The Vital Force Archive

Lorraine Lepine describes the resting position, or graceful conclusion, that punctuates the nineteen movements, and the grounded empty fullness of Chi settling when the body comes to stillness.

Ann Rutherford recounts joining Justin Stone's Turiya meditation group in 1996, being hospitalized after touching an ungrounded student's feet, and Justin's call for teachers to loosen up.

Abby Molino, a nurse and massage therapist, returned to T'ai Chi Chih after three decades, traded her frustrating VHS tape for a DVD, and drew the many-handed kitchen woman with her Sandhill Crane.

Ivonne Begue se Benzo describes the weekly practice she began shadowing with the sisters of Assisi Heights in Minnesota, and how moving meditation lets her respond rather than react.

Justin Stone maps Patanjali's Raja Yoga into three parts and eight steps, argues that morality is only the stairway to the bridge, and explains how erasing habit energies leads to detachment.

In this chapter from his reissued book, Justin Stone argues that Yoga and Buddhism are three-tiered paths, tracing sila, dhyana-samadhi and the prajna wisdom that enlightened the illiterate woodcutter Huineng.

Linda Robinson recounts her 1999 accreditation in Albuquerque, the presentation to bereaved students that grew from her daughter's death, and the sitting period she adds after each class.

Trish Winger names the commitment that a daily group practice creates after 20 years of putting her own practice last, alongside the freedom of solo practice to choose movements and pause.

Lorraine Lepine describes the four-days-a-week Zoom practice she has led since March 2020, letting the Chi teach during silent practice, with testimonials from Melissa, Steve Geer, John Marquez and Nicky Mendenhall.

Justin Stone recounts arriving unannounced at Rammurti Mishra's Manhattan ashram, the Indian teacher's reading of his recurring vision of a burning golden Buddha head, and his koan-like reply about mistakes.

Amy Tyksinski gathers quotations recorded in small group sessions with Justin Stone around his metaphor of dyeing the cloth, linking devotion, faith and letting go to becoming large-hearted.

Passages from Justin Stone's Climb the Joyous Mountain on disciplined mind, Japanese understatement, spring rain on temple eaves, gratitude at meals, and Zen freedom lived amid conditions.

Quotations drawn from Justin Stone's spoken word CD, on building an imperturbable Center amid busy life, the tan t'ien as the seat of intuition, and why a teacher who does not practice is a fraud.

A gathering of Justin Stone's sayings on teacher and pupil, softness that cannot be forced, and chi stored in the bones, plus zen poet Paul Reps's all-capitals letter praising his ordinary motion.

Linda Braga recounts seeing a newspaper photo that led her to Valerie Lawson Smith's class, her 1985 San Leandro accreditation with Justin Stone, Partner Practice teaching, and the frigid Green Gulch retreat.

Passages culled from Justin Stone's books, including Meditation for Healing, Gateway to Eastern Philosophy & Religion, Heightened Awareness and the out-of-print Abandon Hope, on posture, mantras, joy and the effort of no effort.

Judy Kistler-Robinson recounts Sandy McAlister's October 9 Zoom teacher practice, where Huang Wen-Shan's 1974 foreword led into the Great Circle Meditation, its variations across Justin's books, and tongue placement.

John Marquez recalls his father telling him, as the first-born of his generation, to set an example, and describes how nearly three years of T'ai Chi Chih practice answered the skeptics around him.

Five short passages from Justin Stone's writing between 1985 and 1993, on enlightenment as manifestation rather than intellect, the tongue outlasting the teeth, and why he left some questions unanswered.

Allan B. describes how, after four months of daily T'ai Chi Chih, his post-practice sitting became a discipline he calls One. Perfect. Moment.; John Marquez adds how effortless movement brought joy.

Anne Rutherford recounts asking Justin Stone whether Turiya meditation alone sustains awareness, then embedding a chosen ego fixation as a felt sense in Seijaku's resistance section, with self-inquiry questions for students.

Dan Pienciak recounts flying out of Newark to a 2001 Albuquerque meditation retreat days after 9/11, Justin Stone's flat refusal to dedicate practice to the victims, and the question about why Pienciak left the priesthood.

Rita Otis recalls a rafting trip where a retired man shouted with delight at feeling the energy ball, and describes wanting that bubbling joy rather than a correctly done form.

Bruce Lee proposes that each person carries a unique vibration, a harmonic of the one universal vibration, which practice stimulates and which teh, or inner sincerity, moves us to express and share.

Carolyn Pogwist describes feeling like "Polarity in Motion" during Seijaku, held back and moving forward at once, and credits the Seijaku Retreat's shared reflections for her own "ah-ha" moments.

Dora Wiemann recalls Saturday evening meditation and Teisho at Justin Stone's house, where he answered his own question about why they gathered, and Judy Hendricks describes learning from his DVDs and CDs.

Sue Kenney traces two decades of the St Francis of Assisi practice group in Sacramento, its pairing of T'ai Chi Chih with the Wednesday Taize service, and its members' own accounts of finding the practice.

Justin Stone on the Japanese wabi-sabi aesthetic of understatement, weathered wood and Kaga no Chiyo's morning glory, paired with his wordless hours beside a silent sadhu near Baroda.

Bruce Lee describes how moving softly and slowly as though flowing in a dream draws attention out of the head into the body, letting thoughts float by and revealing the divinity within.

Seven short pieces from Justin Stone's journal writings between 1985 and 1992, including Paul Reps' ten minutes of just sitting, watching wrists and waist for tension, his three steps on the Way, and his answer to a question about reincarnation.