Musings About Teaching & Connecting, by Anita Vestal (February 2015)

Teaching TCC: Why do you do it?

Just today I reflected on what I want more of in 2015, and more T’ai Chi Chih topped the list. That is more practice, more students, more classes. I teach this beautiful moving meditation because it is a gift to the world, as Justin said, and it must be shared. The potential to help people heal themselves physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually is seeded in TCC. At the present time, I am the only accredited teacher in Costa Rica, and I feel compelled to share this gift in a country where the people are all about wellness, sustainability and longevity.

What does it mean to you to teach TCC? What do you think you’re giving to others and what do you get?

It is so very rewarding to look into the faces of new students and see how much they want to learn the movements. It is my greatest pleasure to come together with others to practice the movements, feeling the energy that is generated, realizing I have brought the knowledge of T’ai Chi Chih to them.

I am giving them something of tremendous value. New students who are receptive to changes may find themselves at a crossroad where life can change for the better in some way.

What have you found to be the most effective ways to keep spreading the word, interesting new students, keeping current students engaged?

I must keep the fee as low as possible, offering classes gratis to community groups in Costa Rica where the rural villagers live very modestly and have no money for classes. Schedules and locations need to be convenient.

Training the next generations of TCC teachers

Do you think moving more qualified students toward becoming TCC teachers is an important part of building the future of TCC? Is this a focus of your teaching?

I am always on the lookout for students who would be good teachers. I believe we can best spread TCC through a network of qualified and dedicated teachers. I cannot say this is a particular focus for me at this point. My current focus is to get more Costa Ricans (Ticos) doing TCC. I hope to mentor a Costa Rican to be the first accredited teacher from this country. That may be in 2016 or beyond.

Connecting with other TCC teachers: Is it important to you?

I always love to connect with other teachers. If only there were teachers here in Costa Rica to connect with. This is why I love going to conference. While spending the summer of 2013 in Asheville, North Carolina, I connected with teachers there who had been mentored by colleagues in my accreditation class. We had a weekly practice session organized by Steve Stevens and other teachers. In 2015, I will be in York, Pennsylvania, where I was first introduced to TCC by Hope Spangler. There are numerous teachers and community classes in York County and I love connecting with them to practice TCC. The energy we generate in group practice radiates and uplifts. Thanks to Margery Erikson, Jean Markey, Jack Weaver and all the teachers in York for including me.

Is there anything else you’d like the readers to know?

I am on new ground introducing TCC to rural villagers in Costa Rica. Affectionately called “ticos,” the Costa Rican people have a huge respect for healthy practices and they intuitively know that the movements they see me doing by the riverbank are healthy. I have had three community groups approach me to request that I teach my “yoga” to them. (Yoga is something they are more familiar with than t’ai chi.) All three groups are from neighboring villages in the Talamanca mountains. I teach them in Spanish and use the Spanish translation of Justin’s textbook, which I pass around for them to see and read descriptions of each movement. I find that the community groups consider it “exercise” and tighten their muscles way too much. The first several weeks are spent having them shake out their arms and hands, often with me standing behind them massaging their arms.

With the small construction and renovation projects at my property in Costa Rica, I decided to invite my workers to join me for 15 minutes of moving meditation each morning before the workday starts. My motivation is to instill a healthy habit that can reduce accidents and improve focus. (And those 15 minutes are on my dime after all.) I recall a comment from one worker after his first short TCC session. He said, “It looks simple, but it is not. We have to use muscles we usually don’t hold in that position.” I thought that comment was refreshing in its honesty and also revealing. I need to continue to try to get across that this is not exercise that requires tight muscles. Quite the opposite.