New Seijaku teachers total 31 at one of largest trainings ever held

May 24-26, 2002

By Kathy Albers, Course Host

I’m finding that writing an article about a Seijaku training that I’ve just hosted to be challenging as I continue to enjoy the results of the weekend’s events. Part of me says, “Just the facts M’am.” But the training has been so profound that the facts seem to understate what really occurred. I feel facts alone take away from the depth that I and many other attendees experienced.

What might one expect to encounter in a three day Seijaku accreditation training? Imagine a retreat setting 40 minutes from the city, with birds and frogs singing, a river, walking trails, swings and benches. Add a deeply heart felt spiritual growth opportunity. Mix in personal discovery while being in a community that feels safe and supportive and top it off with fun. That’s what we had at the May 24-26, 2002 Seijaku Accreditation and teachers renewal, just outside St. Louis, in Eureka, MO.

Ed Altman led the 31 trainees along with 10 auditors, first with an optional three hours of T’ai Chi Chih basics [during a Teachers’ Renewal on Friday]. Fine tuning our T’ai Chi Chih practice led the way to deeper understanding of the concepts of Seijaku. Holding fast and letting go, soft and hard, we learned and relearned Justin Stone’s “maximum chi program”. Within the depths of the Seijaku experience, “letting go” takes on different forms. There was letting go of inhibitions, preconceptions of what Seijaku would be, of material possessions, of past experiences, and expectations. Some of the group shared their weekend’s processing and noted shifts in consciousness as well as physicality as the energy moved through them.

Because of the large size of the group, Ed said this was the size of conferences years ago. In a way it kind of reminded me of a conference. People came from 16 different states. It was like a bunch of good friends getting together with a purpose. Saturday night some of us took an optional “field trip” to the big city (St. Louis) and got the best frozen custard on the planet, “Ted Drewes” on historical Route 66.

Even though I hosted the event with help from Catherine Millman and Gale Portman, I actually got to participate in the whole training. Everything seemed to flow easily. I’m sure the group had a lot to do with it. Everyone who was there had a mature and responsible attitude in their approach to the Seijaku experience. Ed led the course with humility and wit. I am grateful to the people who attended. They were an awesome group.

Although the Seijaku training is over, many people made commitments to deepen their practice. Now we all have a few more tools with which to do so. The Chi helps to mature our practice, and the consciousness of the T’ai Chi Chih family continues to unify. We are grateful for the knowledge that Justin Stone has freely given us.