Congratulations

Dear T’ai Chi Chih Teacher:

Congratulations on becoming an accredited instructor. Thank you for your excellent work throughout the week-long process and for your respectful attitude. Justin and I are confident that you will represent yourself and T’ai Chi Chih in the highest way, and that you will continue to qualify yourself by progressing toward self-mastery and mastery of this life-enhancing art.

As Justin suggested, it is best to begin immediately with your sharing of TCC. You might get started by teaching TCC to your family and friends, if you haven’t yet made plans to offer a public class in your community. The important thing is to begin now! You want to establish yourself as a TCC teacher as soon as possible, riding on the momentum of enthusiasm we generated during our training program.

Approach community colleges and recreation centers by setting up interviews with their coordinators. Most will be happy to include TCC in their program and will list your class in their catalog, provide classroom space, and register participants for you. This has been my primary way of sharing TCC in Denver. Offer T’ai Chi Chih in as many ways, using as many useful formats as you can. Be creative in your advertising of lessons and experiment with various teaching approaches and methods – continue to look for more efficient and effective ways to share TCC.

As was highlighted in class, be sure to cultivate your own TCC by practicing faithfully each day. Practice alertly and sensitively, always endeavoring to refine your performance of TCC externally and internally. Consult the “Literary Background” section of your TCC Teacher’s Manual now and then, and attempt to better apply the principles to your practice. Also, refer to my book, Perspectives in Motion and Stillness for additional hints on movement execution and refinement.

By practicing conscientiously each new day, you will be able to enjoy the cumulative benefits and the process of maturation that Justin often speaks about. You will progressively embody the TCC spirit or essence, which is your actual, enduring identity. As this essence is less and less veiled or seemingly restricted, you will be a “knower” of T’ai Chi, and your students and associates will be benefited in unexpected ways. This is true.

Please stay in communication with Justin, myself and the other TCC teachers. Contribute your experiences to the Vital Force Journal, through poetry, articles, artwork, statements, etc. Whenever you can, audit a teacher accreditation course or attend a Teacher’s Renewal Class with me. The ideal is to continue growing, evolving and expanding in awareness, function and joy with this special art. Through this practice we perfect ourselves through a profound process of integration.

If you should find yourself dropping away from your daily practice for whatever reason, please do not teach, until you get back on track with your practice.

Justin and I wish you every success! Love,

– Steve Ridley