The Vital Force Archive

Gregory Berg notices how seldom the body moves sideways in daily life, from supermarket aisles to the Pecos River, then follows that thought into Carry the Ball to the Side, where the margin becomes the new center.

Steven Huskey teaches a weekly 45-minute seated class for brain injury survivors, emphasizing weight shift felt through the sit bones, upright torso, and compact hand movements in the side-to-side movements.

Carmen Brocklehurst breaks down the hip swivel used in the side-to-side movements, from the slight curve of the hips to Justin's reminder "nose to the front" and grounding the Chi.

In a letter addressed to Justin Stone and then to colleagues, Sherry Corson asks whether the hip swivel is something teachers do or simply allow, finding it arises from relaxed hips and full weight shifts.

Lisa Stroyan gathers teachers' views from April Leffler's July Second Saturday practice on whether and how to teach the hip swivel, including Justin's one-finger ellipse and Carmen Brocklehurst's "tiny hula in the tan t'ien."

Carmen Brocklehurst recalls her 1980 Albuquerque accreditation on Justin Stone's birthday, Justin correcting her Carry the Ball hip swivel, and learning TCC from Rev. Helen Brungardt Pope.

Dixie Adeniran uses the weightless pause at the top of a child's swing to describe T'ai Chi Chih transitions, tracing them through Around the Platter, Carry the Ball to the Side and Passing Clouds during COVID-19 solitude.

Suzanne Roady-Ross breaks the taffies down for confused students, starting with the lower scooping palm during Carry the Ball to the Side, then the windup, the opening hands and the sinking leg that raises the upper hand.

Dora Wiemann's beginner class sank into moving meditation during Daughter on the Mountaintop and stayed there through Daughter in the Valley, emerging only when Carry the Ball to the Side's instructions intervened.

Sandy McAlister lays out how she runs a weekly class where students range from 17 years of practice to one day, from the opening "good news" circle to slowed-down Pulling Taffy and one-hand Working the Pulley.

April Leffler compiles reflections from five of the nine teachers accredited at the June 2016 Pennsylvania course with Pam Towne, including Janet Starr on befriending Carry the Ball to the Side.

Sheryl Adair practices outdoors in Sarasota on the fourth anniversary of Justin Stone's death, while visiting her nearly 97-year-old uncle, and finds herself carrying all of life during Carry the Ball to the Side.

Carol Nelson-Selby teaches health club classes with ever-changing attendance, so she drills the full weight shift using Carry the Ball to the Side, hands behind the back, and lets the t'an t'ien tow the arms.

Justin Stone's booklet excerpt gives the keys to four movements, including cocked wrists in Daughter on the Mountain Top, when the weight settles back in Daughter in the Valley, the sideways step in Carry the Ball to the Side, and the 60/40 hand emphasis in Push Pull.

Carol Nelson-Selby answers a new teacher's question about introducing Carry the Ball to the Side to seniors with hip and knee replacements, using a rain stick to teach the weight shift.

Sandy McAlister asks teachers to honor the brief pauses in Carry the Ball to the Side and Pulling Taffy, and offers the cue "glide, arrive" for fully receiving weight.

Kathy Starrick describes presenting T'ai Chi Chih to an osteoporosis support group, demonstrating Around the Platter, Carry the Ball to the Side and Push Pull as models for vacuuming, sweeping and clearing snow.

Jackson Rains makes the case for mirroring when facing a class, with practical advice on pointing toward the students' left, handling the waist twist in Carry the Ball to the Side and Pulling Taffy, and counting repetitions in reverse.

Janet Mayers recounts her first year of classes with teacher Lisa, from sore knees in Rocking Motion and over-turning in Pulling Taffy to naming the movements to fall asleep.

Amy Tyksinski's teaching tip has the bottom hand swing through rather than push through the t'an t'ien, plus Pete Gregory's notes on the opening waist twist and a poem.

In a video address to the 2009 conference, 92-year-old Justin Stone corrects four points for teachers: the hand "turned up to the sun" in Pulling Taffy, cupped hands and wrist work in Carry the Ball to the Side and Bass Drum, and yinning and yanging below the waist.

Judy Hendricks hosted Carmen Brocklehurst's daylong Seijaku workshop in Albuquerque and returned to the practice with two bags of clothes to give away, plus refreshed detail on Carry the Ball to the Side and Bird Flaps Its Wings.

Roberta Taggart breaks down the side-to-side weight shift in Carry the Ball to the Side, showing how leg patterning, waist turning and hip swivel connect, and how tension blocks them.

John Taggart corrects the common habit of swinging arms wide past the core in Carry the Ball to the Side, showing how wrists form the ball softly while elbows stay close.

Antonia Cooper recounts asking Justin Stone about the hip swivel and getting the answer "you are doing it already," then traces the imperceptible pelvic oval through Carry the Ball to the Side, Perpetual Motion and Passing Clouds.

Lisa Otero's step-by-step approach to teaching the hip turn in Carry the Ball to the Side, from distinguishing hip from shoulder turns to the "six-shooter" trick and the elliptical swivel.

Carol Houtkooper recalls a conference correction revealing she had turned "shift the weight, turn the waist" into two separate moves in Carry the Ball to the Side, and how she now teaches the flowing principle first.

Cathy Fedewa names four aspects of Carry the Ball to the Side, from arms following the weight shift to the hip swivel she found artificial until she stopped forcing it and discovered she was already doing it.

Hannah Hedrick, at 70 and with two artificial hips, names three refinements to Carry the Ball to the Side: staying low throughout, pausing until weight is evenly distributed, and the narrow oval hip rotation.

Amy Tyksinski gives point-by-point corrections for Carry the Ball to the Side: spiraling down, turning waist and hips together, finishing the circle in front of the chest, and the trailing hand's 45-degree push.