, there is constant joy and learning available with a process that honors the cycle of life, the polarities of energy, and the power of balance.

I now live and work in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Southern California. I give thanks that with the support and inspiration of Lisa Otero, T’ai Chi Chih has given me a language for the energy I hold in my hands, and a means to expand in joy and love with each breath.”

Reader Comment
Hi, I am a student and future teacher of TCC. I wanted to let you know how much I appreciated and enjoyed the May issue. It was packed full of good information, offering a path to follow when I decide to become a TCC instructor. I loved the tips

Database Update: Find A Teacher
Per your request, we are trying to make our website’s “find a teacher in your area” function a more effective tool to link prospective students to active T’ai Chi Chih teachers (taichichih.org/tai-chi-chih-teachers).

Teacher contact information on the website is currently self-reported. As such, much of this information is out-of-date. Bounce-back emails, disconnected phone numbers, and unreturned telephone messages are all too commonplace for students looking for a teacher. The feedback we have received is that this results in considerable, frustrating downsides for our community. To that end, Mary Ruiz has been painstakingly updating the database. The pared-down but more accurate and relevant teacher listing will appear in early January. Please help us keep our community’s teacher contact list current and “vital”: please check your listing for accuracy and promptly report any errors or changes. And, if you know that an accredited teacher has passed on, please notify us asap.

Website Teacher Listings
Teachers, your membership to The Vital Force includes a free listing on taichichih.org! It’s a 100% value-add, since your subscription covers the production of the journal, with no resources left over for the website. (Yes, the website is completely funded by tax-deductible contributions.)

Going forward, non-subscribers of The Vital Force will be charged $25 for a 3-year listing on taichichih.org/tai-chi-chih-teachers.

That’s one more reason to maintain your subscription! Please help spread the word to accredited teachers who are non-subscribers that there is even more reason to subscribe to The Vital Force journal and to keep your subscription current.

Year-End Giving & Matching Funds
The Vital Force maintains taichichih.org, which exists solely through the generosity of our subscribers.

Please consider a contribution to support the essential (and vast) outreach of the website. Donations can be made by credit card (via the green button on the homepage of https://taichichih.org) or by sending a check to The Vital Force, PO Box 92674, Albuquerque, NM 87199.

Gifts to The Vital Force are fully tax-deductible, always appreciated and used effectively to reach tens of thousands of practitioners around the globe.

Calendar
The online and print calendar is open to ALL teachers offering daylong, weekend, and other special TCC events. (At this juncture, keeping a current listing of ongoing classes is simply too time-consuming for our volunteers to maintain.)

A Prajna Request
April Leffler has requested that The Vital Force offer a regular space for T’ai Chi Chih teachers to express how Prajna has shown itself in their lives. If you write it, I’ll print it.

Happy Ending
On page 5 of the August issue, the last (punch) line of Doug Harned’s piece “Cucumber” was inadvertently left off. It should have read: “I’ll close with my favorite poem by Paul Reps: ‘Cucumber unaccountably cucumbering.’”

Smile
Have you heard of the “AmazonSmile” program? It’s a simple and automatic way to support your favorite charitable organization every time you shop. And it costs you nothing.

When you shop at smile.amazon.com, you’ll find the exact same low prices, vast selection, and convenient shopping experience as Amazon.com. The added bonus? Amazon will donate 0.5% of the purchase price from your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to your favorite charitable organization.

The first time you logon, simply type in Vital Force Journal Inc and click “select.” And that’s it. Thanks for the support!

New www.taichichih.org
It’s here: the newly re-launched website. Improvements include:

• Easier (and more prominent) social media sharing
• Online ordering (and more prominence) for this newsletter
• More dedicated conference links, pages, and post-conference content
• Easier-to-find (and share) blog posts
• Separate tab for “Find a Teacher.”
• Liberal use of Justin Stone’s quotations from most of his books
• Up-to-date software
• Easier and faster content updating

(no column this issue)

Grounding & Graceful Conclusions
In the November 2013 issue and now this one, I’m grateful for the continuing conversation (and tone) in relation to whether we practitioners rise after closing a movement – or remain with knees bent before starting the next movement. I’m glad everyone feels free to make his/her experiences known.

Using Justin
“We started class tonight by listening to parts of Spiritual Stories of the East. There is something about hearing Justin speak. Merle (one of my students) heard the chanting for the first time when she came to Sunday meditation. It was special for her to hear Justin chant and then give an explanation. It set the tone for a very good class. Thanks for making so many excellent materials available to us.” – Sheryl Adair, Atlanta, Georgia

Stu Goldman’s Artwork In This Issue: “Embracing My Continuity”
“I am among the fortunate: I have made my living from doing things that most people only dream about doing. Since childhood, I have been an actor, cartoonist, author, illustrator, stained glass artist, and now a T’ai Chi Chih instructor [as of the November 2013 accreditation]. These are all, believe it or not, related careers. They all communicate, infor,m and energize intellectually.

The most accidental of these was the stained glass. While copying one of my political cartoons for syndication distribution, instead of reducing it, I enlarged it so big that only a portion of the image appeared. It was a minor mishap and easily remedied, but the lines looked like the lead lines of a stained glass window. Later that week, walking past a stained glass studio in my Philadelphia neighborhood, I noticed a sign in the window offering lessons. I signed up. The next twenty years became history, as the saying goes.

From early on, as inspiration, I combined my interests in Japanese Haiku and Sumi-e ink drawing. The melding of these two art forms is known as Haiga. It’s noteworthy that the root of the term illustration is ‘to bring light to…’ I like to think that I used the light to ‘come through’ as well.” – Stu Goldman, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida

Where In The World …
TCC is practiced around the world, and we have two new photos in this issue to prove it. Keep them coming.

Why An Issue Dedicated To Conference 2013
The Minnesota T’ai Chi Chih community created an incomparable conference that embodied both a gravitas and lightness. The outpouring of material contained in this issue is a testimony to the spirit and execution of their event. May it serve to unite the teachers who could not attend. And spur more teachers to attend next year.

Social Media Breakout Session
Taking responsibility for filling significant but unmet challenges, The Vital Force has been building out T’ai Chi Chih’s ever-expanding social media presence. The conference committee allowed me 30 minutes to present overviews of T’ai Chi Chih’s social media presence on various “platforms” – for which I was (and am) grateful. And to explain why social media is so important to spreading TCC, thus growing classes and building a market for Justin’s works. And to explain how each of you are completely essential to the success of these ventures.

