The Vital Force Archive

Lisa M. Otero takes up a question Daniel Pienciak raised at the conference: whether to hold the closing position between movements or straighten the knees and stand relaxed, as she recalls Justin doing.

Monica Campbell almost skipped her first TCC conference, then found a breakout session with Bill that reversed her unease with Seijaku, leaving her grounded, taller and heading to Tupelo for more.

Mary Wichmann's early morning walk against a strong southeast wind becomes the heavy air analogy in practice, and an argument for starting fresh with a new season rather than waiting for New Year's.

April Leffler traces an inner directive that arrived during sudden hearing loss in her second ear, from surrender and returned hearing to joining Facebook and, after KG's conference presentation, using social media to spread T'ai Chi Chih.

Nancy Jo Bleier describes the lunchtime debate at the conference over the "Albuquerque resting position," and how watching Caroline Guillot demonstrate it led her to try pausing, grounding and "breathing in the spaces" between movements.

Carol Mockovak describes the Friday night Dances of Universal Peace at the conference, where leader Francis Gurtz taught a dance on a Rumi poem and teachers chanted, turned and were reluctant to stop.

Hannah Hedrick searched more than a decade of Vital Force issues and found no support from Justin Stone for the pronounced pressing down and rising up between movements discussed at the 2012 and 2013 conferences.

Beverly A. Ward traces her path from first classes with Stan Corwin and Vicki Schroeder through a retreat, intensive and accreditation, then a 2050-mile drive to conference.

Ron Richardson recounts practising on shifting Florida sand at sunset, then a conference session where Daniel Pienciak's altered resting position, hands hung at the sides, provoked objections about changing Justin Stone's form.

Linda Watson links Antonia's conference remarks on Impermanence and Pam's Seijaku accreditation opening to her own turn at 52, saying no to lifelong activities and returning to writing and studio work.

Linda Watson describes traveling to the "Encircled in Chi" conference in Minnesota and returning home to make a handmade journal of sewn painted paper, stamped marks and an old map.

KG reports on Good Karma Publishing's year: new CDs, e-books, print-on-demand editions, the discounted conference bundle, quotation cards, and 37 YouTube videos filmed with 46 teachers at conference.

Sherry Corson traveled to conference with a cane while recovering from a shattered hip, and Bill Moore's introductory Seijaku class left her leg stronger and Seijaku at her practice's core.

Two dozen Pyramid Poems from practitioners including Mary Stine, Bonnie Cundiff, Maggie Smith and Ann Hampton, each thanking Justin Stone for T'ai Chi Chih and the flowing chi it brought them.

Editor KG's conference report on journal business: credit card payments, multi-year renewals, a $1300 balance, declining subscriptions, the end of earmarked scholarship funds, and donations that paid for postcards and back-issue archiving.

Judy George, accredited in Seijaku since 1999, describes letting the form lapse until Bill Moore's post-conference class clarified holding fast and letting go, and she began teaching longtime students.

Amy Tyksinski recounts how copying Justin's habit of standing up between movements at the Albuquerque Tuesday teacher practice changed her, and describes her twenty years of finger fluttering and grounding.

Laurie Jacobi thanks the conference presenters, from April Leffler's talk on prajna and Marie Dotts' session on habit energies to Kimiko Gunji's tea ceremony and Judy George's "Happy Feet."

Judy George follows up her conference presentation on foot care with questions for teachers about rolling a ball under the sole, grounding before practice, and effects on weight shift and alignment, pointing to her online handout.

Julie Heryet's account of the Minnesota conference, from April Leffler's group exercise where she was the "dreamer" to leading Sunday practice and Carmen's corrections to her weight shift, Wrist Circles and Light at the Top of the Head.

Robert Montes de Oca's list of thanks for the Collegeville conference: the Minnesota teachers' efforts, the tea ceremony and gift teacups, YouTube recordings of the movements, April Leffler on prajna, and KG on social media.

Amy Tyksinski recounts being rejected then accepted as a TEDxABQ speaker on "Innovations in Education," paired with KG's summary of Lisa Otero's talk on insurance, waivers, taxes and trademark use for teachers.

Mary J Case counts the 28th conference, themed "Encircled in Chi," as her favorite of the three she has attended, from the opening Japanese Tea Ceremony to the closing Sunday practice.

Diana Bahn left her family, ailing friend and cat to attend the conference, where a Japanese tea ceremony and a sea turtle labyrinth both echoed her husband's own morning tea and pool rituals.

April Leffler recounts preparing her 2013 teachers conference talk on Prajna by asking Prajna itself what she would say, and opening with a disclaimer inviting listeners to discard whatever did not ring true.

Carmen Brocklehurst describes Tea Master Kimiko Gunji's chanoyu at the Minnesota conference, the specially made teacups, the sweet offered to soften the bitter green tea, and the four essentials Justin names in Climb the Joyous Mountain.

Mary Wichmann found conference to be about renewal, reuniting with teachers she was accredited with in 2001, moving with Christeen McLain and Jean Katus, and attending the Joyful Feet, TEDx and Prajna workshops.

Deb Bertelsen outlines the recommended path to accreditation, from the website's Overview and Guidelines to workshops, retreats and an intensive, followed by Marie Dotts on Justin Stone's habit energies and Essence.

Sr. Antonia Cooper presents the two new T'ai Chi Chih vision statements drafted by twenty teachers under Frank Taylor's guidance, and announces the new T'ai Chi Chih International Foundation for conference and accreditation scholarships.

Linda Braga thanks the Minnesota team for the 28th annual conference, naming Judy George's morning intentions, the tea ceremony, KG's social media session and the shared focus on Seijaku.