The Vital Force Archive

Sue Kenney notes that most T'ai Chi Chih teachers are white women of middle and older age, and proposes demonstrations, diverse-led DVDs and YouTube materials, Zoom mentors and funding to reach younger people, men and people of color.

April Leffler gathers comments from participants at the August 2019 Teacher Symposium in Pennsylvania, where Sandy McAlister led work on movement refinements, wholeness, class formats and ways to describe movements to students.

Jerry C. Jonnson lays out ten guiding codes for T'ai Chi Chih instructors, from knowing your purpose and putting on your own oxygen mask first to being present, acting rather than overreacting, and valuing the journey.

Pam Towne lays out the practical differences between a three or four day TCC retreat, open to anyone, and the four and a half day intensive for teachers, candidates and year-long practitioners.

Marie Dotts introduces reflections from the April 2019 accreditation week, with new teachers Rick Davis, Robert Poland, Debby McLister, Stephanie Copeland, Kyung Sook Lee and Becky Shinas describing transformation, community and moving well.

Eileen Magnuson recounts her accreditation week with Pam in Albuquerque, where candidates and auditors from across the country worked on mindfulness, grounding and finding words to teach, closing with a graduation dinner featuring Justin's artwork.

Rose Brown describes how Marie Dotts and Sandy McAlister at the Colorado Springs Intensive returned her to body awareness, prompting tears, emotional release and a new grounding practice in the soles of her feet.

Dora Wiemann unpacks flowing and emptiness at the 2018 conference, sharing the lists her teacher prep students made of their own markers for feeling ungrounded and grounded, then asks whether a plant sprouting from a rock at Folsom flows from emptiness.

Host April Leffler introduces comments from eight teachers accredited at the six-day Aston course in March 2018, including two from the UK, on softness, auditing feedback and nerves about facing students.

John Miller, who came to T'ai Chi Chih two years earlier after years in a high stress job, describes teacher training as challenging and fulfilling and credits Dan and April as lasting influences.

Bonnie Sokolov, host of the October 2017 Rochester accreditation course led by Pam Towne, gathers reflections from candidates on presentations, auditors, wrist refinements in Pulling Taffy, and graduation.

Nancy Rolph-Johnson recounts her week at Minnesota teacher accreditation training, where fear gave way to relentless practice of the 19 movements and one pose, personal-story presentations, and a softened, strengthened readiness to teach.

Hannah Hedrick treats impatience as an attack thought and gratitude for "therapeutic irritations" as practice, recalling Justin's corrections to her Joyous Breath and Working the Pulley and explaining why she rarely corrects nursing home or newly released students.

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.

Daniel Pienciak asks practitioners to feel how deeply the supporting knee bends and whether the back leg bends as much as the front, offering heel adjustment when the stance is too large.

Lisa M. Otero describes founding a Facebook page with Deanna Rausch that links students without a nearby teacher to accredited teachers offering instruction online, including second-signature mentoring for candidates.

Pam Towne recalls Justin Stone's prediction that some event would bring T'ai Chi Chih into mainstream awareness, and asks students and teachers to recruit candidates, reach younger and more diverse classes, and use the referral form.

Tamara Zujewskyj writes for the four Canadians who attended the Seattle conference, describing the daily group practices, the shared Chi, and presentations by Sandy, Pam, and Daniel on teaching teachers and the evolution of the form.

April Leffler compiles reflections from five of the nine teachers accredited at the June 2016 Pennsylvania course with Pam Towne, including Janet Starr on befriending Carry the Ball to the Side.

Daniel Pienciak passes along the techniques he uses most in accreditation courses and intensives: sliding down the wall to loosen the waist, starting beginners on Rocking Motion seated, and leading the weight shift from the knee.

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.

Brenda Fisher credits T'ai Chi Chih with carrying her through two major losses, first with grief counselor Sharon Edwards in Arizona and again after 15 years away, leading her to accreditation with Daniel Pienciak.

Rebecca Paulson recounts Daniel's nightly readings and questions during accreditation week, and the words that kept her awake before she told each candidate they were unique and worthy.

Eliza Fulton, living on Colorado's Western Slope with no local teachers, drove three hours to Denver monthly for mentoring with Leya Cragin and earned her accreditation in June.

Nikol Price traces her path from a teenage T'ai Chi Chih class with Della Alberson in Bullhead City, through years of solo practice, to Saturday mentoring in Prescott and accreditation.

Julie Anongos recounts opening her required 12-minute presentation with a silent demonstration and a declaration of love for T'ai Chi Chih, and describes the bonds formed with fellow candidates and trainer Daniel during the Colorado week.

Rebecca Paulson recounts the meals, late-night talks and community-style presentations of her teacher accreditation course, and answers the question of why she wanted to teach with "How could I not?"

Stu Goldman rebuts the adage that those who cannot do teach, describing his use of humor, props and mirroring, and urging teachers to notice what works and build a consistent personal style.

Sharron Clark recounts her Albuquerque accreditation course, from learning how Justin Stone originated the form to teaching the movements' subtleties, and thanks teacher Daniel Pienciak and the Albuquerque TCC Center.

Elaine Wagner's account of her accreditation week at the T'ai Chi Chih Center in Albuquerque, where visiting and local teachers helped with practices, Daniel Pienciak led, and all the candidates passed.