Platforms (called out below) are where we communicate, rather than sell. Through our message, we earn trust, which is built slowly over time. It’s about the same human qualities of connection that have existed for thousands of years. It’s about offering something that others want in their lives. It’s about attraction rather than promotion, as they say in Alcoholics Anonymous.

Mostly: it’s about empowering others (you!) to spread the message, influencing your friends and their friends.
All URLs are on the last page of The Vital Force. Briefly, TCC has a presence on:

• YouTube: The world’s second biggest search engine. Teacher demos are side-by-side with Justin’s instructional videos.
• Twitter: Where journalists and reporters hang out. So TCC must too.
• Instagram: Photo-sharing. TCC is a visual and is particularly well-suited to good photography. See page 18 of the August 2013 issue.
• Flickr: The world’s largest photo repository. Sets of TCC images include groups, movements, “how to,” Justin, Andrea Cole imagery, seated TCC, conference images, a teacher training, and Where in the World.
• Pinterest: The TCC target demographic, i.e., women of a certain age. TCC homepage “boards” are grouped around: inspiration, health benefits, press clippings, movements, the ap,p and much more. See page 19 of the August 2013 issue.

• Facebook: The granddaddy of social media. Our page has grown to almost 1500 followers under Lisa Otero’s guidance. See page 23 of the August 2013 issue.

  Vital Force Wrap-Up: The 30-Minute Conference Presentation
  The Vital Force has also pushed forward in the last 12 months:
  Practical Stuff

• The Vital Force now accepts credit cards over the phone; call 505-797-7300.

• You are now able to renew for two years (@ $75US, $95CA) and three years ($110US, $140CA).
• Financials were posted; The Vital Force balance sheet is $1300 in the black, thanks to generous donations that fill the gap.
• Subscriptions continue to decline, but we are looking at more effective renewal methods.
• There is no printed directory; please visit taichichih.org/the-teachers for an up-to-date list.
• The Justin Stone May 2012 “memorial issue” is available online for $12 per copy.
• All back issues are available online (free or paid) @ taichichih.org/vital-force.

www.taichichih.org
This website – a fountain of TCC information for the world to see – was put under the umbrella of The Vital Force before my time. It is completely supported by donations. Thank you.

Please visit the blog and add your voice @ taichichih.org/category/blog. Please visit the teacher resource page @ taichichih.org/teacher-resources and send ideas for additions.

Vital Force Improvements
We did a bit of brainstorming about how The Vital Force can better serve the community. Don’t be shy about letting me know what you like, and don’t.

Scholarships
When I began in 2007, there were funds earmarked for scholarships to attend various events. The earmarked scholarship funds have now all been used. In fact, The Vital Force distributed $650 more than it had collected. That said, accepting funds for dispersal to individuals requires a lot of IRS paperwork and strict adherence to rules and regulations. Which is beyond the capacity of this volunteer organization.” That is why The Vital Force pulled out of that business.

New Teachers
After some discussion, The Vital Force was happy to learn that a one-year subscription would continue to be included for every newly accredited teacher. We think this is an easy way to unite the teachers, and we were happy for the support of the community.

Charitable Giving Over The Last 12 Months
Your donations have been put to effective use and continue to make an impact:

• We printed 10,000 TCC postcards (free to all teachers) – thanks to one gift.
• We created a dedicated webpage for each conference – thanks to one gift.
• We archived past issues thanks to two major gifts and many smaller ones..
• We increased our social media presence thanks to one major gift.

Year-End Giving Opportunities

• Consider doubling the reach of your gift if your company offers matching funds.
• Consider a donation of $500, which covers 6 months of maintenance for the website, which reaches 50,000 people.

What Would You Like To See In The Vital Force? A Request/Recommendation

“I would like to see a Q & A column in The Vital Force.

I have learned a lot from different people about how to teach students different movements. Take Around The Platter. I can describe it as a round platter, or the face of a clock looking up at me, or a record with a needle attached to the base of my palm while I travel around the grooves. There are so many creative teachers out there; I think it would be interesting to get input from some.

It’s like learning tennis or golf. One instructor can try to help you, then another words it differently, and one says exactly what clicks to allow you to execute it correctly. I try all sorts of verbiage when teaching to maybe hit just the right note with each student.

Anyway, you’d have to start with just questions … maybe 4. And at the next issue, print answers that are not in Justin’s books or tapes … different approaches to certain movements while staying within the principles. Then at the end of the column, add questions for everyone to ponder for the next issue, and so on.

For instance, I have had one student for two years who executes everything beautifully, but she cannot get her hands and fingers to relax. So, for two years I’ve said, “Soften your hands.” She immediately softens, and within a few minutes, she’s back to tense hands and fingers. She’s soft everywhere else. I wonder if someone out there would have another approach that has proved successful.

Also, I have an 85-year-old student who fell over two years ago and has developed dementia. I learned through experimentation what clicks with her. When she first came to class, she was hunched over a walker, then she progressed to a cane, and now (even with snow and salt on the ground) she often walks in with her caregiver. She recently had a three-pound mass removed from her stomach, and I didn’t expect to see her for a while. But her doctor told her to go back to class the same week as her surgery. So I wonder if there is even more I can do to keep her progress going. Maybe someone out there has ideas.

Just a thought … I look forward to each issue, but was thinking of something a little different.” – Dee Burton, Orland Park, Illinois

It Takes A Village
Have you ever read an online article about meditation, yoga, or “T’ai Chi” and thought, “Hey, the same could be said about T’ai Chi Chih!” It’s ok, admit it; we all have. But have you followed through to join the online conversation? Have you piped up and mentioned TCC? It only takes a few minutes to influence the dialogue and help spread the word about T’ai Chi Chih. Practices flourish by word of mouth. You can talk to one person, and you can also talk to thousands with a simple comment online. Put your fingers to a keyboard and use your words, exert your soft but powerful voice. You don’t know who (or how many) you will spark.

The screenshot above shows a comment made in response to a meditation article appearing on huffingtonpost.com and oprah.com. It’s always important to be relevant to the article at hand – before softly pitching T’ai Chi Chih – and referencing taichichih.org.

The screenshot below shows an excellent comment by Indiana teacher Pete Gregory. He posted in response to Tara Parker-Pope’s “Help for the Deskbound” on the well-read New York Times Wellness Blog. In fact, Pete was the third in the nation to respond, and his comment also appeared on the TCC blog, continuing the conversation.

