The Vital Force Archive

Adam Lacey and Laurin McDonald outline the UK effort to train new TCC teachers, from the first two candidates in 2008 through to four preparing for accreditation in 2025, with timelines and costs.

Amy Tyksinski describes the New Teachers' Cohort pilot, six monthly Zoom sessions after the November 2024 Colorado Springs accreditation, in which 13 of 15 graduates became actively teaching.

Lisa Stroyan describes offering suggestions rather than corrections in ongoing classes, from a nervous newcomer discovering effortless rise in Light at the Top of the Head to catching her own unrolled right wrist in Bass Drum.

Nine new teachers were accredited by April Leffler in Leavenworth, Kansas, and candidates including Gilbert Pagat, Barbara Starke and Roksan Biktimir recount refinements, presentation nerves, PTSD healing and long delays.

Sandy McAlister announces two new accreditation resources, the Teacher Preparation Suggested Curriculum and the Teacher Prep Coaches created by Lesley Nell, Marie Dotts and Lisa Otero, then passes the role of Guide to Marie Dotts.

Lesley Nell answers questions about the new suggested curriculum for preparing teacher candidates, developed with Marie Dotts and Lisa Otero, and the new Teacher Prep Coach designation for experienced referring teachers.

TCC Guide Sandy McAlister likens the community's year to Spring, announcing the 2025 focus on Supporting and Strengthening Each Other, new suggested guidelines for preparing teacher candidates, a Foundation stipend for European support, and a July 26 Zoom teacher conference.

Steven Huskey, accredited in November 2024, sets out what his accreditation week gave him in an acrostic spelling T'ai Chi Chih, from grounding and coaching students to establishing new classes and camaraderie.

Laurin McDonald and Adam Lacey describe how a breakout session at Mindfulness Now's 20th anniversary conference in Birmingham drew twelve therapists, four of whom are now Zoom students heading toward accreditation.

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.

Marie Dotts gathers reflections from the fifteen candidates accredited with Sandy McAlister at the Franciscan Retreat Center in Colorado Springs, on inner sincerity, finding the t'an t'ien, and community during a divided pre-election week.

Sandy McAlister calls on teachers to fund travel and hotel costs for overseas colleagues attending the 50th anniversary Teacher Conference in Albuquerque, and to sponsor candidates at in-person Intensives and Accreditations.

Rosalind (Linda) Braga recalls a private lesson where telling a nervous teacher candidate what she was doing right made her cry, and offers wording for positive group corrections.

Host Jessica Lewis introduces participant accounts from the March 2023 Zoom Intensive, where teachers and candidates report new sense of the t'an t'ien, fuller weight shifts, relief from knee pain, and reconnection to community.

Dora Wiemann, accredited in 1989, recounts losing her fear of public speaking and teaching wrong, Justin calling out "You're doing arm exercises, dear," and his bookshelf question about awareness.

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.

Ann Rutherford recounts a Tibetan Buddhist class where the lama, his translator and a sangha member warned that T'ai Chi was dangerous, and argues that holding the close position grounds circulating Chi.

Lynne Roberts recounts moving from a dancing career and USO shows into TCC, her one-on-one preparation with Corinn Codye, and the 1988 Morro Bay accreditation where Justin interrupted her presentation.

Pat Hill of Golden, Colorado recounts finding a T'ai Chi Chih class taught by Steve Ridley in 1985 after her marriage ended, her 1986 accreditation in Santa Clara, and the backyard training sessions she later ran for candidates.

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.

Ann Rutherford recalls being invited to a class combining soul travel with T'ai Chi Chih, and Justin Stone's dismay at a mechanical accreditation checklist he said pulled the wings off the butterfly.

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.

Mission statements from twelve teachers accredited in Daniel Pienciak's Zoom course hosted by April Leffler, plus Barbara McAnamy's account of finally understanding her front weight shift with Marie Dotts.

Sandy McAlister announces that intensives become a prerequisite for accreditation, recalls Justin's change of mind about conference breakout sessions, and moves the Tuesday Zoom teacher practice to monthly Saturday discussions.

Marcella Levie, Vanessa Petterson and Adam Lacey, all training with Lesley Nell in Europe, describe what the online student day gave them, from transition advice to seated practice during back injury recovery.

Kristin Clark Taylor describes completing one of the first accreditation courses held entirely on Zoom, with Daniel Pienciak and April Leffler, and insists the Chi she felt alone in her living room was not virtual.

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.

Rebecca Paulson recounts the four-day teacher retreat hosted by Pam Towne and led by Sandy McAlister, reworked from in person to Zoom, where teachers brainstormed how future trainings might continue.

Lesley Nell describes how she and Laurin McDonald, accredited in 2018, ran a Discovery Workshop in Banbury for wellbeing coaches and therapists in March 2020, just before lockdown.