Intensive Training: The Teh Is There

Remembering 2003

• The two-signature system for teacher candidates to attend accreditation was put in place.

• August: the first East Coast intensive was held in Ringwood, New Jersey, and led by Pam Towne. I was a student at that intensive.

• October: Sandy McAlister leads her first teacher accreditation course as Teacher Trainer. I was a teacher candidate in that class.

Fast Forward to 2021

• Attending an intensive becomes a mandatory prerequisite to attend a teacher accreditation course. Thank you for this decision.

Being a Type A analytical over-achiever, the intensive (or InTEHnsive) was quite intense. But I knew I had teh, the inner sincerity Justin wrote about. I remember my journey and often reflect on the experience: my strong desire for perfection, my trepidation and self-doubt. Over that weekend, my understanding of energy and the T’ai Chi Chih principles continued to deepen, and my movements softened. I gained more insight into the practice of TCC and into myself, too. And I learned there is much more to learn.

Most important though? How well the intensive prepared me for accreditation. I am still grateful for the opportunity to work with a teacher trainer and the auditing teachers before my accreditation and to be surrounded by the energy and caring of the TCC community. And at my own accreditation, I was still working hard (and was much softer) as my journey continued.

I have attended many intensives (as a teacher) and accreditation courses (as an auditor) since 2003. Each training I attend heightens my awareness and improves my personal practice. What I learn helps me become a better teacher. It reminds me of my own journey, the student I once was and the teacher I have become. I have felt the anguish of some candidates who arrive unaware of being unprepared for the accreditation and then realize: “What am I doing here?” I have witnessed anxiety and stress, tears and emotional falling apart. Most often these feelings erupt for students who had not attended a prior intensive training. They felt lost. Accreditation should be a joyful, positive experience, not one filled with angst and doubt.

Over the years, 11 of my students have become teachers. My belief, and theirs, is how necessary the intensive training was (and is). We have discussed their experiences at length. None imagined that they would have been prepared enough without having had the intensive training experience. If the teh is there, a student will want to learn about refinement, softness, grounding, and gaining a deeper understanding of the TCC principles – before accreditation.

When a student shares with me a desire to become a teacher, they ask: “What do I need to do?” My response has always been the same: “We will work together one-on-one, and you will attend an intensive, the best preparation for accreditation.” I feel so strongly about the benefits of attending an intensive that, although it was not mandated until this year (finally), I would not sign for any student who had not attended an intensive. I understand the cost involved, but if the teh is there and it is important enough, there is always a way. The scholarship program is there to assist those in need. The end result is a much more positive accreditation experience where teachers are better prepared to teach and share the gift of TCC.