All’s Well with TCC in the UK

Who would have thought in early 2020 that we would find ourselves today with a well-established, online community of students in the UK? COVID-19 brought growth in directions we couldn’t have predicted. Since the start of the pandemic, Lesley Nell and I have been offering regular online guided sessions to our established students and teaching new students. We have a loyal following. Lesley is also working with a group of students interested in becoming accredited to teach. Zoom classes have been a lifeline for our older students, many of whom live alone and had very little social contact outside our sessions.

Whilst most of us will be delighted to get back to face-to-face classes soon, Zoom has allowed us to strengthen and broaden the reach for our UK T’ai Chi Chih community. Zoom was also a personal lifeline when I unexpectedly lost my husband in early November 2020 (not COVID related). My students were surprised that within a couple of weeks I was back to my Zoom guided sessions. Frankly, teaching gave me an anchor in the storm of bereavement. My husband practiced TCC with me and would have wanted me to carry on, and I felt him alongside us when we practiced. Not what I would have predicted or expected, but a great gift.

I have learned this last year not to plan and do so much – but to simply be. To be in the moment, in the practice, in the emotion, in the community. I have taken the quiet times during the UK lockdowns to read and revisit Justin’s teachings, and Lesley and I join Sandy on as many Tuesdays as we can. For us it is 5pm, so a lovely way to close our day. I look forward to traveling freely again across the pond and seeing my North American TCC family in person. Stay safe and go with the TCC flow.