The Vital Force Archive

Adam Lacey describes a year of bringing T'ai Chi Chih into Banbury primary schools, with five-minute videos for teachers and shorter films for families, and asks North American teachers for guidance.

Marcella Levie recounts first seeing T'ai Chi Chih at sunset on Siesta Key Beach in 1991, then training over Zoom with Lesley Nell and being accredited in the UK in 2022 with Orly Mani, and the three Dutch groups they now teach.

Anita Vestal recounts ten years of offering free Spanish-language classes in rural Costa Rica, where clubs supplied transportation and space, and calls for Foundation grants and a new video of TCC worldwide.

Darlene Benton, who learned T'ai Chi Chih largely from Carmen Brocklehurst's YouTube videos, finally visited the Albuquerque center, toured Justin Stone's artwork and books with Guy and Carmen, and bought his "Joy" notecards.

Darlene Benton, newly accredited after years of teaching qigong and T'ai Chi Ch'uan, filled her first classes with massage therapy clients aged 18 to 80 who kept returning and brought friends.

Ann Rutherford opens a new column with three postcard-style letters to Justin Stone, asking colleagues whether they feel grounding in the palms during closing positions, whether standing up and pointing fingertips down disrupts Chi, and whether fingers flutter.

Laurie Jacobi, unable to attend the 50th conference in person, recounts why her Journey of Signposts story felt daunting to tell, the shaking she experiences practising around others, and how her video reached a wider audience.

Lisa Stroyan details how she, Doriane Tippet and Belize-based Zoom anchor Beverly Miles run a simultaneous in-person and online class, from webcam setup and lighting to the surprising arrangement of students standing behind the teachers.

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.

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.

Sue Bitney played Carmen's KNME interviews and Justin's instructional DVD for her senior students, who asked why no one had told them about softness, and moved more softly alongside him.

Jim Shorr describes how Creekside Village senior housing uses Margie, a longtime student, as a seated demonstrator whom wheelchair and walker participants follow, with Wayne and Bob explaining what it gives them.

Sandy McAlister explains why she left Anchor Taffy and Working the Pulley out of her seated TCC DVD, and why she now believes both belong in the practice with safe adaptations.

Pam Towne traces how she moved from seeing seated T'ai Chi Chih as a last resort to respecting it as a powerful practice, after teaching wheelchair users, hurting her back overdoing the pelvic tilt, and finding beginners connect with the t'an t'ien faster when seated.

Bruce Childs returned to teaching chair-assisted TCC at the Barnstable Adult Community Center after the pandemic, and lists the resources in his toolbox, from Sandy McAlister's DVD to his own Little Guy illustrations.

Carmen L. Brocklehurst recounts seeing a video of a teacher shifting forward onto two bent knees, and argues that keeping the back knee straightening preserves the balance Justin Stone taught.

Loretta and Gil Weimer began T'ai Chi Chih on her 68th birthday in Donna's class, then learned the rest at home with handouts and a DVD, gaining better balance, deeper sleep and less aching.

Judy Hendricks recalls Tuesday morning teacher practices at the TCC Center, where Justin Stone offered no new material, only corrections to bend the knees and turn the waist, and she still hears him on DVD.

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.

Seven letters of thanks addressed to Justin Stone by new students, reporting reduced stress, restful sleep despite sleep apnea, stronger ankles, painless stair climbing, and relief from allergy-related asthma.

Judy Kistler-Robinson learned Tai Chi Chih from Justin's photo textbook, DVDs and FaceTime sessions with Lubbock teachers, then found that Sandy's Zoom practices supplied the angles and words she had missed.

Anne Braudy, a Boston pianist with no local teachers, describes how COVID-19 stay-at-home orders ended her group yoga classes and revived the near-daily morning T'ai Chi Chih she had learned from Carmen Brocklehurst's video.

KG announces a 10-day asynchronous course drawn from Justin Stone's DVDs, streaming instruction and writings, starting January 1 with the first five days free and a private Facebook discussion group.

Jeannette Stotts describes how her senior class moved to Zoom during the COVID-19 shelter-in-place, with teacher Benjamin Brisjar opening each session with Spiritual Odyssey readings and Justin and Carmen videos.

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.

KG announces that all the content from Justin Stone's two DVDs, individual movement instruction plus the 30- and 45-minute practices, is now streaming, prioritized after COVID-19 closed classes worldwide.

Parker Reynolds prints an email exchange with Mary B., a former student practicing at home with the TCC DVD, who reports a 118/64 blood pressure reading, eased joint pain, and total absorption during her 45-minute practice.

Jan Wilkowski recounts a brutal third week after left knee replacement, when playing Justin Stone's DVD on repeat and moving the arms, then the mind, brought her first real sleep and a return to writing and artwork.

Joseph Selzer describes how residents at a New Jersey retirement community organized twice-weekly Video T'ai Chi Chih practice, reporting improved blood test markers, blood pressure, balance and coping with Parkinson's.

Parker Reynolds traces a two-year intention to teach youth back to a video of Sister Christa and April Leffler at Drexel Neumann Academy, and to the church youth group class that finally resulted.