The Vital Force Archive

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.

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.

Written before the 50th anniversary teacher conference in Albuquerque, April Leffler finds unity in flowing from the t'an t'ien and in the "Chi-mails" teachers send each other with their thoughts.

Daniel Pienciak recounts the July 28 Zoom practice he led for teachers who could not travel to the 50th anniversary conference, with comments from participants across the country.

Sue Johnson's account of her first TCC teacher conference, from breakout groups where she described how practice helps her play the piano to April's dog walker image for the t'an t'ien and meeting Carmen Brocklehurst.

Laurin MacDonald joined the 50th conference by Zoom from England and recounts teaching TCC to a group recovering from strokes and paralysis, where nonverbal participants imagined the movements and fingers began to flutter.

Mary Wichmann, who teaches just four one-hour classes a year for Survivors of the Fallen in Minnesota, questioned whether she belonged at the 50th anniversary conference in Albuquerque, then found connection and renewed interest in Seijaku.

Joan Weaver's pyramid poem marks the 50th T'ai Chi Chih teacher conference, naming the Zoom connection to Albuquerque, the small-group storytelling, and those remembered in absence.

Patty Stupca spent the month before the 50th Teacher Conference asking why she had signed up, then found an unnameable but positive shift through tears, conversations and hugs there.

Diana Bahn opens with a short poem, then recounts returning to a live event at the 50th anniversary conference in Albuquerque after years of laying low and being of service while her teacher Carolyn Perkins and husband Michael weathered obstacles through COVID.

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.

Rebecca Paulson recounts how her son's London conference on the circular economy led Lesley Nell to lead global economists in T'ai Chi Chih, and meeting Tina Wells and Adam Lacey in Albuquerque.

Barbara Kristoff recounts the 50th teacher conference, from April Leffler's "walking the dog" image for Rocking Motion to small group sharing, and the grounding she carried home.

Comments gathered from small groups at the 2024 conference, responding to session themes of Worthiness, Unity, Courage, Joy, Opening, Giving and Receiving, Trust, Love and Gratitude.

Edwin Beatty recounts taking a T'ai Chi class in Carmel with a friend decades ago, then realizing at the 2024 conference community practice that his early teacher had been Justin Stone.

Attendees at the 2024 Albuquerque conference answer five questions about why they came, what surprised them and what they carried home, from small-group talks to refinements in grounding and roundness.