The Vital Force Archive

KG reports on the 350+ teacher webpages now live at taichichih.org, how to get listed or edit one, and asks readers what they need The Vital Force to be.

Lesley Nell describes how she and Laurin McDonald, accredited in 2018, ran a Discovery Workshop in Banbury for wellbeing coaches and therapists in March 2020, just before lockdown.

Margery Erickson walks teachers through the TaijiFit veterans application at taijifit.net/vets, from the 150-hour training requirement and new acronyms like Vairkko and CANVAS to networking locally and teaching free, volunteer classes.

Marie Dotts introduces reflections from the April 2019 accreditation week, with new teachers Rick Davis, Robert Poland, Debby McLister, Stephanie Copeland, Kyung Sook Lee and Becky Shinas describing transformation, community and moving well.

Connie Krumrai recounts her accreditation week with teacher trainer Daniel Pienciak, where eight teachers, a Folsom Prison DVD of Justin, and a Mark Nepo verse about cracked seeds met her anxiety with laughter.

Charlotte Garrett describes the accreditation week when words Daniel posted on the wall released a habit energy of fear before her presentation, and names the teachers who prepared her.

Amy Moody came away from Pam's accreditation course with steadier grounding, noticeably softer movement absorbed from a week beside the teacher-auditors, and unexpected bonding for a self-described private person.

Eileen Magnuson recounts her accreditation week with Pam in Albuquerque, where candidates and auditors from across the country worked on mindfulness, grounding and finding words to teach, closing with a graduation dinner featuring Justin's artwork.

Lynn Porzig recounts her accreditation course as both thrill and agony, from effortless Chi flow in "aha" moments to movements falling apart while mirroring the Six Healing Sounds.

Rachel Rilinger announces her accreditation after six-and-a-half years of practice begun with her aunt Terry Jennings, and lists the settings where she plans to teach, from a disability camp to a climbing gym.

Shari Holmes, accredited in November and teaching her first class right after New Year, describes the twelve students who came, the forgotten handouts and tips, and watching beginners find softness.

Rose Brown describes how Marie Dotts and Sandy McAlister at the Colorado Springs Intensive returned her to body awareness, prompting tears, emotional release and a new grounding practice in the soles of her feet.

Bonnie Sokolov, host of the 2019 post-conference Seijaku courses, explains who the Basics Course is for, from accredited teachers seeking Seijaku accreditation to students with a year of practice.

Linda Worlton recounts the November accreditation course in Albuquerque, where an auditor's question about where she disappeared to during the movements exposed the self-criticism and 'survivor armor' behind her tension.

Host April Leffler introduces comments from eight teachers accredited at the six-day Aston course in March 2018, including two from the UK, on softness, auditing feedback and nerves about facing students.

Laurin McDonald recounts flying from England through blizzards to Philadelphia for her March 2018 accreditation with Daniel, the refinements on weight shift and Rocking Motion, and new UK classes starting in April.

John Miller, who came to T'ai Chi Chih two years earlier after years in a high stress job, describes teacher training as challenging and fulfilling and credits Dan and April as lasting influences.

Judy Hendricks describes waking at 3 am in terror over a career change, and how remembering an earlier time of fearless certainty, along with her practice, restored her grounding and connection.

Bonnie Sokolov, host of the October 2017 Rochester accreditation course led by Pam Towne, gathers reflections from candidates on presentations, auditors, wrist refinements in Pulling Taffy, and graduation.

Nancy Rolph-Johnson recounts her week at Minnesota teacher accreditation training, where fear gave way to relentless practice of the 19 movements and one pose, personal-story presentations, and a softened, strengthened readiness to teach.

Adabelle Rychtarik recounts the business basics covered at her 2013 Albuquerque accreditation, then describes calling 911 when a new seated student lost consciousness in class and later needed a pacemaker.

Kent Jarratt rides a four-hour local bus home from his April accreditation in Aston, sizing up every passenger as a future student, then watches his enthusiasm turn to fear until his barber becomes his first weekly student.

Dana Cline describes refining her movements over Skype with California teacher Lisa Otero while practice-teaching under Opie Reed in South Carolina, with Judy Anne Light's companion piece on returning to T'ai Chi Chih after 20 years away.

Eleven candidates accredited at Aston in April 2017 write about their week with Sandy McAlister and host April Leffler, in poems and prose about fear, presentations, dawn silent practice and auditors' support.

Dorene Krause, auditing a spring accreditation course, saw her own timid autumn accreditation in the candidates' eyes and watched their self-confidence blossom as they joined the teaching community.

Janet L. Starr, a newly accredited teacher in Houston with only one other teacher nearby, describes starting a closed Facebook TCC Teacher Circle Group that grew beyond her accreditation classmates and mentors.

Nikol Price traces her path from a teenage T'ai Chi Chih class with Della Alberson in Bullhead City, through years of solo practice, to Saturday mentoring in Prescott and accreditation.

Julie Anongos recounts opening her required 12-minute presentation with a silent demonstration and a declaration of love for T'ai Chi Chih, and describes the bonds formed with fellow candidates and trainer Daniel during the Colorado week.

Rebecca Paulson recounts the meals, late-night talks and community-style presentations of her teacher accreditation course, and answers the question of why she wanted to teach with "How could I not?"

Michele Dapelo set her intention for the Pennsylvania accreditation week and received an image of an open door, which became her lens on yin and yang, unlearning, self-doubt and her fellow candidates' support.