The Vital Force Archive

Sue Kenney frames T'ai Chi Chih as a web of relationships: with her aging self, with fellow practitioners, with a Sacramento parish's Wednesday Taize service, and with George Manning's class at HOPE Cooperative.

Ivonne Begue se Benzo describes the weekly practice she began shadowing with the sisters of Assisi Heights in Minnesota, and how moving meditation lets her respond rather than react.

Rosalind L. Braga recounts a silent encounter at a contemplative retreat at Santa Sabina Center, where a curious young Chinese woman who practiced T'ai Chi Ch'uan watched her move and called it light as a feather.

Mary Cerullo substituted for Sr. Christa's seated Zoom class at the Franciscan Spiritual Center in Aston, and found the familiar main room empty of spirit before the center closed in June 2021.

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.

Sue Kenney traces two decades of the St Francis of Assisi practice group in Sacramento, its pairing of T'ai Chi Chih with the Wednesday Taize service, and its members' own accounts of finding the practice.

Laurie Jacobi gathered four written responses from her students, who describe returning to the circle each week, practicing in a chapel, feeling the flow of chi, and leaving calmer.

Donovan Rundle plays grand piano accompaniment for all 19 movements at Lisa Otero's Silent Circle Practice in Ventura, and traces his playing back to physical therapy for a bullet wound to his dominant hand.

Nancy Johnson writes as an owl looking down on a flock of white-robed Brothers who walk slowly to and fro, wondering whether those wing-like gowns could ever fly.

Ron Richardson asked students at his church class why they practice, and student Park Dodge of Tupelo compared moving in unison to the call and response of liturgical worship.

Parker Reynolds traces a two-year intention to teach youth back to a video of Sister Christa and April Leffler at Drexel Neumann Academy, and to the church youth group class that finally resulted.

Nancy Johnson's pyramid poem watches dawn break over Mt. Calvary, where teachers gathered for a weekend retreat begin again amid emerging outlines of trees, hills and houses.

Nancy Johnson's pyramid poem takes an owl's point of view, puzzling over the white-robed Brothers walking slowly below and wondering whether those long gowns hide wings.

Michele Peterson recounts the September 2017 Santa Barbara retreat at Mt. Calvary Monastery, from Brother Tom's blessing to participants naming its benefits: exposed bad habits, early morning practice with Dixie, and joy regained.

A group photograph submitted by Bonnie Sokolov and taken by a passing visitor at Assisi Heights, naming all nine people pictured, from Nan Nelson to Pam Towne.

Sr. Agnes Fleming, certified since 1992, recounts teaching in retreat houses, stepping back after cancer, and keeping a daily practice at her east-facing convent window with the dawn and birdsong.

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.

Jim Shorr describes moving his primary class to a spiritual living center before Wednesday evening services, his plan to train students toward accreditation, and quotes from regulars Sandy L and Jason M.

Mary Wichmann collects three student comments from her summer practices in a church memorial garden, including thanks for teaching a woman in a wheelchair and Lorraine's dawn practice with waking birds.

Marcy Burns describes the annual candlelit holiday practice and party at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Ventura, begun by Lisa Otero, where thirty-eight students and seven teachers moved in concentric circles.

Sheryl Adair recounts eleven years of persistence at Temple Sinai, from an unanswered volunteer offer in 2004 to a women's retreat session, a home class, and finally a six-week series in the chapel.

Sr. Antonia Cooper recounts a seven-week European trip visiting teachers near Mantua and in West Sussex, teaching ten movements to six Franciscan sisters, and honoring teachers who work unpaid.

Sky Young-Wick admits he avoided Justin Stone out of fear of his blunt feedback, then describes sensing his presence during practices in Kansas City, including one his student Jack felt too.

Pia Knighton took over her teacher's classes at the Cenacle Retreat Center right after accreditation, then built classes at a community center, a retreat house, and the Menninger Clinic psychiatric units.

Marcy Burns describes the second annual candlelight practice at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Ventura, where 40 practitioners lit each other's candles and honored Justin Stone and Phyllis Luyken on her 90th birthday.

Sr. Patty Campbell gathers comments from Sisters aged 80 to 93 who practice with her at their Motherhouse, describing eased arthritic joints, calmed anxiety, prayerful focus, and moving from wooden soldier to Raggedy Ann.

Robert Montes de Oca bought artwork by Justin Stone's friend Ou Mie Shu at a Spiritual Renewal Center silent auction and donated it to the TCC Association in gratitude.

Sandy McAlister, who left the Mormon church at 20 angry at organized religion, describes hiding icons in retreat center drawers and later working closely for seven years with Sister Antonia.

Marcella Box recounts how noisy high school retreatants who kept March teacher training candidates awake at St. Damiano sent an apology letter, then joined the group for evening prayer and Push Pull.

Sr. Antonia Cooper recounts giving the New Year homily at a small New Jersey Unitarian Universalist church, where all 60 members rose spontaneously to move with her, and urges teachers to offer free presentations.