East Coast TCC teachers connect

As part of a growing commitment to connect with each other on a regular basis and commit to furthering our practice of T’ai Chi Chih Joy Thru Movement, the East Coast TCC teachers have decided to meet in May each year for some sort of regional TCC event.

This year, we have a TCC Intensive scheduled, a new format (open to students and teaches, as discussed at the teachers’ conference in August) with Pam Towne leading. That event will allow us to get intensive feedback and refinement of our form by a teacher trainer. In addition, we may also end up having a separate weekend retreat for just teachers, much like we did last year.

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Last May, 26 TCC teachers from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, northern New York and southern Maryland met at the Jersey shore for a weekend retreat. We had overnight accommodations in three homes near the Jersey Shore; however, for most of our weekend we gathered at the home of Lonnie and Ron Miller. Their home is lovely and right on the beach overlooking the Atlantic Ocean — we couldn’t have asked for a more inspired setting or for more perfect hosts for our retreat. We enjoyed wine and cheese for our first gathering and a great meal on Friday evening. A comfortable atmosphere was established the first evening and would continue throughout.

We came to the retreat to get away and relax, yet we also came to learn from each other with the goal of deepening and refining our TCC practice. Dan Pienciak and Sr. Antonia led an intensive 5-hour review session of TCC movements on Saturday using Ed Altman’s Movement Review Checklist. We carefully reviewed and practiced each movement and learned from each other, both from the perspective of being a TCC student and a teacher. Many useful teaching tips were shared and each of us heard what we needed to hear. Some of the learning which has affected my practice included:

* Dan described a “rolling log” visualization for seated TCC movements which is also beneficial for students who tend to hold too much tension in the waist. Sit on the edge of a chair and visualize a log across your lap. Roll the log forward using your stomach muscles and buttocks/pelvic tilt, then roll the log backwards.

* Sr. Antonia pointed out that our hands can be positioned a little lower at the beginning of “Daughter in the Valley,” as long as the hands remain above the height of the elbows (per Ed’s checklist). I had always felt like I was waiting for my hands to catch up during the first forward weight shift of that movement.

* We discussed softness during yinning and yanging by allowing the knee to bend and allowing the toes/heel to rise during the full weight shift, rather than lifting the toes/heel. Language can be so important as we teach increased softness and the “effort of no effort.”

Our review session was thorough, and we discussed many other tips as we dedicated ourselves to improving our teaching methods and growing deeper in our practice. The review session was like a mini-conference, but without Justin and Ed! (Sigh…).

After our review session, we returned to our main home for an evening of relaxation and great fun. We balanced the intense learning of the day with laughter and entertainment that evening. We concluded the day with a special candlelight meditation and rededication ceremony led by Sr. Antonia. As you can imagine, the ceremony was very special in our beautiful surroundings, which included the gentle sound of the ocean in the background. It was a perfect way to end the full day of our retreat.

Several of our group attended local church services on Sunday morning, then we gathered for our final practice facing the Atlantic Ocean. We shared a wonderful Sunday brunch together with more laughter and fun, as we cherished our new and old friendships from the weekend. Our morning also included a period of silence and solitude, and the opportunity to reflect. We then gathered for the last time to discuss our “lessons learned,” since this was our first attempt at a TCC weekend retreat. Some of those lessons included:

* Benefit was gained from periods of scheduled time as well as free time; this promoted the balance of learning and relaxation which were both important goals of our retreat.

* We’ll likely vary the pace of our 5-hour Saturday review session next time to include a light lunch and possibly more discussion time.

* Early/late risers and admitted snorers should be considered when establishing the grouping of our accommodations.

* Encourage those with vans to bring them to the retreat for efficient shuttling if accommodations are separated (our three homes were within about two miles of each other).

* After obtaining a list of confirmed attendees, share the list of names/addresses/phone numbers with all attendees for possible car-pooling to the retreat.

* Begin with a full practice Friday before dinner to set the tone of the retreat, as is done at conference.

* Schedule a time for pyramid poetry after a practice.

* Our period of silence and solitude on Sunday morning was added when we realized we were ahead of schedule. We later agreed this time set aside for reflection was a valuable part of our retreat. . . .

It took the generous contributions of many people to make our TCC retreat such a success. Sr. Antonia was a major contributor in terms of organizing the arrangements and accommodations, and she conducted the special candlelight ceremony. She also led our review session with Dan Pienciak, and what wonderful teachers they are! Nancy Hall and Neal Giacomelli helped with arrangements (and entertainment!). Janet Oussaty served as our photographer, which means she often interrupted her practices and focused learning for the sake of our group. We also gratefully acknowledge our hosts Lonnie and Ron Miller for the use of their beautiful home, the incredible meals prepared for us, and their care and kindness towards us throughout the weekend.

I hope I’ve conveyed how special the weekend was for us. Sharing a weekend retreat with TCC teachers in a beautiful, inspired setting like the Atlantic Ocean is truly a blessing. I will close this article with a pyramid poem which Dan Pienciak wrote during the retreat. It captures our experience perfectly.

sky
ocean
sandy beach
wind whispering
T’ai Chi Chih
is my
home.