The Vital Force Archive

Rodney Anderson, a mail carrier for 37 years, describes the knee pain that stopped his teaching, Nancy Werner-Azarski's blunt push toward surgery, and the weight shift that finally felt like nothing.

After a 2010 car accident left her back and knees painful, Judy George swapped the chair for a large exercise ball, then coached an 82-year-old student through her fear of falling onto it.

Sheila Leonard collected testimonials from her Newfoundland students, including relief from torn rotator cuff pain, night knee pain and migraines, plus a lunchtime employee wellness session and an NTV news segment featuring Sharon Snow learning TCC.

Sheila Leonard describes how a herniated disc and a later flare-up reshaped her practice into genuine slow motion, culminating in a lakeside practice among ducks that left her grounded and softened.

Cara Greene fell on slate steps and re-injured her knee a week before Bill Moore's intermediate class, and practicing the movements from a chair brought a humbling lesson and a deeper sense of grounded chi.

Diana Bahn recounts two falls, one crossing West 57th Street and one on the tennis court that strained her hamstring, and how acupuncture, physical therapy and a rebuilt daily practice brought Seijaku back within seven weeks.

Beverly Wrobel, a nurse of thirty-plus years, tells Theresa May how practicing TCC mentally while her leg was in a cast eased pain, followed by five Pyramid Poems.

Raymond Sharp, a retired consulting actuary, returned to T'ai Chi Chih after gall bladder surgery and prostate cancer, and credits daily practice with teacher Kate Van Frank for restoring his energy, balance and serenity.

Fran Green, diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia and recovering from spinal tumor and neck fusion surgeries, began with seated TCC and now practices ten minutes daily for strength, balance and less pain.

Nancy Werner-Azarski takes a ranger's advice not to hurry through a park home from a Quetico canoe trip, then meets her husband's heart surgery and her own hip injury with visualized practice.

Michael S. Isaacs practices reluctantly during a flight delay and finds effortless flow by Around the Platter, followed by Seth Ambrose's account of recovering from a suicide attempt and craniotomy with TCC.

Cathy Williams, grieving her sister's death from breast cancer, found her mental chatter stop during Rocking Motion and quit smoking, while Gary Swanson credits daily practice after his double lung transplant with lower blood pressure and greater lung capacity.

Connie Stevens took T'ai Chi Chih for a physical education credit at UMBC days after laser eye surgery, and her ophthalmologist was astonished by better than 20/20 recovery; Patty Friddle adds her own account.

Ann Marie Wyrsch recounts a June workshop with Sr. Antonia in Warrenville, including outdoor practice and getting discombobulated in Anchor Taffy, followed by Pam Kamholz on recovering from a severe head injury.

Pat Flynn recounts how Lyme disease left her nearly blind and crippled, and how T'ai Chi Chih ended her night pain and restored ninety percent of her damaged shoulder movement.

Nancy Jo Bleier's journal of recovery from her second hip surgery, from seated practice and holding a bookcase to a Seijaku without support, plus Sitka's monthly TCC-by-the-Sea waterfront gatherings.