Teacher Website Database: The drop-down menu on taichichih.org/the-teachers remains out of commission due to the website hacking last year. But the downloadable PDFs (also on this same webpage), with teacher names sorted alphabetically by name and/or by region, are available to all and updated every six weeks.

Gratitude For VF Volunteers: Special thanks go out to Mary Ruiz, Mary White, and Joyce Veerkamp – who maintain the database, subscriptions, and much more for The Vital Force and taichichih.org. Their efforts and indomitable spirits are heroic.

Facebook: Enormous appreciation, too, to Lisa Otero, the community manager for the T’ai Chi Chih Facebook page (facebook.com/taichichih), which has grown to a resounding 1200+ voices. Lisa poses questions about practice, inspiring quotations by Justin Stone, and sets the table to get a robust conversation going. Check it out.

Photos Of TCC Practitioners: Huge thanks to professional photographer, Andrea Cole (Minneapolis, Minnesota), for her super images of the local community practicing T’ai Chi Chih. They are being used in The Vital Force, our taichichih.org website, Pinterest, and Flickr. It’s all in the service of spreading the word about our practice.

TCC Experiences Needed: The Vital Force is your publication, and it will only continue to exist if enough readers write about their experiences with T’ai Chi Chih. (A typically expansive call for submissions returned only a tiny response of writings for this issue.) Don’t be shy about sharing. And please don’t think you have to be a perfect writer.

Vital Force Archives – Free To Download: Thanks to incredibly generous contributors, we were able to scan, post and offer bullet points for every issue available since The Vital Force began publishing in 1985. Visit taichichih.org/vital-force-archives to download free out-of-print back issues.

Single Back Issues: For issues published since 2007, if there are printed copies available, they may be purchased on taichichih.org/vital-force-back-issues. When an issue sells out, we will move it to the archive page. But not until they are sold out.

The 44-page May 2012 Justin Stone “memorial” issue is also available at taichichih.org/vital-force-back-issues for $15 domestic, $18 international shipping.

Feedback About Remembering Justin
“Thanks for sharing all the recent experiences about Justin. I loved it. I can feel the conversation. Talk about really listening… I loved hearing Judy Hendricks mention something “off the cuff” about Justin. And I overheard Carmen Brocklehurst tell a “Justin story” while in the restroom at conference. Both examples were in and of themselves “no big deal,” however, they were way cool since I’ve had such limited experiences with him. It would be so great to keep hearing about him through stories from others who lived with him and knew him so intimately.” – April Leffler,
Prospect Park, Pennsylvania

The Vital Force would like to run a Justin Remembrance page as long as people share stories.

Cosmic Consciousness Image From August 2012
“I love the picture of Justin in the resting pose – the one with five of him in varying shades of whitish to blackish – in the last issue of The Vital Force. Is that a poster? I would love a copy. Makes me warm all over.” – Terry Jennings, Honolulu, Hawaii

If “enough” subscribers are interested (please drop me an email at tcc@kimgrant.com), we can make it happen.

Matching Funds
As you consider your year-end charitable contributions, please inquire whether your employer offers matching funds. It’s an easy way to double your tax-deductible gift with “the-effort-of-no-effort.” The Vital Force, and the adjunct taichichih.org, is a 501(c)3.

Your Generous Contributions Put To Good Use
There were multiple, overwhelming and spontaneous acts of generosity at the Portland conference and beyond its borders. One teacher donated funds to reprint 10,000 copies of the popular T’ai Chi Chih promotional postcard. Another teacher donated funds to add new pages to taichichih.org – for dedicated pages for forthcoming conferences (taichichih.org/conference_2013/) and for presentations given at the prior year’s conference (see taichichih.org/conference-2012/). A request on facebook.com/taichichih raised funds to begin archiving (and posting) 25 years worth of back issues of The Vital Force. (See taichichih.org/vital-force-archives/)

Justin kept teaching all the way to the ‘end.’ Quite a few months before his death, his caretakers decided he needed more rest and fewer visitors as he prepared to die. We were asked to stop coming to his house. As you can imagine, there were some private discussions between community members about this. I am not aware that anyone told Justin about this decision, but I am positive that he was utterly conscious of the conversation (and consternation) surrounding this.

I was among those who continued to go to his house for meditation and to share a meal with him. One day upon arrival to his house, Justin was just returning (with Carmen and a caretaker) from an outing – to buy some magazines at a local cafe. Justin ‘never’ bought magazines. But today he just wanted to get out and get some things. He was impeccably dressed, with his sunglasses on, cardboard shade nearby, a big smile on his face and a slight spring in his shuffle. As if to say: I know what’s going on here. I’m not dead yet. I’m still calling the shots. A “good” meditation followed

Justin was/is the love of my life. (Luckily, my partner understands what this means!) He links me to the Absolute; his love was/is utterly unconditional; he was not concerned with my personality; all he cared about was if I was doing T’ai Chi Chih and meditating; every interaction was to encourage/prod/move me in the direction of Awareness.

So in this regard, which I hold as the main value/guiding principle of this life, he will always be singular.

Although the world seems a bit dimmer, and many of us feel a bit more alone and lonely, Justin has not forsaken us, for he has left us with a clear Path, a Practice.

Good Karma Publishing will keep his words alive, and The Vital Force will continue to share his teachings and his students’ experiences. It is a privilege to be of service. I am eternally grateful.

On The Value Of The Vital Force To Readers
From T’ai Chi Chih practitioner and Vital Force reader Linda Prosche: “My heart is full, and I am sending this to say thank you. We never know who [or what] will show up in our lives and the seemingly random things that arise because of that ‘chance’ meeting.

These last two years have been an extraordinary time of healing and growth for me on Maui, and I am, humbly, not the same person. This journey was possible because I had a mainland connection with [The Vital Force], as a teacher, student, and friend.

In hindsight, I can see that this human link has been a necessary anchor for me to thrive on this elemental island. The relationship has been an important thread, whether you were aware of it or not. And as my practice continues to deepen, I am so grateful for the people and opportunities that continue to magically show up and teach me more wondrous things. Thank you for making a difference in my life.

