From workshop to retreat to intensive to CA teacher training

Dear Athene, thanks you again for all that you did to have the recent teacher training be such a supporting environment for the group and for us individually. It was wonderful to experience love expressed in so many different ways. I’m finding that a deep centeredness is continuing to abide with me.

Reflecting on my journey with/into Tai Chi Chih seems to indicate that each step has been important. Fine tuning of the movements began with a workshop, continued with a retreat and then an intensive. Each experience seemed to increase my awareness of the subtle “flavors” of each movement.

What has been most helpful? That is the question I’ve been asking myself. The intensive certainly made very clear the elements of movements that I needed to correct. Although I began the intensive knowing the general mechanics of the movements, I learned that I could not see myself and what I thought I was doing was not happening in fact. I left knowing what needed work. The teacher prep course was invaluable from my perspective. This course provided ever deepening refinement of the movements, excellent feedback for enhancing my practice at home, a better sense of what the teacher training would be like, and helpful tips for that event, as well as loving support. We also had an opportunity to prepare and practice our presentation for the teacher training event. It was helpful to have feedback regarding the presentation before arriving at the teacher training. (That removed a significant degree of pressure.) Continuing to practice with my original teacher was beneficial as well as encouraging.

One important thing that became clear was that having many teachers is helpful. Each brings a unique approach to describing the movements. Those varying descriptions can be the perfect tool for an amazing breakthrough when I’m stuck. Asking for help, receiving it, attempting to follow through, often brings an increased sense of Chi as well as a sense of being loved by the teachers.

The intensity of the teacher training was sustained by the loving support of the candidates for one another. It seemed as though we were being loved into becoming teachers by the teaching staff as well as the auditors. Their presence, persistent feedback given lovingly and with much encouragement, made our success in the training possible.