The Vital Force Archive

Justin Stone finds life vibrating in empty space and silent hills, quotes Zen Master Yunmen's "Every day's a good day," and introduces a photograph of a naked Yogi bathing in the freezing Ganges at Gangotri.

Loretta Shiver's pyramid poem describes lifting arms and circling the Earth until the lines between inside and outside disappear and everything vibrates into One.

Lavana Kilborn recounts being pushed into teacher accreditation by demanding Port Alberni seniors, then teaching Elderhostel introductions and a volunteer wheelchair class at an intermediate care home where she omits the Taffys and relies on music.

Steve Ridley answers students who ask which movement cures asthma or helps the heart, noting Justin Stone never prescribed outcomes, and giving only general chi influences for a few movements.

Carol Glinski credits daily practice with an easy pregnancy, no morning sickness and no swelling, and describes adding a lighter set of healing sounds to direct chi toward her unborn daughter Sasha.

Carmen Brocklehurst reports that the New Mexico Nurses Association approved a 12-hour, 8-week T'ai Chi Chih course for 14.4 continuing education credits, with Ellen Tatge administering records, plus late-night encouragement from Suni McHenry.

Barbara Peller describes her first semester teaching T'ai Chi Chih to seniors at three locations, with mid-class rest breaks, chairs on hand, movements talked through aloud, and students encouraged to advocate for their own bodies.

Steve Ridley urges stillness after practice rather than chatter and random motion, using the Cosmic Consciousness Pose and several quiet minutes seated to assimilate freshly circulated chi, as hatha yoga does after asanas.

Connie Hyde reports on the New Mexico teachers' January and February meetings, where the group practised together, worked out how to offer nurses Continuing Education credit, and traded intermediate class techniques.

Linda Sanchez describes the noon-time class she teaches for staff at UC Santa Barbara, where students report less stress after a few weeks, and notes her own tense areas softening.

Steve Ridley's pyramid poem watches a snow-laden poplar, seemingly withered and fixed to the earth, become a golden being with a lofty crown as the winter sun climbs to its zenith.

Ellen Tatge of Albuquerque filled all nine of the weekly classes she scheduled and started an ongoing Guided Practice hour so graduates of beginning classes could keep practising together.

Luis Sanchez teaches T'ai Chi Chih in two retirement communities and one public class, encouraging seniors to move within comfort and answering questions about softness with "are flowers relaxed?"

Roxann Post reports on the moves of John and Joy Barbour to Payson, David Smith to Idaho and herself to Nevada, with Loretta Hopper and Della Alberson taking over the Mohave Community College classes.

Catherine Johnson of Cedar Crest reports a conversation between two teachers whose practice balanced them in opposite ways, one drawn out of her head into her body, the other warding off depression.