A hui Hou Kakou malama pono. (Take care until we meet again.)”

www.taichichih.org
Our new website redesign makes building community and connecting students and teachers so much easier. Take a look at this typical exchange (to the right). And speaking of building community, our TCC Facebook community went from about 600 “likes” (aka “friends”) to about 825 within two months of launching the new website – just from including a “plug-in” at the bottom of each website page. That’s an increase of about 40 percent, of folks who are reading weekly quotations by Justin, chiming in about their experiences with certain movements and more. Little grains of sand, little grains of sand.

– Website Funding & Year-End Tax Deductible Donations –
The major website overhaul was partially funded with a (previous) generous contribution. But it is not entirely funded. If you would like to make an outreach donation, please visit taichichih.org/donate/. You can see that your money is/will be/has been put to superb use already. Thank you. (As a reminder, your Vital Force subscription does not cover website expenses at all. The website is pure, free, and added-value for all community members.)

Soliciting Ideas

• We’ve almost worked our way through discussing the movements (even though articles have been dwindling for some time).
• We tried “Where in the World,” which I’m hoping will be better received if you get to see yourselves practicing TCC on the new website. (Don’t be shy; send photos to tcc@kimgrant.com. Locations don’t have to be “exotic” – just interesting and/or somehow attractive.)
• We organize layouts by geography when “enough” teachers respond to a solicitation.
• Hannah Hedrick has suggested a discussion theme/thread noted below for the January 1st deadline.
• What other ideas would you like to see addressed as themes for upcoming issues? Please email them to tcc@kimgrant.com.

Reader Voices: Laurie Jacobi
I’ve been meaning to pass this story along to you for some time: Remember the story I submitted about my experience teaching TCC in Kazakhstan? Well, a while ago I got an email from my embassy contact there who said that the NGO person who organized the artists’ workshops I was leading was at another gathering in the south of Kazakhstan recently and found the women doing TCC before their workshops began each day!! Someone who participated in my classes was passing it on to others as best she could. It was so heartening!

Reader Voices: Chris Norkus
I have ongoing T’ai Chi Chih sessions two days per week and will teach a new round of classes for beginners soon, but recently I had more students than ever attend. I even extended the classes so we could listen to Spiritual Stories from the East and the KNME Justin Stone-Carmen Brocklehurst Interview DVD.

While I have kept many older issues of The Vital Force, I have also cut up some and given away others. Recently, I started looking through the older saved editions again. I always see something in them that makes me want to hang on to them. But today, I just decided to let them go. I took a big stack to my big class and asked every student to take one Vital Force, read it, and come back to the next session with an article, paragraph, or sentence that resonates with them and that they want to share. I also asked them to return The Vital Force issues so that we could continue circulating them until the issues (perhaps) don’t show up anymore. Maybe this process will generate some new subscriptions. Every copy I brought in disappeared. Circulation.

One of my students, who took lessons a couple of years ago and has been a regular attendee all year, did not take a copy today. I asked her why before she left. She said she had taken one a couple of years ago when I offered and had not returned it yet, but she would do so in an upcoming session. Circulation.

I do hope that somewhere there are copies of all the back issues of The Vital Force. They could be of future interest as a reference for documenting the growth and evolution of TCC. Maybe knowing that there is such a stash would make it easier for others to let go of their copies.

Editor’s Note: There is a stash of back issues, which will be archived on taichichih.org.

Photos Needed
The Vital Force is publishing springtime flowers in this May issue because it’s Spring, but also because there is a dearth of high quality and high-resolution images of people practicing T’ai Chi Chih (and practicing correctly). Please send some along when you get a chance. You will be credited and the whole community will benefit.

Website Funding
Your The Vital Force subscription fee not only pays for the publication to reach you via First Class, but it also goes towards maintaining and improving taichichih.org – with valuable information that reaches around the globe. Please remind teachers you know, who do not subscribe to The Vital Force but who enjoy the reach and influence of taichichih.org, about this service and benefit. Thanks for helping.

Reader Voices: Meg Costello
“The Vital Force is where I catch up on the news, events, and conference excitement. May Swanson’s article in the last issue and this sentence of hers led me to write: ‘As long as we continue to teach classes, with the pureness of heart and love that Justin intended, students will come to learn.’ Even with my heavy schedule and without advertising classes, I teach T’ai Chi Chi,h following closely all that Justin has taught me. I dream that Justin’s words live on in the men and women I meet. Another dream is to get TCC into the school system so that violence may be eliminated from the minds and hearts of our children.

During a Christmas holiday open house, a kindergarten teacher asked if I could teach TCC after school. I offered to volunteer my services. When I am free with my services, a class will appear. This January, five New Jersey women are traveling to Philadelphia to learn TCC. The AARP article aroused their interest. A sadness hangs heavy because we do not have enough teachers to serve the need for classes in Philadelphia. I have been asked to teach in the Chestnut Hill area several times – again because of the AARP article. But I am at the opposite end of the city and only teach in my home. Saturdays are the only mornings that I am available, and it is too far for people to travel. But still some come.”

Reader Voices: Jane Dick
“Enjoyed my talk with you when I ordered my Seijaku DVD. It’s had a lot of use already. Since my mate of 61-plus years has had some minor health challenges, I haven’t been able to attend reviews and/or conferences recently. Miss everyone and, of course, the stimulation and powerful energy. Pretty please, give Justin my love and appreciation, once again. Now that he has (understandably) requested no mailings, I miss this contact. I do have my Justin postcard collection. … I had a physical challenge at the end of summer and was doing T’ai Chi Chih in bed for several weeks, then sitting TCC, and now recently Seijaku. The increased energy is amazing. And I love sharing the DVD with Justin. We have our very important, private meetings.”

Reader Voices: Bill Moore
“BTW, I started adding the website addresses for taichichih.org and gkpub.com to all my student handouts (on movements, principles, etc.), so they could have them for ready reference. Positive responses from students. Not sure why it took so long for this idea to bubble up.”

