My T’ai Chi Chih Story:

From the moment that T’ai Chi Chih (TCC) was introduced to me, I felt an inexplicable soothing calm that captured my interest and curiosity.

Passion ignited purpose in June 2019 with an invitation to offer TCC to veterans living with the challenges of PTSD. I’ve experienced how trauma changes the brain, dissolving the ability to feel safe enough to trust in anything or anyone.

In 2005, the encouragement of my initial instructor, Sheryl Adair, launched me into a TCC learning adventure with some of the T’ai Chi Chih community’s most knowledgeable and revered instructors, Teacher Trainers and Guides, including corrections from the man who originated our practice, Justin Stone. I am forever grateful to all who brought me into accreditation as a T’ai Chi Chih instructor in March 2007, as well as to those who lifted me further into Seijaku certification in August 2013.

In addition to gifting me with a practice to use as a tool that I use daily for maintaining emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual well-being, Justin blessed me with a most unusual compliment in the presence of my peers at a retreat in Albuquerque hosted by Carmen Brocklehurst. Justin’s eyes circled our gathering space until he locked eyes with me and announced “I’m glad that woman over there is a T’ai Chi Chih teacher.” His words left me stunned, wondering what he might possibly have seen that I hadn’t connected with? It took many years, and at least one detour, before the ‘dots connected’.

The long, slow weight shifts and natural breathing integral to T’ai Chi Chih practice brought me into a palpable sense of connection with Cosmic Rhythm which, in turn, allows me to simultaneously “accord with impermanence” and experience “serenity in the midst of chaos.”

When COVID-19 arrived in Georgia, a doctor/director of a VA counseling center asked if I might offer abbreviated T’ai Chi sessions (via Zoom) for her and her counseling staff because of their enormous stress loads. Timing needed to be “lunch break.”

Necessity is the mother of invention, birthing “T’ai Chi at the Sea.” Using the mindfulness meditation component of T’ai Chi Chih, breath naturally aligns with the cosmic rhythms of slow, gentle waves of the sea. There is nothing to learn, nothing to remember, nothing to ‘get right’ in this T’ai Chi Chih experience. The invitation is to connect with breath as it resides in us organically and to experience Chi internally, while purposefully playing with gentle waves, seagulls, dolphins, and clouds on the distant horizon. The 25-minutes sessions conclude with Cosmic Consciousness Pose on the beach, and about one minute of sitting in silence to enjoy the feeling of balanced Chi.

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Zoom Classes

— Tai Chi at the Sea is my Intro Level to T’ai Chi Chih offered via Zoom on weekdays at noon Eastern Time. (Free.)

— T’ai Chi at the Sea is offered in the seated TCC format on Zoom (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 10:30 AM Eastern Time). This class has proved especially beneficial for those living with Parkinson’s Disease.  Class duration:  approximately 45 minutes. (Fee:  $15 per class or $45 monthly subscription for all T’ai Chi at the Sea sessions, standing or seated.)

— A weekly Intermediate Level practice via Zoom is available to all who complete both Parts of the Beginner’s Series. (Fee: $45 monthly subscription.)

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/2159161985?pwd=cHNZVldIRC9uenZraUJ6b0NsMit6UT09

Meeting ID: 215 916 1985

Password: TC4ME!

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More Classes

— For those who want to delve further into T’ai Chi Chih, I offer 6-Weeks Beginners’ Series, Part 1 and Part 2. Each class averages about 90-minutes in duration, focusing on the bio-mechanics of this amazing practice. (Fee: $75 per Part.) Please email for a current schedule.

— Seijaku is offered to anyone who has practiced TCC on the Intermediate level for 2 years. Please email for current opportunities.

— I am experienced in guiding T’ai Chi Chih teacher candidates through the accreditation process. (Fee: TBD in consideration of each candidate’s needs.)

— In addition to T’ai Chi Chih, I am a VISN7 Regional Coordinator in the national T’ai Chi for Veterans program, as well as a registered National Provider in the VA Community Care Network. VISN7 includes Georgia, Alabama, and South Carolina. Participation is not limited to these states. All veterans are invited to participate, at no personal cost, in any of my T’ai Chi Chih and/or TaijiFit experiences.

“To know the Cosmic Principle by entering the Cosmic Rhythm – Ah!” — Justin Stone, Spiritual Odyssey