The Vital Force Archive

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 short untitled fragment from the 50th Teacher Conference, addressing the reader as the only one knowing spirit in the heart, followed by a string of words running from food and appetite to coma.

A brief fragment of praise from the 50th T'ai Chi Chih Teacher Conference, thanking Guy for leading the conference team and Linda, and recalling the food and love the family shared.

An unsigned fragment from the 50th TCC Teacher Conference strings together feeling the feet, joy, listening and truth, closing with a blessing for the true family gathered there.

Linda's short untitled poem, presented at the 50th T'ai Chi Chih Teacher Conference, instructs the reader to be silent, go within, dwell long in the quiet, and become one with the whole world.

Two brief anonymous poems from the 50th T'ai Chi Chih Teacher Conference, one naming the peace of being together with friends in July, the other addressed to John in everlasting love.

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.

Christina Tillotson offers a brief poem from the 50th T'ai Chi Chih Teacher Conference, naming oneness, center and joy, and counseling that when softness eludes you, let the flow return the chi.

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.

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.

A short poem by Lorel Maple, written at the 50th T'ai Chi Chih Teacher Conference, counting the joy of that sacred gathering place and asking to carry it home.

Carmen L. Brocklehurst recounts the in-person teacher conference in Albuquerque, where 150 teachers gathered after COVID, and how letting go of her once-larger movements let her feel the flow Justin described.

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.

April Leffler describes noticing the aging and homogeneity of the TCC community at the 50th Anniversary Teacher Conference in Albuquerque, and how her alarm gave way to trust when she responded from grounded stillness rather than emotional reaction.

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.

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.

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.