AARP & T’ai Chi Chih
“I wanted you to be the first to know that my article on T’ai Chi Chih will appear in AARP The Magazine’s November/December issue in all three of its three editions (for ages 50+, 60+, 70+). Originally, it was slated for only the 70+ issue. You should also know that the article is very brief. Much of what the editor asked for she ultimately cut; I had no control over that, or the reference she made in the subtitle and diagrams to “exercise.” Nevertheless, this can only be a good thing for the practice. The magazine prints 24 million copies and has 40 million readers!” From Roselee Blooston, Montclair, NJ
See http://aarp.org/health/fitness/info-09-2010/tai_chi_chih.html

Brush Paintings by Susan Kissinger
After being inspired by Antonia with the joyful possibilities of brush painting, I enrolled in a course taught by a visiting artist from China. When she instructed us to copy an ancient Chinese masterpiece, I simply sat breathing, not knowing what to do. I allowed the Chi to show me the way. Minor insights kept me painting: controlling the water, loading the brush to create a rich gradation of ink and color, exploring dry brush technique to paint mountains that looked like mountains. One day, my teacher painted flowers that danced next to my seemingly wooden flowers. The sense of energy flowing through her flowers filled my bamboo leaves several days later. Just as with T’ai Chi Chih, my skills improved with regular practice.

Mandalas (August 2010) by Steve Marsh
Mandalas (Sanskrit for “circle”) have roots in sacred images and are often used for meditations. My versions were born from personal work with Jungian psychology (Carl Jung was a creative conduit of mandalas) and the unexpected invitation by a T’ai Chi Chih student to join an art group. The true catalyst, however, was my daily TCC practice and the resultant stillness. It was with some surprise (and joy) that the images sprang forth (and continue to do so). Mandalas can be quite elaborate and detailed, but my colored pencils and liquid pens on paper cast a more immediate and simpler presence. They’re more reflective of me and the creative energy – undoubtedly as I journey towards wholeness and connectedness.

Gift Giving
As you consider your year-end charitable giving, please consider making a gift to support The Vital Force and taichichih.org outreach efforts. Your contributions are fully tax-deductible. You may donate online at https://taichichih.org/vital_force.php. Thank you.

Facebook Page
Please join the almost 450-person-strong group on facebook.com – where students from around the world can ask questions, make comments, and find support and inspiration from others who are also practicing T’ai Chi Chih. We get detailed reports showing anywhere from 372 to 534 people visiting the page each week. Teachers, add your voices of experience. And please tell your students about it. Join the fun.

A Gift Horse Arrives In The In-Box (In The Nick Of Time)
Even though this issue lacks as much geographic diversity as one would hope for in an international journal, I’m grateful to the TCC practitioners who wrote at the last minute. One day prior to the deadline, only two unsolicited submissions had been received. Additionally, only two out of forty people emailed earlier in the month had promised to write by the deadline. Justin and Carmen always write. Sandy, Antonia, and Pam have been given columns, so they have to write; I have to write pieces for the VF and GKP. “Events” always come through with one article each. That would inch things up to 17 articles. But issues usually have 35 to 47 articles. There were some older submissions from the last few years to draw upon. But I fully expected to publish an edition half-filled with Pyramid Poems. For this issue, there are no writings on the movement Pulling Taffy, Variation #2, Wrist Circles – except the short piece that Amy Tyksinski always submits. Perhaps this section isn’t that valuable to readers. Neither are there articles on Justin’s quotation: “When the Chi flows freely and is balanced, the Cosmic Rhythm begins to move us” which is only suggested to help people organize their thoughts around something (because people said they wanted to write but just didn’t know what to write about). Perhaps a theme is unnecessary to jumpstart inspiration. Whatever the case, there are fewer than a handful of unpublished articles waiting for a place in the next issue, so unless you are looking forward to 12 pages of Pyramid Poems, please do write. Fellow practitioners are eager to hear what each of you wants to share.

Teacher Resource URL
Teachers: the following resources are posted on a non-public section of taichichih.org website for you to use freely: a press kit from Good Karma Publishing to help you promote classes; sample brochures; information on getting replacement teaching certificates; guidelines for teaching TCC to people with COPD and to seniors; and important lists of other teachers who are teaching to specialized populations. The latter provides great networking opportunities for those who can’t attend conferences. To be reminded about the hidden URL, send an email to changes@taichichih.org.

New Tag Line
Thanks go to Tudor Oprea – a great supporter of The Vital Force and its mission to spread the word about T’ai Chi Chih – who came up with this new tag line: “May The Force Be With You” – as in, The Vital Force. We like it and hope you do too.

Criteria For Inclusion in the VF
Writers occasionally submit articles and stories with a postscript: “Hope this meets your criteria.” But what are the main criteria? That the writing and experience comes from the heart. Of course it has to be about TCC; it can’t be too long (see below for suggested lengths); and it generally
needs to pair with other articles so that the journal is cohesive. But those are minor points compared to the first.

Writing Revelations
From one author: “P.S. I actually enjoyed [writing] when I finally made myself do it!” And from Cathy Dalton: “I’m grateful for the realizations that came from deeper exploration and putting thoughts on paper.”

Duplication Of Articles
There has been some recent overlap with articles submitted to The Vital Force and then to Antonia’s website and/or newsletter (and/or the T’ai Chi Chih New Mexico News). But, like any worthy publication, we’d prefer not to have redundancies. We think you want to read original content. The value of what we offer is lessened when you can read the same thing elsewhere.

Event Articles
We rarely publish articles promoting upcoming events. Of course, the annual conference is an exception! In addition to the VF print calendar and the taichichih.org e-calendar (the latter is updated every six weeks), we started posting downloadable PDF flyers with registration and general information for each event on the website – when it was re-launched a few years ago. If we printed articles about forthcoming events and articles about the events after-the-fact, The Vital Force will be half-filled with just event information before you know it. I’d like to leave plenty of room for more than that.

If an event host would like to include a flyer within The Vital Force, you are certainly welcome to (for the cost of printing the flyer).

T’ai Chi Chih Enters Social Media Marketing Realm
TaiChiChih.org is embarking on an exciting outreach campaign to spread the word of TCC, to reach more people who could benefit from practicing this moving meditation. To do this, we will employ online social media marketing tools such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. (Yes, we have already dipped our toes in this arena, but now it is time to wade in with both feet.)

Why social media marketing? Through it TCC hopes to:

• Increase our website traffic;
• Increase TCC’s presence online (on other sites);
• Broaden the reach of our content by starting conversations about the practice and its benefits;
• Build valuable, interactive relationships with website audiences;
• Spread awareness of our mission and increase advocacy of that mission.

We will build a stronger online presence through several strategies, including the development of a TCC blog comprised of posts and videos centering on health themes and upcoming events. The purpose of the blog will be to provide current content, answer questions, and build an audience while increasing the relevancy of TCC’s web presence. Most importantly, the blog will give you a central place to share your TCC insights, testimonials, class videos, and more. It will be your place to publish content that can reach millions of people via Facebook and other social media outlets.

