The Vital Force Archive

Sharon Sirkis recounts her first Zoom class of seated T'ai Chi Chih, coaching a newcomer's beautiful smile through several movements before discovering it was Melissa's still photo, left behind after she logged off.

Deb Sitron's 89-year-old student at a Naples senior residence introduced her to his grandson at a fruit stand as "my Tie Dye teacher," and she let the mistake stand.

KG recounts two email mishaps: Carolyn Pogwist's joke about flying among clouds without cloud access, and an "impatient" reminder to teachers that sent itself three times.

Sharon Sirkis recounts three classroom moments: an 87-year-old confused all his life, Roland finding his knee's sweet spot in front of the TV, and a coronavirus misunderstanding needing quick damage control.

Deb Sitron recounts meeting an 89-year-old Naples student at a fruit stand, where he proudly introduced her to his grandson as his "Tie Dye teacher" and she let it stand.

Pete Gregory's parody lyrics, sung to the Beverly Hillbillies tune at the 2009 teacher conference sing-along at Lied Lodge, trace Justin Stone's discovery of T'ai Chi Chih and his 1993 move to Albuquerque.

Sharon Sirkis passes along a college student's story: after a class discussion on grounding and avoiding distractions, the student hung up from an undistracted hour-long phone call wondering whether the dog had been fed.

Donna Deffenbaugh recounts buying olive green drawstring pants and velveteen shoes for her first T'ai Chi Chih class, the too-big black replacements her teacher teased her about, and what practice is really about.

Sharon Sirkis recounts three classroom mishaps and puns, including a student who insisted she had taught only variations of the Six Healing Sounds and a Working the Pulley question that turned into a Supremes singalong.

Vic Berg announces a new online teacher code and re-registration for ordering materials, followed by Sharon Sirkis quoting a college student on her barefoot professor and her deadline exchange with KG.

Sheryl Adair practices in a sunny spot in her home studio, reads Justin Stone's line about gratitude, then tastes harmony, circularity and balance in a breakfast bowl of Cheerios and blueberries.

Sr. Agnes Fleming, certified since 1992, recounts teaching in retreat houses, stepping back after cancer, and keeping a daily practice at her east-facing convent window with the dawn and birdsong.

Sharon Sirkis recounts Martin, a skeptical new student at a retirement home who predicted class would worsen his headache and then admitted he felt more relaxed, plus a college student inspecting his fingernails.

Susan Sobelson describes thirty-two teachers, students and passersby circling on Raspberry Island in the Mississippi for World T'ai Chi and Qigong Day, a singing bowl marking each movement as barges and trains passed.

Tom and Julie Schuster recount climbing Half Dome in Yosemite, where a fear of heights was met by visualizing the grounding and opening of Cosmic Consciousness pose, culminating in Daughter on the Mountaintop at the summit.

April Leffler compiles notes from the October 2015 Philadelphia Intensive, including Fran Alexander's poem "Grey Ghost," Bruce Lee calling Sandy McAlister's teaching magical, and Sharon Sirkis finding a sign misspelled "T'ai Chi Chai."

Doug Harned, asked to contribute and finding nothing to say about T'ai Chi Chih, instead tells how a Facebook ode to a mango drew the reply "God is a mango," closing with a Paul Reps poem.

Sharon Sirkis ends her college T'ai Chi Chih course with a show and tell circle, where students bring laundry detergent, a construction level, Pringles and a near empty cigarette pack to explain what they gained.

Hannah Hedrick, prompted by conference discussion, began organizing "T'ai Chi Chih Connections" with contact people and home-based centers in Chicago, Vigo County, Matsu Valley and Big Island, followed by reader-submitted jokes.

Donna McElhose, left waiting three hours in a hospital cubicle for a delayed procedure, wrapped her IV lines around her wrists and practiced TCC in her gown while nurses looked on; Pyramid Poems on silence follow.

Michael Isaacs practices in airport waiting areas and visualizes the movements in cramped plane seats, Pete Gregory draws squad cars twice while practicing outdoors in Indiana, and Stephen Thompson finds stillness within the shifting.

Sharon Sirkis recounts three encounters: an adult daycare student's quip about wine, a UMBC student demonstrating Around the Platter with her legs on the floor, and a skeptic in back pain who conceded she had a point.

Jerry Bumbalough tells his senior class to bring water because moving chi makes them thirsty, and asks where the water goes; one gentleman answers, "In my pants."

Sharon Sirkis recounts a student raising his hand for Working the Pulley and declaring "I solemnly swear," plus a UMBC student whose watch-free assignment coincided with a bank robbery.

Three short pieces: Sheila Leonard names her snow-shovelling moves Passing Snowflakes and Carry the Shovel to the Side, Linda Braga brings a stuffed cat to teach the taffies, and Kathy Grassel lets a Juvenile Detention Center student keep his beach-ball-sized ball.

Ron Richardson stayed an extra day after the Albuquerque teacher conference, rode the tram and visited Santa Fe, then slept through his connection and got off the plane in Dallas thinking it was Little Rock.

Kathy Grassel taught Tai Chi Chih to 30 sixth-graders waiting to testify at the New Mexico legislature, renaming every movement with wildlife themes, plus classroom quips collected by Sharon Sirkis.

Classroom mishaps collected from Cristina Minelli, Sher Dano, Sharon Sirkus and Lisa Thorburn, including an Italian student who thought Sandy's talk of knees meant a missing girl named Denise.

Kathy Grassel invites conference-goers to sign up for the talent show and a Friday night haiku and pyramid poetry slam, judged by Antonia, Pam and Sandy, complete with sample Thanksgiving haiku.

Four short anecdotes: a beginner renaming Bird Flaps Its Wings "The Chicken Flap," Sr. Viola's swinging foot in Working the Pulley, a New Folsom inmate stunned to meet a nun who practises TCC, and gag gifts from the Santa Barbara retreat.