The Vital Force Archive

Gail Terriff describes the self-care habits that keep her replenished, from journaling and singing aloud to her morning T'ai Chi Chih practice, and quotes Thich Nhat Hanh's book Anger on mindfulness as the energy of being present.

Gail Terriff returned from the 50th anniversary conference in Albuquerque after years of inactivity and pain, talked about T'ai Chi Chih at a neighbourhood block party, and set an August 8 start date for an outdoor class in her cul-de-sac.

Donna Aldous recounts selling her Mesa, Arizona property after 13 years as a snowbird, settling into a co-operative suite, and starting classes at Queen's House Retreat Center and her Manor.

Loretta and Gil Weimer began T'ai Chi Chih on her 68th birthday in Donna's class, then learned the rest at home with handouts and a DVD, gaining better balance, deeper sleep and less aching.

Gail Terriff describes practising in a sunbeam at her lake home during COVID-19 self-isolation, finding layer upon layer of stillness and the chi rippling outward as a blanket of love.

Gail Terriff recounts how a recreation therapist's request for T'ai Chi Chih "forever" at Edmonton's Hope and Wellness Center drew Alberta teachers together, only for COVID-19 to postpone classes after week one.

A preview of the 2019 Teacher Conference sessions, including Sheila Leonard on awakening energy, Bruce Eisenmenger on PTSD and veterans, Dr. Edward Ehlinger on public health, plus grounding, props and scholarship auctions.

Donna Aldous practices outdoors during an eight-day silent retreat at an abbey in the Santa Rita foothills near Sonoita, where Passing Clouds and fifteen years of present-moment practice prepared her for daily silent prayer.

Tamara Zujewskyj writes for the four Canadians who attended the Seattle conference, describing the daily group practices, the shared Chi, and presentations by Sandy, Pam, and Daniel on teaching teachers and the evolution of the form.

Donna Aldous collects her Mesa, Arizona students' comments on balance, grounding and practising with shoulder bursitis, then describes how a Vital Force article changed her view of Cosmic Consciousness Pose.

Matthew van der Giessen describes sending weekly class-summary emails with unlisted YouTube clips of the movements taught, using Chimpmail, an iPad and Good Karma videos to cut dropout rates.

Maxime Wan recalls meeting Justin Stone in Edmonton in 1989, staying with him in Pacific Grove and Albuquerque, and being called out in 2006 after three years practicing Falun Gong instead of TCC.

Matthew van der Giessen recounts Justin Stone telling him at an Albuquerque Intensive, "that's not T'ai Chi Chih," then minutes later, "you just have to learn to relax."

Gail Terriff describes teaching T'ai Chi Chih at four Edmonton sites serving people with mental health issues, from psychiatric hospital groups to a YMCA program whose participant evaluations she reports.

Carolyn O'Donnell, told years earlier she would lose all her teeth to gum disease, reports x-rays showing a marked increase in jawbone density that amazed her periodontist and hygienist.

Sheila Leonard collects brief student comments: Harriet practising mentally through transatlantic turbulence, Trish sleeping better by week three, Sue's seasonal low lifting in the fog, and Mary's joints and balance.

Maureen Purves recalls teaching a weekend T'ai Chi Chih course in an Edmonton river valley recreation center, where a Chinese family on snowshoes stopped outside the glass walls to watch.

Donna Aldous came home from the teacher conference realizing how great it was only when friends asked, and describes the Seijaku accreditation course she completed as putting a tiger in your tank.

Gail Terriff recounts her November 2010 trip to Albuquerque, meeting Justin Stone at an intensive, sitting in his home meditation space, and hearing him urge teachers to practice daily; followed by Pyramid Poems honoring him.

Carolyn O'Donnell describes finding T'ai Chi Chih on a television segment in April 2010, taking beginner and Beyond Beginners classes with Sheila Leonard, and making morning practice part of her daily routine.

Sheila Leonard, accredited to teach Seijaku in 2004, describes auditing the Seijaku accreditation again after the 2010 Nebraska conference and finding the form arrives when she stops trying.

Donna Aldous describes reading Justin Stone's photo textbook and circulating copies of The Vital Force in class, then passes on end-of-series comments from students on Push Pull, connectedness and wholeness.

Sheila Leonard describes how a herniated disc and a later flare-up reshaped her practice into genuine slow motion, culminating in a lakeside practice among ducks that left her grounded and softened.

Gail Terriff describes the Edmonton area group's monthly Saturday practices and the spring weekend retreat Carmen Brocklehurst led for 25 people, with Antonia Cooper booked to facilitate a weekend in 2011.

Max Wan lays out his personal Spiritual Code of T'ai Chi Chih, assigning a meaning to each movement from Rocking Motion's surrender to the Cosmic Consciousness Pose's image of wholeness.

Karen Dingwell-McCarthy describes her five-year, intuitive path to accreditation, the terror that gripped her in the three months beforehand, and the gratifying week that proved her fears unfounded.

Donna Aldous describes starting winter classes at the Mesa Spirit RV Resort, growing past 30 participants in two weeks, charging $2, opening seated with Justin Stone's CD and ordering DVDs.

Sheila Leonard describes showing Justin's 2000 DVD in the second class so students can "meet Justin," using the KNME-TV interviews with returning students, and keeping books and journals on her table to borrow.

Lois Broome connects faithful T'ai Chi Chih practice to the Serenity Prayer as a way back to inner and outer balance, with a companion note from Ginny Morgan on a husband's move to Kansas City, a lost golden retriever and a new puppy.