The Vital Force Archive

Anita Vestal, Jessica Lewis, Adam Lacey and Greg Berg report on their Mindful Attention and Awareness Scale survey of over 400 practitioners, and an abstract submitted to the 2026 Osher Center conference.

Amy Tyksinski followed an impulse to buy peonies at the grocery store, watched them open over days at a TCC retreat, and links the urge to Justin's "pointing arrow."

April Leffler recounts her travels to meet UK, Italian, Dutch and German teachers, the UK conference presentations that drew accreditation candidates, and the EU teachers' monthly Zoom practices open to Americans.

Adam Lacey and Laurin McDonald outline the UK effort to train new TCC teachers, from the first two candidates in 2008 through to four preparing for accreditation in 2025, with timelines and costs.

Nancy Frost's four-hour drive to a Cape Cod church for Jessica Lewis's weekend retreat ends among nearly 30 practitioners, where teaching each movement seated first becomes a new awareness.

Laurin McDonald and Adam Lacey describe how a breakout session at Mindfulness Now's 20th anniversary conference in Birmingham drew twelve therapists, four of whom are now Zoom students heading toward accreditation.

Beverly J. Miles recounts an eight-day trip to Corozal, Belize, where visiting teachers held morning and bayside practices, opened The T'an Tien platform, and won Mayor Rigo Vellos's pledge to promote TCC.

Dorian Tippet recounts a boat trip up a snake-like Belizean river to the Maya ruins of Lamanai, past crocodile warnings, herons and Mennonite fishermen, arriving late to two carved stone temples.

Lorraine Lepine recounts a small group of T'ai Chi Chih teachers gathering in Belize, where twice-daily practice, jungle, ocean and Beverly's community combined into what she calls the most delicious Chi dish.

April Leffler recounts practicing T'ai Chi Chih abroad, from the 2003 Banff teacher conference to workshops in England and Italy and supporting Beverly Miles, Belize's only teacher, at her new open-air platform.

Bonnie LeBlanc describes how four Cape Cod teachers sustain a TCC community through Sunday Zoom practice reaching Ireland and Florida, library and church drop-ins, weekly teacher workshops and regular coffee hours.

TCC Guide Sandy McAlister likens the community's year to Spring, announcing the 2025 focus on Supporting and Strengthening Each Other, new suggested guidelines for preparing teacher candidates, a Foundation stipend for European support, and a July 26 Zoom teacher conference.

Daniel Pienciak connects the Winter Solstice online retreat he hosted on December 21st to the elliptical yin-yang cycle of practice, describing the hairpin turn between weight shifts as continuous, not frozen.

Marie Dotts gathers reflections from the fifteen candidates accredited with Sandy McAlister at the Franciscan Retreat Center in Colorado Springs, on inner sincerity, finding the t'an t'ien, and community during a divided pre-election week.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Lisa VanderVliet's short poem from the 50th T'ai Chi Chih Teacher Conference, on life beckoning something new, a radical step forward, and light shining through each person as the group moves together.

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.

Jo Brinkman's brief haiku-like lines from the 50th Teacher Conference, about flying back home to the garden, birds flitting by and keeping her grounded, and the calm and joy felt there.

Two brief poetic fragments from the 50th TCC Teacher Conference, one by NWA on life as one letting go and being human now, the other by NJB on love rising.

Gail Terriff strings together short imperatives offered at the 50th Teacher Conference: breathe, laugh, share, be a light, smile, try something new, be creative, then sit back.

Rachel Rilinger sums up the 50th T'ai Chi Chih Teacher Conference in a single line: the teachers came hoping to learn more and instead made lifelong friends.

A short untitled poem from the 50th T'ai Chi Chih Teacher Conference, addressed to Denise, praising twinkling eyes and shared laughter and closing with a line of Spanish endearment.

Two short untitled haiku by CK from the 50th TCC Teacher Conference, one on time passing too fast and letting the moment go, the other on strangers becoming friends in one circle.

Denise offers a short fragmentary poem from the 50th TCC Teacher Conference, quoting an anonymous line about peace inside all the time and letting go as the present.

A brief call from the 50th T'ai Chi Chih Teacher Conference, describing the practice as balancing, invigorating and circulating, and naming now as the perfect time to reach new depths.

Two short untitled poems by Anon from the 50th Teacher Conference, one on light, gratitude and expanding joy, the other on brown leaves and holding the hose in a rainless heat.