The Vital Force Archive

Lisa Otero names the Core Planning Committee and Northern Colorado volunteers behind the 2017 Boulder Teacher Conference, from the raffle and vocal auction for the scholarship fund to the rededication ceremony and video recordings.

Marie Dotts previews two discussion topics for the 2017 conference: giving and receiving correction as an expression of teh, and whether teachers came to T'ai Chi Chih for physical or spiritual reasons.

Eleven candidates accredited at Aston in April 2017 write about their week with Sandy McAlister and host April Leffler, in poems and prose about fear, presentations, dawn silent practice and auditors' support.

Dorene Krause, auditing a spring accreditation course, saw her own timid autumn accreditation in the candidates' eyes and watched their self-confidence blossom as they joined the teaching community.

Fran Alexander lists the subtle habits she caught in her own posture while auditing the Pennsylvania teacher training, and BJ Amin recounts tracking down a Canadian friend photographed with Justin Stone ten years earlier.

Sandy McAlister reports the decision to alternate teacher conferences with combined community conferences, announces the June 2017 Boulder teacher conference, and describes three $200 Foundation grants for promoting TCC.

Pam Towne explains why Justin Stone refused to mandate re-certification, and describes auditing an accreditation course in Denver in June that deepened her grasp of the hip swivel.

Carmen L. Brocklehurst audited a Denver accreditation course hosted by Marie Dotts and taught by Dan Pienciak with Pam Towne Duncan, finding in the candidates' preparation and shared practice the meaning of TCC community.

Lisa M. Otero explains why Justin Stone opposed a formal continuing education requirement, then describes how seven teachers in her community meet monthly for silent practice and member-led presentations.

Seven participants at Pam Towne's August 2015 Seijaku accreditation in North Carolina describe grounding, yin and yang balance, and the refrain "holding fast and letting go," including Bruce Eisenmenger's account of his wife's cancer diagnosis two days after returning home.

Pam Towne describes her New Year's Eve burning ceremony for releasing the past year, then sets intentions of better sleep and greater service, including leading retreats and auditing an accreditation course.

Barb Shambach audited the November 2015 Albuquerque accreditation with trainer Dan Pienciak, Carmen Brocklehurst and Dora Wiemann, recounting a candidate steadying himself with Bass Drum, the "random sacks" mix-up, and a reading of "Shadows."

Teresa Lisum recounts her teacher accreditation course, where full, intense days and the support of fellow candidates, auditing teachers and Pam let her feel successful even while embarrassing herself.

Linda Braga describes how the WASC accreditation process at San Leandro adult school pushed her to survey students, analyze the data, and draft a revised "Levels of TCC" skills list with Northern California teachers.

April Leffler rereads Justin Stone's letters to her after accreditation and feels the loving chi in them, while Jim Kaib describes auditing accreditations to keep a beginner's mind.

Sandy McAlister reports the conference session on T'ai Chi Chih's future: teacher training fees rising to $525 in 2015, new scholarships for teachers who fully audit, and talks on attracting men, younger students and greater diversity.

Host April Leffler gathers comments from candidates and auditing teachers at the May 2014 accreditation with trainer Daniel Pienciak, including two pyramid poems and Jack Weaver's account of struggling to absorb tweaks.

Pam Towne lays out the in-person options for connecting with the TCC community, from the Santa Barbara retreat and four-day Intensives to the New Jersey Teachers' Conference and its post-conference Seijaku courses.

Pam Towne announces the T'ai Chi Chih International Foundation, incorporated in New Jersey in June 2013 and granted 501(c)3 status, ending the practice of individual teachers personally guaranteeing conference facility contracts.

Brock Brocklehurst takes Justin Stone's often repeated "practice, practice, practice" and argues that only perfect practice perfects, making the case for welcoming coaching during group practice as athletes and singers do.

Sandy McAlister announces a six-month Mentoring Program, with April Leffler and Stacey Moore as the first mentors for May's new teachers, plus a Continuing Education Program awarding 27 hours for intensives.

Julie Schuster's first conference, which she helped plan with fellow Minnesota teachers, gave her a deeper grasp of prajna, the ability to ground in Seijaku, and ACE continuing education credit through Pam Towne.

Donna McElhose recounts organizing an After Conference Workshop for area teachers who could not attend, sorting her notes on the teacher trainers' comments, KG's media talks and the YouTube presentation videos.

Dan Pienciak, hosting his last accreditation before becoming a teacher trainer, gathers candidates' and auditors' own words from Sandy McAlister's May 2013 week and questions which world is the real one on re-entry.

Pam Towne outlines how students inspired to teach can get accredited, including Skype sessions and video review for those living far from any TCC teacher, plus advice for teachers preparing candidates.

Pam Towne addresses the reasons teachers avoid Seijaku, explains that a year of TCC practice is enough preparation, and points to Justin Stone's DVD and the two courses following the conference.

Star Riparetti, accredited in 1990 but practicing only intermittently, signed up for the Santa Barbara teacher retreat three days before leading a group to Machu Picchu, and found her movements and her sense of community restored.

Molly Grady hosted Sandy McAlister's November 2011 Albuquerque accreditation course, where ten candidates from a teenager to a 70-something and twenty-one auditing teachers dismantled and rebuilt their practice.

Hannah Hedrick recounts how it took four Seijaku accreditation courses, and a new emphasis on moving through resistance with about a third less effort, before the advanced form finally called to her.

Nancy Werner-Azarski, who has attended every conference since 1996, lists what one weekend gave her, including lectures and meal talk, and how an injured knee upended her bias against seated T'ai Chi Chih.