The Vital Force Archive

An open call from the teacher trainers inviting experienced teachers to apply as Teacher Prep Coaches, with the application form posted under the Resources tab at tcccommunity.net.

Lisa Stroyan recounts Marie Dotts leading September and October teacher practices on the t'an t'ien leading the weight shift, level pelvis, locked psoas muscles, and her "Kate Winslet on the Titanic" exercise for beginners.

Lisa Stroyan reports on Sandy McAlister's April 2025 teacher discussion on balance, including an exercise of breathing out down through the flattening front foot to notice weight going too far forward.

An open invitation to a Zoom support group for teachers accredited from 2020 onward, and for teachers accredited any time who want to jumpstart their teaching again.

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.

Sharon Sirkis collects four TCC laughs, from a plumber who found waterfall music anything but soothing to a teacher candidate joking about the KGB over an autographed brochure.

Lisa Stroyan summarizes a November teachers' Zoom discussion on how referring teachers prepare accreditation candidates, with advice from Marie Dotts, Caroline Guilott and others on one-on-one work, leading practice, weight shifts and when to teach Seijaku.

Catherine, accredited in November 2024, took the training to deepen her own practice, then found herself teaching when three friends asked for classes in her home.

Lisa Stroyan recounts the October "2nd Saturday" teachers' Zoom gathering led by Ev Hanson-Florin, where about 30 teachers compared Justin's written instructions on the Cosmic Consciousness Pose, the heel placement, arm height, gaze and how long to hold it.

Lorry Marcketta recounts Janet Oussaty's afternoon workshop on teaching beginners, with five points including ocean-wave imagery for Rocking Motion, energy balls held between the hands, and avoiding analysis paralysis.

Sandy McAlister recounts the second Saturday teacher Zoom gatherings, including September's discussion of TCC polarity and which movements have it, October's swap of class handouts, and tips on Cosmic Consciousness Pose.

Sandy McAlister explains why Justin Stone wanted teachers to educate themselves rather than take formal courses, and how conference talks on Taoist philosophy, grounding, meditation and Justin's own travels deepen a teacher's understanding.

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."

Lisa Stroyan, after auditing accreditation courses and a Zoom intensive, counsels a hesitant candidate and argues that accreditation is a class to be met with an empty cup, not a test to pass.

Lisa Stroyan's notes from Sandy McAlister's monthly Zoom teacher practice cover December's discussion of movement order and January's on drop-in classes, with Zoom tips and handout suggestions.

Sue Bitney recounts auditing the final days of a teacher accreditation course, describing the candidates' vulnerability and courage and the welcome she offered them in their last conversation together.

Dorene Krause traces her 2003 path from the first East Coast intensive to Sandy McAlister's first accreditation course, and explains why she refuses to sign for any candidate who has not attended an intensive.

Daniel Pienciak recalls Justin Stone's rehab center sign, "Habit is the enemy of old age," and asks why so few students and teachers venture beyond their own teacher to conferences and intensives.

Host April Leffler collects participant accounts from Sandy McAlister's four-day Zoom intensive, including breakthroughs in the front and back weight shift, breakout group feedback, and one student's tearful Rocking Motion.

Lorraine Lepine catalogues a T'ai Chi Chih intensive entirely in words beginning with R, from revisiting movement basics with a beginner's mind to remembering she is not alone in the journey.

Sandy McAlister traces the Intensive from Ed Altman's 3 1/2-day prep course to the first Zoom Intensive she led in August, and announces that from 2021 teacher candidates must attend one.

Benjamin Brisjar describes how Zoom transformed his class of isolated senior citizens in Pittsburg, California, into a community practicing six times a week with Carmen Brocklehurst, Lisa Stroyan and Lorraine Lepine.

Janet Knapp Starr invites accredited teachers to the T'ai Chi Chih Teacher Circle Facebook group, where members have traded advice on Zoom teaching and pandemic class agreements.

Rebecca Paulson describes an afternoon of teachers gathered at Holly Trenary's in Loveland, comparing how each presents the movements and asking whether adjustments let them feel the Chi more.

Judy Chancey lists the practical steps to take while awaiting TC4VETS certification, from offering pro bono VA volunteer classes and meeting VFW commanders to practicing cues without left and right.

April Leffler gathers comments from participants at the August 2019 Teacher Symposium in Pennsylvania, where Sandy McAlister led work on movement refinements, wholeness, class formats and ways to describe movements to students.

Bonnie Sokolov, host of the 2019 post-conference Seijaku courses, explains who the Basics Course is for, from accredited teachers seeking Seijaku accreditation to students with a year of practice.

Sandy McAlister passes on conference updates for teachers who could not attend: the renewed five-year vision statement, Foundation finances and scholarship totals, new grants and committees, and a tribute to Connie Hyde.

Eliza Fulton recalls her surprise that TCC teachers face no continuing education requirement, and argues that Justin Stone gave teachers his example and their own inner teh instead of rules; with Pyramid Poems on silence.

Dan Pienciak, who learned Seijaku from Justin Stone in 1997 and needed ten years to feel its benefits, argues the advanced form belongs to the essence of TCC rather than a fringe few.