GKP currently has a fabulous collection of video clips of Justin Stone teaching that are housed on YouTube, and taichichih.org would love to increase the collection with videos by teachers and students from around the country. Other ways to help include supporting the TCC Facebook page by joining and commenting, and sharing our content with others via Twitter and social bookmarking sites such as Digg and StumbleUpon. Additionally, we are considering reaching out with an e-newsletter to various health communities to spotlight benefits, fabulous teachings, testimonials, classes, tips, and news.

As always, we greatly appreciate your support of this endeavor to spread the word about T’ai Chi Chih. We can’t do it without you, and we’ll need your help to make it a great success.

Gift Giving
As you consider your year-end charitable giving, please consider making a gift to support The Vital Force and taichichih.org outreach efforts. Your contributions are fully tax-deductible. You may donate online at https://taichichih.org/vital_force.php. Thank you.

Renew On-Line
We’re trying to make your lives easier: The Vital Force now offers secure, on-line renewals. Visit taichichih.org/vital_force.php. Subscribe for one, two, or three years (domestic and foreign) and hit the blue “BUY NOW” button. It’s almost as easy as one-two-three. If you don’t have a gmail account with a password (to use on the right side of the screen), you can use your regular email address and a made-up password (on the left side of the screen). Of course, you can still order via our post box and check.

Renewing (In General)
The mailing label for your Vital Force contains your subscription expiration date. A few weeks after you receive your last paid issue, we send you a “snail mail” renewal form – printed on colored paper to grab your attention. About sixty percent of subscribers renew immediately using this form. Then, a month before the next issue goes out, we send an email reminder to those who have still not renewed, and another twenty percent renew via snail mail or using the online link we provide. Because this process represents a great deal of time for a tiny volunteer operation, we ask that you renew online and renew early. Although we strive for a one hundred percent renewal rate, we gain and lose subscribers in unequal (and decreasing) numbers. Thanks for your help in spreading the word about The Vital Force.

Creative Gift Giving
We’re up to $851 and counting – that’s the amount given in one person’s name to The Vital Force. One particularly devoted teacher, who wishes to remain anonymous, recently celebrated a 60th birthday. Since she was not in need of anything material, she asked attendees to her celebration to consider making a donation to The Vital Force, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. (Donations are fully tax-deductible.) Apparently, her friends and family are well aware of her enthusiasm for T’ai Chi Chih and couldn’t resist her request.

Perhaps this is something you might consider for an upcoming celebration or holiday. We can assure you that the funds are put to very good use in distributing The Vital Force and in upgrading the website, taichichih.org. We deeply thank this teacher and her generous circle for their gifts and this idea.

Photos Available For Use
Jim Eagle, who posted dozens of 2008 conference photos on Flickr, the photo sharing web site, has graciously offered use of his banner photos (featuring quotations by Justin Stone) that appeared in the November 2008 Vital Force. Sheila Leonard, who spearheaded this initiative with Jim, suggests using them on your web site or in promotional materials. They are available for download at http://flickr.com/photos/jeagle/sets/72157606285837025/. From there, click on the thumbnail photo you want; then click on the small magnifying glass directly above the photo labeled “all sizes;” then click on “original;” and then click on “download the original size.” This downloads the largest (most detailed) photo.

– Reprinting The Vital Force –
To clarify: Subscribers of The Vital Force are welcome to make copies of articles with permission. (Authors never need permission to make copies of their own articles.) Only one person has been denied permission in the last two years – when he wanted to reprint the entire issue every quarter as a series of blog posts. If that had been allowed, why would any of those readers subscribe to The Vital Force? Why do people need permission to make copies? To maintain copyright protections. Protections from what or whom? Unfortunately, we don’t know that answer until it is too late. So we need to be proactive. The only thing we ask when permission is granted is that you include The Vital Force footer (or cut and paste the masthead) on your reprint – to give credit to and spread the word about The Vital Force.

Perhaps you’ve noticed that The Vital Force articles are laid out so that they don’t spill over onto additional pages. Why? So they are easier to reuse if and when they are copied. Perhaps you’ve noticed that articles of a similar ilk are laid out together (see the New Jersey articles by Bill Moore’s students or the Nebraska ones from Rita Otis’s students, or the teacher/student articles from Donna Aldous). Why? Again, this is done with reprint usage in mind and to help teachers build community.

– Comment on Sandy’s Article: “T’ai Chi Chih Versus TCC” (see page 7) –
I understand and respect the points Sandy is making in her article. But it’s simply a matter of style and every publication develops a style sheet: The Vital Force spells out the first use of “T’ai Chi Chih” in every article and then uses the abbreviation “TCC” to save space and for convenience. (You’ll also note that Justin often uses the abbreviated form, “TCC,” in lieu of spelling out its entire name in every instance.) I would suggest that if you, too, are getting hung up on reading “TCC” aloud, simply substitute “T’ai Chi Chih” when you come across it. It may be second (or first) nature. As for abbreviating with initials in print (after the first full use of the form’s name), it doesn’t seem to have hurt Transcendental Meditation to be referred to as TM sometimes. Certainly, if you are writing about T’ai Chi Chih for a general trade publication, web site, or newspaper, it would be beneficial to write out the whole form each time. Don’t be surprised, though, when the publication utilizes its own style guidelines.

Toot Toot
We haven’t blown our own horn since our tenure began with the May 2007 issue, but when someone commented at Justin’s 92nd birthday party in November that, “Would it really matter if there was no more Vital Force,” we felt like it might be time.

Although we get lots of complimentary emails that we don’t publish, here’s one from Jocelyn Sampson, a devoted student working to become a teacher: “As I practice entirely alone up here on my lakeshore in Northern Ontario, I am hungry for The Vital Force. What a boon it is to be connected through this and the website. After reading Justin Stone’s words on the last front cover of The Vital Force, I became newly mindful of the weight transfer through the whole of my TCC practice. Hopefully this is the impetus for further progress. I am working diligently on enlarging my understanding of Bass Drum, just as I continue to work on softness during Rocking Motion (after having re-read the teaching tips in the May 2007 newsletter) that I downloaded on-line. I am so very grateful. Thank you for providing me with a point of connection to the TCC organization.”
[Editor’s Note: or non-organization, as the case may be.]

