Creating A Space To Share TCC

First, about this article: It feels awkward writing in the first person. How does one write about T’ai Chi Chih without personalizing it? In other words, how does one get the “I” out of the way, and yet not come across as only cerebral? And there’s an Indian saying, “Too much smoke for such a little fire.” Another challenging part about writing about TCC is that most themes have already been addressed. How many ways are there to talk about the same things? Nonetheless, I had fun writing the article.

To create awareness of TCC’s presence, I decided to have a booth at a local Women’s Health Fair. In addition to the positive energy that went into creating the booth, it was wonderful to have guidelines on how to promote TCC. From choosing colors (black and turquoise) to dress up the table and making a huge banner (basically a replica of my TCC business card), to the last punctuating detail of having fresh flowers, I learned how to really make the space come alive. In fact, the floral bouquet caught the attention of the local newspaper photographer who included a photo of the booth in the Las Cruces Bulletin. (Folks also came back to the booth for candy.)

In my own personal journey as a TCC teacher, listening to Spirit has become essential – not only in teaching but in giving TCC a place in our city. Recognizing a shift in reality, and wanting to create awareness for TCC, I reached beyond my comfort zone to marketing and media. For this I enlisted assistance from the Good Karma Publishing Media Kit available to teachers on taichichih.org. It includes a step-by-step directive on how to approach the media (reporters, radio announcers and more), how to write press releases, make follow-up calls, and how to prepare for interviews.

Much like the work of an artist, we start with bold strokes and move to fine brush lines. So when I was invited to participate in the Women’s Health Fair, I turned to the recipe for creating a booth, which was like painting a picture. Following the steps meant having access to the creative energy of the Universe – thus allowing something that was not there before to be born. More importantly, it was introducing TCC to the public.

The Media Kit allows for a professional, well-put together presentation. If followed mindfully, it extracts from us sincerity and it fine-tunes us into a deeper recognition of what we are really doing. It gives flesh to the concept of creating awareness on behalf of TCC.

Exciting as it is, it takes some courage and fortitude to try something different. And when things don’t turn out as planned (a blotched YouTube video, a bad photo in the paper, a misquote, etc), we recognize that our work is a work in process. It changes as more rough drafts and re-writes evolve. What counts is that TCC has a chance to be known and recognized. The objective, of course, is to present TCC as a gift to the community. Holding to this dream is possible when we are surrounded by smart, savvy, wise and generous people who guide, suggest and sometimes even direct. The French have a proverb: Gratitude is memory of the heart. And so it is with deep gratitude that I share this experience. And of course, most deserving of all – thanks to Justin Stone, the Originator of TCC.