Sedona, AZ TCC retreat boasts another great turnout for second straight year

April 18-21, 2002

By Nancy Lecraw, Student of Donna McElhose

A T’ai Chi Chih retreat in Sedona with Ed Altman! With anticipation, excitement, and a little apprehension, five of us, students of Donna McElhose, left Illinois in mid-April for Arizona. The excitement was, in part, the prospect of spending four days in the gentle, warm sunshine (quite unlike the cloudy, cold springs typical of the Midwest). Our anticipation was of learning and exploring new ways to deepen our practice with others who shared our enthusiasm.

When we arrived at the retreat center, Course Host Deanne Hodgson welcomed us and the 50 other students and teachers. Eighteen states and Canada were represented. “We were over 50 very diverse people, widely spread in age, geographic area, interests, experience, and temperament”, said Clare Bradley, student of Donna McElhose. “The almost immediate atmosphere of acceptance and mutual support was pretty amazing”.

Since this was not only a workshop but also a retreat, Deanne had planned that there would be a flow between T’ai Chi Chih instruction and practice, relaxation, ceremony, and celebration. In this lovely place, Sedona, Ed’s hope was that everyone would feel the inner stillness and appreciate the beauty surrounding them. From the beginning of Thursday evening’s candle lighting ceremony to the last practice Sunday morning, I felt an increasing sense of peace, focus, and gratitude to those teachers and students so ready to share their experiences and to offer their help in our T’ai Chi Chih practice.

We started each day with a T’ai Chi Chih set done in the early morning sun. The air was a little cool, but the energy we created seemed to warm me. Breakfast followed, and later, sessions with Ed. The presence of Teacher Trainer Pam Towne was a real bonus. In all, we had six sessions, all of us together with times when experienced teachers helped students. Ed made general comments about T’ai Chi Chih practice, specific comments about the movements, and demonstrated the movements, followed by practice. Before coming to the retreat, I had learned some about proper alignment, shifting of the weight, the concept of letting go, the release of tension, and the importance of what Justin Stone calls “the interior landscape.” The importance of sensing and feeling as one continues to do the movements, to feel the chi expand and contract, were little-known abstractions before, but became much more clear during the two-and-a-half days. Jeanné Lofink, student of Donna McElhose, commented, “(It was wonderful) to relax and learn from the chi. The concept of feeling my way along was a new one, because it implied respect of listening to my body and the chi.” Bobbie Weichman, another of Donna’s students, added, “I learned to look at my practice from a new point of view: to really put ‘self’ aside when practicing, to think less and just feel the moves and be aware of the chi.”

Between sessions we climbed the red rocks to enjoy the panorama of colorful formations around us. We investigated the hiking paths, discovered an unexpected waterfall, a golden statue of the spirit Dahn Gun, and several energy vortexes. Sometimes, we just sat quietly and absorbed the serenity. The retreat center also serves as a healing center, and whatever our different views, it did seem we were “standing on holy ground” — the theme of the retreat.

Evenings were times to gather in the conference center or around the bonfire, sharing experiences about T’ai Chi Chih practice, experiencing peacefulness, or celebrating with dancing, blowing bubbles, and playing musical instruments.

At home, we often begin our T’ai Chi Chih classes with a thought of gratitude. Today, I have many such thoughts regarding the retreat: to the 80-year-old Florida ladies, brand new to T’ai Chi Chih practice, who inspired me with their spirit and sense of adventure, to Deanne for her graciousness, and to Ed, Pam, Noel, and all the other teachers and students who helped me feel a part of the T’ai Chi Chih community.

Would the five of us go again? In a heartbeat.