Conference Memories

Our annual teacher conference is always a special time for teachers to come together, renew and refine our practice, re-dedicate ourselves to teaching, re-connect with old friends and make new ones. I’m very fortunate to have been accredited in 1984, before the first summer conference in 1985, and to have attended every conference. I look forward to it each year.

Just imagine how strong the Love Energy is with over 100 teachers doing TCC in the same room. There’s a lot of years of cumulative Chi in our group practice!

Other highlights this year included learning about the Veterans Administration program that will offer T’ai Chi classes for Vets in every U.S. county by the end of 2020, and how TCC teachers can participate. I sense this holds great promise for the growth of TCC.

Dovetailing with this presentation was learning about brain research that confirms and explains what we hear over and over from our students: TCC relieves stress and helps heal trauma.

Research now shows that bilateral rhythmic movement, which TCC certainly is, calms the amygdala in the brain. That’s where emotions, memories and old traumas are stored, and it’s what gets re-activated in Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. So TCC is highly beneficial for veterans (or anyone) with PTSD.

The consensus was that this year’s conference set a gold standard for excellence. Movement sessions with each trainer offered opportunities for refining movements. Presentations were meaningful and timely. Minnesota hospitality was superb, from the local teachers who hosted to the Marriott hotel staff.

The best part for me was Sunday’s graceful conclusion. By that time many teachers are already mentally out the door. Before our final silent TCC practice, Sandy McAlister invited us to be fully present and got us grounded in the soles of our feet. It was a beautiful, deep practice that left me centered and energized.

That was the perfect segue into leading the post-conference Seijaku Teacher Accreditation course. It was wonderful to stay two more nights and continue to build the Chi. I came home feeling renewed in the essence of TCC, re-dedicated to my practice and teaching, and filled with loving Chi from heart connections with so many teachers.

All

moving

together

flowing as One

sharing Peace

Love and

Joy