Dorothy In Nebraska

This year’s conference was an eclectic mix of activity, words, practice and people. We were small in number but quite energetic. I have attended many conferences since I was accredited and every single one has been memorable, thought provoking and educational. The 2009 conference was a standout for all those reasons and also in that the setting was gorgeous. The physical surroundings were nourishing, rooting and blooming.

I began thinking deeply about my practice during the conference when Anita spoke. She said that T’ai Chi Chih was a personal journey within a community. That resonated with me, as it stressed the importance of being attentive to one’s personal practice and to going out and teaching others while in a community of teachers.

During a panel discussion about how to address questions about spirituality, Anita suggested that anything you can’t learn through the head is spirituality. It made me think about how people learn their TCC practice and why they stay with their practice. They undoubtedly are able to make the move from their head to their hearts. Pam called it an opening of one’s heart and Sandy called it an inner reflection in the stillness – a personal spiritual journey, within a community, that opens one’s heart and causes one to reflect in stillness. That is our TCC practice. That balancing act between the personal and the community is where I never fail to learn something, and that is why I am ever so grateful to have had the opportunity to attend the conference. Some of my conference memories make me laugh, some impact my TCC practice. But all move me along my journey.

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