Rediscovering TCC

Student of Kathy Grassel, Albuquerque, New Mexico

Years ago, I was visiting a friend, Joseph, in Monterey, California. We had worked together in New York. Joseph moved to Monterey while I had moved to Amsterdam for work. A few days before I had to leave to return to Europe, Joseph mentioned he was attending a T’ai Chi class in Carmel and asked if I’d like to join him. I had done some yoga and other meditative movement practices and was glad to attend. I loved the classes and the form.

Decades later, a friend here in Albuquerque invited me to attend a T’ai Chi class at the gym we both attend. In the intervening 30 years or so, I had studied and practiced various forms of T’ai Chi and was looking for a class here. I went and the movements were very familiar. Only a few days later my friend said there was a major conference happening and suggested that we attend the Saturday afternoon session. (Editor’s note: This was the community practice at the 2024 TCC conference.)

I realized during that afternoon session that I had met Justin Stone and taken some classes with him on that visit to Monterey. I confirmed that afterwards by looking online at the T’ai Chi Chih (TCC) website. It felt like the Universe was saying, YES! Here you go, a chance to continue the practice you first experienced so many years ago. It’s been a wonderful gift.