It Takes a Cosmos

The little boy yelled at us from a few houses down: “Hey did you see what happened?” He was beaming as he proudly held up his right arm donning a new glow-in-the-dark fiberglass cast from elbow to wrist. His friend quickly joined in, grinning from ear to ear: “Yeah and he did it on MY skateboard!” Such is the Spirit of teamwork!

The 1998 Teachers’ Conference was so supported that, from the start, it just gathered momentum and took on its own life July 17, 18 and 19 in Albuquerque. Certainly the Conference Planning Committee worked with great effort to cover the details while aiming for an enriching weekend for the arriving teachers. And there were so many others: merchants and service providers who gave us discounts, threw in extra services or products without charge; hotel personnel who were so sensitive to the needs of our group; and several anonymous teachers whose private donations aided the conference.

Families and friends supported the TCC Conference effort- it seems many people (who are not even directly involved with TCC) had an intuitive understanding and respect for a conference such as this. We as teachers have witnessed this before: how refining and balancing of the Chi begins to effervesce and touch all aspects of our lives. The enthusiasm for this conference by so many was apparant. Indeed, students at the TCC Center in Albuquerque committed their time and energy in helping to prepare the folder/ registration packets. Where does such generosity come from? Giving back is a beautiful expression of the ever-expanding heart… the kind of expression so apparent in those who are continually Entering Cosmic Rhythm.

There were so many highlights (and alas, a few lowlights) of our time spent together. Thank you for responding so thoroughly and candidly to the post-conference evaluations. They will be very helpful for next year’s planning committee. Many of you said “Yes! It is time to go to a longer conference!” It will be interesting to see what the St. Paul teachers decide on this. One thing for certain is that our yearly conference is a not-to-be-missed event. Several teachers this year extended their time in New Mexico before or after the Conference as part of their summer vacation. What a great idea! Plan your family vacations accordingly.

This year your generous donations to the Scholarship Fund made it possible for several TCC teachers to attend who otherwise could not have. The Scholarship Fund was started in 1997 and has already grown significantly. We trust this will be a worthy and long-standing tradition. (Thank you scholarship recipients for asking for help- it is a useful teaching for all of us.)

The highlight for me? The Sunday morning Community Practice really filled my heart. Having teachers and students mingled together for our T’ai Chi Chih practice in the cool morning air, with the sun rising over the Sandia mountains to the East… well if you were there, you probably know the feeling. For me it was a dream come true. My wish for every TCC teacher is to someday realize his or her dream in TCC (and I don’t think we are limited to one!). Thank you Rob Janov for sharing your divine musical gift with us that morning. Your sensitivity and timing in blending the music with pure silence allowed us to BE in that magical moment.

Justin offered little advice for the planning of the Conference except to say that it should be fun and teachers should go home with a positive feeling. Thank you, Justin, for bringing TCC to this world and continually inspiring us to be the best teachers we can. (You can whack me on the head anytime!) A very special thanks to Maggie Berg for all of your detailed, behind-the-scenes work far beyond the role of Conference Registrar. TCC is so lucky to have you! And finally, thank you to my life partner, Ed St.Martin, whose undying support (in every sense of the word) made it possible for me to participate in the coordination of this Conference. Your demonstration of love and its infinite expressions fill me with wonder and eternal gratitude. It heals lifetimes.

Wishing all of us a wonderful year filled with limitless TCC moments. Look forward to seeing y’all in St. Paul in 1999.

In light and love,

– Rhonda St. Martin