The Vital Force Archive

Donna Aldous collects short poems from the 50th Teacher Conference, among them Nancy Frost's lines on quiet forest air and going home, and a verse on letting go into your soles.

Kay Rydeen presented "T'ai Chi Chih for Body, Mind, and Spirit" at a Minnesota occupational therapy conference, teaching two dozen OTs about weight shifts, softness, and joint range of motion.

Sharon Sirkis and Kathy Grassel collect classroom mix-ups and comebacks, from a college student renaming Rocking Motion "Rocking Horse" to a retirement center resident asking permission to complain about the cold.

A brief anonymous verse from the 50th T'ai Chi Chih Teacher Conference, declaring love for practising together and a cherishing that carries from yesterday into today.

Beverly J. Miles describes a year of practising Seijaku and the questions it raised for her, including whether to hold the breath while holding fast and how to dance the Joy Song.

Seven excerpts from Spiritual Odyssey in which Justin Stone argues that enlightenment and softness come from letting go rather than trying harder, warns teachers against special breathing techniques, and names TCC an inner discipline.

Linda Braga remembers Ruby Harper, her San Leandro student and a Hindu swami in orange robes, who while meditating at her Guru's ashram in India took down a message from Justin Stone about natural breathing, signed in his own ascending hand.

John Marquez led conference attendees in writing Justin's original Pyramid Poetry during the Friday evening program on July 26, with a tip to re-read only the first and last syllable for self-insight.

John Marquez led conference attendees through Justin's original Pyramid Poetry form on the Friday evening program, with the tip of re-reading only the first and last syllable, plus two sample poems.

Jim Shorr collects comments from four practitioners at Creekside Village in Beaverton, finishing their sixth year of Saturday morning sessions, on balance, joint tension, new friendships and Qigong warm-ups.

A few lines from the 50th Teacher Conference by BM, praising good fresh food, the nourishment of T'ai Chi Chih friendships, and chi inside and all around, infinitely loving.

Diana Bahn's few lines from the 50th T'ai Chi Chih Teacher Conference name the joy of seeing old friends, meeting new ones, and sharing time together.

Holly Hershman passes along a student's note crediting T'ai Chi Chih with a 30% gain in movement and flexibility after hip and sciatic trouble, plus thank-you messages from JustinStoneTCC.com newsletter readers, including an opera singer who practices daily to warm up her breath support.

Excerpts from Justin Stone's Spiritual Odyssey on why a teacher who does not practice is "somewhat of a fraud," teaching beginners to flow slow motion in a dream, and self-clinging as the root of suffering.

Marie Dotts sets an anonymous line about being warm and soft like a newly woken puppy beside her own short declaration that she chooses life, come what may, good and bad.

Gail Nieto strings a few words together from the 50th Teacher Conference: joy, being together, old and new friends as companions on the way, and Albuquerque red and green chile.

Connie Shaw recounts breakthroughs in seeing her own conditioning fall away, and lists what keeps her practice alive: posture, empty mind, returning to the t'an t'ien, and deliberate uncontrived laughter.

Ann Rutherford opens a new column with three postcard-style letters to Justin Stone, asking colleagues whether they feel grounding in the palms during closing positions, whether standing up and pointing fingertips down disrupts Chi, and whether fingers flutter.

BM sets down brief poetic fragments from the 50th T'ai Chi Chih Teacher Conference, among them Cathy Dalton's line that one embrace of all life is all that is needed.

Two short pyramid poems from the 50th teacher conference, one by Jungmin Lee on eating and being hungry again tomorrow, one by Benjamin Brisjar on tea with friends.

Richard Brier lists the reasons we practice, from awakening intuition to opening to cosmic Chi, and describes the "mind fasting" of the empty cup behind Joy Through Movement.

JJ Johnson traces Walt Whitman's phrase through Ray Bradbury to the 2024 Teacher Conference, where a group practice of more than 130 teachers seemed to move as one Mind.

Victor's brief verse from the 50th Teacher Conference in Albuquerque, naming the teachers joined forever and moving the chi together with much joy, closing with Justin's name.

Bonnie Schowalter offers a few spare lines on the 50th Teacher Conference, where friends from the past reunited, shared the Chi, rested their souls and shared joy.

Linda Braga recounts writing "Blooming the Rose Within" during a silent retreat at Santa Sabina Center, where she led morning T'ai Chi Chih, and its 2020 first-place win in the International Dancing Poetry Contest.