The Vital Force Archive

R. Taggart's account of Sandy McAlister and Lois Mahaney appearing on Transitions, a local senior-issues TV program, where six students from Casa Sandoval Retirement Community performed ten minutes of seated TCC on air.

A state-by-state roundup: seated TCC on local TV at Casa Sandoval, Marianne Merritt's classes for California prison staff and inmates, a University of Cincinnati research grant, hospital wellness and community college classes, and an April Seijaku retreat.

Teacher news from four states: Don Fiore's fourth graders in Phoenix, Marianne Merritt's classes for prisoners and staff at a California prison, a Navajo elders falls prevention fair, and Ralph Garn's seated group.

Pamela Butler, a recreation director at Liberty Commons, expected karate kicks and resisted scheduling a class, then watched Ralph Garn teach seniors in Manlius and arranged an eight-week course.

Prompted by Ray Watson's letter in the March issue, Justin Stone recalls teaching partially paralyzed students at Kushi West in Los Angeles in 1975, where some regained sensation in their legs.

Marlene Brown volunteered to lead T'ai Chi Chih at a clinic program for people with schizophrenia, and within four days was offered a paid contract that was later extended twice.

Steve Ridley describes daily T'ai Chi Chih practice as a way of releasing accumulated debris rather than attaining anything, and urges building each movement from the ground up, rootedness being possible even seated.

Ruth Marie Arguello-Sheehan, a retired RN, describes her Sun City classes for students aged 9 to 96, watching for unsafe movement after reports of knee, hip and back injuries from other T'ai Chi classes.

Pat Huseby describes her first seated class for residents aged 83 to 96 at a retirement home, where dozing students became bright and laughing and named peace of mind their top benefit.

Newly accredited at Alameda, Eugene L. Box describes starting drop-in classes at the Deming Senior Center and contracts with Western New Mexico University, and how 'time for oneself' persuades busy students to practice daily.

Hope Ridley's conference notes on adapting TCC for seniors, wheelchair users, cardiac and arthritis students, including skipping taffies, one-arm Pulley, mental practice, class fees and bringing focus back to the t'an t'ien before standing.

Donna Iverson describes the beginning class she led Saturdays at Wake Robin Retirement Community, where students in their nineties practised seated, balance improved, and one woman suddenly felt the ground beneath her feet.

Recovering from foot surgery, Rosalind Braga spent the 9th Annual Conference practicing seated T'ai Chi Chih, and describes the pelvic movement, rooted center and movements that worked best for her seniors class.

Patricia Bough, sidelined by tendinitis, taught her senior center class seated, then standing with a student model, then settled on using Justin's new video so she could circulate, correct and rest her foot.

Carolyn P. Shaw's first teaching after breaking her leg: a two-week class for 19 seniors in the Getaway Program, with Tao Te Ching readings, chair practice, and a man with a lung ailment performing at the final banquet.

Acupuncturist Margaret Weber, Ph.D. spoke on T'ai Chi Chih to nearly 100 people at the April 1994 Whole Life Expo, with Bay Area teachers performing the form and a seated version demonstrated.

Sr. Antonia Cooper traces her teaching from a first class of two students in 1991 to a full spring calendar, including seated classes for chair-bound residents of St. Ann's Home in Jersey City.

Barbara Peller counts up a year of senior classes that keep finding her: a seated half-hour group at an Alzheimer's day care, a college class grown from 12 to 31, Tribune coverage, and 130 students a week.

Teachers report in: Denver weighs hosting the 1995 conference, Chris McLain documents blood pressure and anxiety changes in Fargo, Pam Towne heads to Russia, Verna Wenger copes with inoperable cancer, and Daniel Froese adapts movements for wheelchair users.

Lavana Kilborn recounts being pushed into teacher accreditation by demanding Port Alberni seniors, then teaching Elderhostel introductions and a volunteer wheelchair class at an intermediate care home where she omits the Taffys and relies on music.

Teachers report in: Lisette Tingesdahl meets Barbara Joy by chance at a ROM Institute conference, Gary Halden's wheelchair student straightens her bad leg after five weeks, Ellen Tatge lobbies the New Mexico Arthritis Foundation, and Sister Dorothy Ferrell prepares classes for IBM employees.

Carmen Brocklehurst describes persuading Albuquerque's Health and Wellness director to fund city employee classes, and the student on crutches whose back pain eased when he practised seated.

Carmen Brocklehurst ran an eight-week pilot course for the City of Albuquerque in which employees on disability leave were required to attend, drawing 20 to 30 police officers, fire fighters and refuse workers weekly.

Renee Wilson, accredited in 1987, tells how her student Nicole Calestagne, who has ALS, went from sitting through classes in pain to standing without it, prompting her neurologist to recommend T'ai Chi Chih to other ALS patients.