Q&A with Senior TCC Teacher Linda Robinson

Seattle, Washington | Accredited 1999

When and where were you accredited?

I was accredited in June 1999 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The week was scary, exhausting, and exciting; I didn’t really know what to expect. Since the training was in Albuquerque, Justin popped in and out. I grew to love our practice group, feeling that we would get through it together. Physically, I had never done such an intense ongoing TCC practice.

My presentation was an “aha” moment. In 1993 my daughter died. I really wanted to give back to other grieving people who also had lost loved ones. So, I decided that my presentation would be to a class of bereaved students. This inspiration led me to later teach in a hospital bereavement program.

After accreditation, Justin sent a message about sharing TCC with the world. That’s why I’ve done it so long. I can’t imagine not doing it. It’s truly a gift to share and receive.

How has teaching changed you?

Teaching gave me confidence as a TCC practitioner and as a person. I had been learning Buddhist meditation at the same time, so together they helped me reflect on my habit patterns. Over time, my spiritual understanding developed and grew — wisdom, patience, and compassion for myself and my students. I learned it was wiser, when possible, to offer corrections to the whole group rather than singling people out. I also now speak less but more specifically to convey the essence of the routine, to make sure movements are as correct as possible, still honoring each person’s physical limitations. I throw out a pointer here and there during the routine. But I want students to experience the essence of the whole thing, to sense the flow and really be in their bodies.

How do you incorporate instruction/lessons learned from Justin?

I mention the tan tien quite a bit, even to beginning students, because it’s such a foreign term to most of us Westerners. It’s good to make it a familiar friend, even if you don’t sense it for a while. I also concentrate on the principles, making softness or continuity, for instance, a focus for a class. Every once in a while, I read from Justin’s books.

Share an “aha” moment from your teaching.

I was once waiting for students to arrive and got really involved with practicing by myself. The Chi was moving me. I thought, oh my, that’s what Justin was talking about. I “allowed the Chi to do the work.” Those phrases are so important because I’ve experienced them myself. They are also important to repeat because we don’t always get them the first time around.

Share an innovative teaching method that you have developed or learned from another teacher.

Because of my meditation practice, I really like the class to sit for five or 10 minutes after we finish TCC. I encourage my students to feel the floor and earth with the soles of their feet. To notice how their breath and heartbeats slow down. To sense the reverse process taking place as we stop moving. To be aware of how they are seated in the chair, how the chair is holding them, how they are no longer holding their weight. To allow the yin and yang to be absorbed back into our bones.

What lasting lesson(s) have you learned?

I love this practice, I love teaching it, and I love seeing the commitment and the joy my students experience as they discover for themselves Justin’s teachings. The lasting lessons are gratitude and joy!