And from YouTube, where two instructional videos were posted by Good Karma Publishing and viewed by almost 19,000 people around the world in the last 12 months: “It’s so nice to watch you teach. I am Chinese but I know nothing about it. I didn’t believe those things about Chi before but recently I saw a few videos on YouTube. I strongly believe that the famous Chinese T’ai Chi masters would not lie to make [falsities] due to the Chinese culture background. Really appreciate your work here, which can pass one of the greatest human civilizations. Hope I could learn it.” – supersig

Renewing Subscriptions Online
You’ve asked, and we’re answering. Quite soon, you’ll be able to renew your subscription online with a credit card via a secure server. This should be particularly helpful to those who are piles-of-paper-everywhere-challenged and to all Canadian teachers.

You’ll also note that the website indicates when it was last updated.

Printed Annual Directory
The annual teacher directory is available for FREE online at taichichih.org/teachers.php. You can access teacher information by last name and by location (by state and country). Most importantly, the online version is updated every six weeks. In light of this (and the rising costs of printing the directory), the cost of the printed annual directory will be $15 for the 2010 version.

Soliciting Experiences

Articles do not pour into The Vital Force in numbers great enough to sustain a quality publication without solicitations from the Editor. We know from feedback that you are quite appreciative of The Vital Force and look forward to reading it cover-to-cover upon arrival. So please consider adding your voice to this chorus by writing. If you don’t, who will? Well, perhaps the people that the Editor calls and emails … perhaps. As the deadline approaches each quarter, when not enough submissions have been received, active teachers around the country are contacted and asked write. Most do. (And we are grateful.) But what happens if the Editor does not know you or if you aren’t as active as others? Does that not mean you do not have anything to contribute? No. Every single teacher and student of TCC has a story worth sharing. Ideally we’d like a more organic process of submissions, with readers taking responsibility for their publication. The Editor is often asked, “What would you like me to write about ‘X’?” The answer is always the same, “I wouldn’t for a second imagine that I could know what you should write. I am continually surprised and impressed at the breadth of what people express. Your consciousness is your only limit (or not).” Please carve out some time to give back, to put your thoughts and experiences on paper. Take a little risk by writing. You might be pleasantly surprised at what comes out. That’s the feedback so often heard. If not you, then who?

New Themes
This is the seventh issue of the new incarnation of The Vital Force, where we have suggested a theme around which to help practitioners organize their thoughts. Going forward, we hope to pose a different question for each issue and have teachers and students respond. The November 2009 issue will be the first with this new format. Please email us your suggestions for questions.

Time Is Running Out
With its new appearance, The Vital Force costs more to produce and mail than it receives in subscription fees. If this situation does not change within the next six months (or two issues), modifications will have to be instituted. Please encourage your fellow teachers and students to subscribe to The Vital Force. We only need 100 new subscribers. Make a phone call and ask your TCC friends if they subscribe; show them a recent issue. Tell them that they can download a free sample from taichichih.org/vital_force.php. Thank you.

www.taichichih.org
After our teachers, the web site is our most valuable resource for spreading the word about T’ai Chi Chih. If you are a teacher, please consider linking your site to this main one. On the flip side, it has long been the policy of The Vital Force not to link out to individual teacher sites, as we do not want to co-mingle TCC with other practices. This is the same reason that we only list 100% TCC-centered events in the Community Calendar.

The website serves many purposes for a myriad of audiences. If you are a teacher who wants to give an overview of TCC to a journalist, the site has great background information about the benefits of TCC; commentary, articles, and insights about the originator, Justin Stone; a photo gallery of Justin Stone performing the movements; and press clippings and studies about TCC in the news. It has a complete Community Calendar for events held around the country, as well as information about Seijaku (advanced TCC) and Good Karma Publishing. If you are a student who just moved and are looking for a teacher in your area, we have an easy, drop-down menu to search state-by-state or country-by-country. If you are a student wishing to become accredited to teach TCC (which is a requirement), all the information is readily available at your fingertips. If you are a teacher wishing to promote a retreat or event wholly related to TCC, the site has a place for you. It’s all there in an easy-to-use format.

Email Lists
Although teachers are listed publicly on the website, so that students may find them, this contact information is not to be culled from this site for any use. We rely on the integrity of the teachers to maintain this.

Accredited & Non-Accredited Teachers
If you hear of people teaching TCC without having become accredited to teach, please contact Good Karma Publishing (which holds the copyright and registered trademark for T’ai Chi Chih) and Antonia Cooper (TCC’s guide) with pertinent details. Contact information is on the back page. In order to maintain the high quality of teaching and the integrity of the practice, accredited teachers must impress upon their students that only accredited teachers may teach TCC. The future of TCC depends upon it.

Sharing The New Website
You’ve sent some great feedback about the new taichichih.org site. Thanks, and keep it coming. At the upcoming Bay Area conference, a supply of promotional postcards for the site will be available. The postcard is an easy and attractive way to spread the word about TCC. Those not attending and wanting a supply of postcards should send a check (payable and mailed to The Vital Force) for $3 to cover postage.

Community Resources:
Press Kit & Brochures
Under the website’s hidden community resources page (contact Lorraine Lepine in Kansas if you have forgotten to bookmark it), I have posted seven Word files from the Good Karma press kit presented at the 2006 conference. Feel free to download them and use the press releases verbatim (after inserting your own contact information). With Pete Gregory’s permission, I have posted a pdf of the brochure he designed to promote his classes. I encourage others to send fine examples of their brochures to be posted and shared with the community.

Graphics Usage
The graphics from the taichichih.org web site are copyrighted by The Vital Force and are not for use by others. To allow that would imply that there is some organizing body for TCC that confers an imprimatur of authority. But there is not.

Students Writing
It is with honor that The Vital Force has received so many wonderful testimonial stories from students. As a result of this sharing, one teacher (whose students have shared their stories) has written to The Vital Force, “Thank you for the opportunity to know my students. I had no idea. The lives we touch, the feeling of new life that our students experience is beyond what I had known. When I teach, I am not myself. Something else comes through me and happens. It is good to know that.”

Change In Subscription Price
A couple of years ago, The Vital Force subscription price was reduced from a longstanding annual price of $40 to $30. But costs have risen and it is time to reinstate the $40 annual price. The fee also includes designing and maintaining the new web site. We hope you agree they’re worth their weight in gold.

Web Site
It’s done! Please visit taichichih.org. Regular monthly site updates will now be done through our consulting web designer. Submit your changes by the first of the month, and information will be uploaded within a few days. As a reminder, all teachers are welcome to submit calendar events for upcoming retreats and workshops. We will have a space on the site for folks to download information about events. The VF thanks Lisa Thorburn, our web mistress, who has been a dedicated servant of TCC.

To All Subscribers
As Justin says of the letters he has received: 90 percent of practitioners have been changed by T’ai Chi Chih. Tell us how you have been touched. The Vital Force is only as vital as your contributions, and we think it gets more vital with each issue!

Some have written asking why their articles did not appear in the last edition. It’s about balancing voices and shaping content into a cohesive journal within confines of space. Rest assured that all submissions are considered for future editions.

To Students
The Vital Force is as much for you as it is for students! In fact, your experiences are vital to reminding teachers why they teach in the first place. We value your voice and want it to ring loud and clear.

To Workshop Participants
Because of space limitations, The Vital Force will generally only run one specific article from each event with one photo. This does not mean that people cannot (and should not) write a general article about what they’ve experienced. It just doesn’t have to be done in the context of an actual event summary

Web Site
Our community site, taichichih.org, exists under the aegis of The Vital Force. I am in the process of branding it and making it more reflective of gkpub.com. Now (through early December) is the time for your feedback. The new site should be ready to unveil in the next edition of The Vital Force.

Intention
It is my hope and expectation that this newsletter will be in every reporter’s hands who writes about wellness, healing practices, and the like. It is also my hope and expectation that it will be in every hospital waiting room in the country. Please join me in affirming many, many more outreach venues.

Wikipedia.com and YouTube.com
Welcome to the 21st century: I have recently posted entries about T’ai Chi Chih and Justin Stone on wikipedia.com. And I have uploaded a video clip of Justin Stone teaching Bird Flaps its Wings on YouTube.com. Even more people will now be exposed to the pearls of T’ai Chi Chih.

To All Subscribers & Teachers
Thank you for your outreach donations for The Vital Force. From $5 to $150, your generous contributions enable us to cast a wider net, spreading the word about TCC. You have large hearts.

If you are teaching somewhere and think it would be beneficial to have an additional subscription to leave where you are teaching, please let us know. Or, as Donna McElhose suggests, consider buying an extra subscription that you can circulate among your students.

Google Alerts: What? How? A Google Alert is a means of creating a do-it-yourself customized Internet clipping service for the subject of your choice. I created two alerts for Tai Chi Chih (without the apostrophe) and T’ai Chi Chih so that any news story which appears virtually anywhere in the world will be relayed to me via email. It may relate to medical news, classes, intensives being offered, or a new research project.

To sign up, follow these instructions: Go to http://google.com/alerts. Enter the topic you wish to monitor. Under search terms, write Tai Chi Chih. Under type, select News or Comprehensive. Under how often, choose once a day, once a week, or as it happens. Then fill in your email address. Press the Create Alert. Then repeat the process and create a second alert using the correct variation of T’ai Chi Chih. You will then get an email from Google with a link to confirm that these are alerts you wish to receive. You must follow through with this last piece. Ken Gray, New York, NY

Community Calendar
Many of you may have noticed that the Community Calendar was opened up to community members giving T’ai Chi Chih retreats, workshops, and intensives. As Justin said when he and I were discussing the fact that the Calendar had been limited in the past, “The only thing reserved for Teacher Trainers and Guides is teacher trainings.” Imagine … when our calendar listings grow to be three pages long! That will be a wonderful “problem” to have! In considering the issues, someone asked, “What will happen if a teacher publicizes an event that is not completely about TCC?” In considering a “bright line” test, the cleanest and clearest way to make it police itself is this: When you contact the Editor with your TCC event, she will ask you if it is 100 percent about TCC. If it is, it gets in the Community Calendar. If it turns out that it isn’t (after the fact – since we can only rely on the integrity of the teacher), that teacher will lose Community Calendar privileges. (Sorry if this sounds harsh.) Someone also asked, “What happens if the teacher giving an event doesn’t do TCC properly? Will s/he still be allowed to list their event?” The Editor is not a policewoman. Hope this is fair and clear.

The Database
It has come to my attention that the email list is being used improperly for purposes other than that for which it was originally intended: for important (border-line emergency) announcements directly related to The Vital Force. The Vital Force cannot control the email addresses being taken from taichichih.org, but we do have the responsibility to act responsibly in regards to what is sent from our email address. The policy is simple:

“The database is not for personal use or public distribution. If you have an announcement you consider extremely urgent and it is something that needs to be brought to the attention of the entire community (between editions of The Vital Force), please contact the Editor, who will discuss it
with the Guide. Because we respect your privacy and time, it will be a rare event when something is distributed to the entire list.”

For the Record
The last edition was mistakenly mailed bulk rate by the printer, who called to apologize. Please accept our regrets. The printer also mistakenly used GKP as the return address for that issue. Please note, for practical and legal reasons, The Vital Force and Good Karma Publishing are completely separate entities. … Photo and credits were omitted from the last edition. Stones were photographed by Kim Grant and designer Amy K. Brown; other photos were supplied by the article’s author. We will always give credit where credit is due.

Revitalizing The Vital Force
When I first learned that Victor Berg had resigned as editor of The Vital Force, I thought that if no one wanted to step forward from the subscriber pool, perhaps the journal should fold. If the community then felt it had lost something, the newsletter would be resurrected. If not, it would remain dormant. But then I realized what a shame that would be. So here we are.

Over the last 20-plus years of professional life, I have developed some expertise that will be helpful as editor – not the least of which is that, in my role at Good Karma Publishing, I have the opportunity to speak to the most active and enthusiastic teachers and students each week. These folks speak volumes about the vitality of our community.

For the record, this is basically a volunteer position, although I am paid a small sum for each of the quarterly issues. My day jobs, from which I have picked up relevant skills, are numerous and include being: an Acquisitions Editor for Countryman Press, a division of WW Norton; a public relations and marketing freelancer; a travel guide author for Lonely Planet and other publishers; a travel writer for numerous Web sites and new media companies; a professional photographer; and the one-woman ringleader of Good Karma Publishing.

Since the editorial change was announced in late April, there has been an outpouring of support for the VF. Justin is heartened.

I know you are out there and you have offered to share your experiences. So keep those cards and letters (and photos and artwork) coming.

We hope you like the look of the new Vital Force. Comments, ideas, and suggestions are always welcome.