Seijaku Teacher Preparation

T’ai Chi Chih teachers have been asking how to prepare for attending a Seijaku teacher cccreditation class. Just as when you prepared for TCC teacher accreditation class, your regular personal practice is the foundation of your preparation. So I encourage you to do some Seijaku every day.

A full practice of nine repetitions of each Seijaku movement every day is too much for most of us. So you might do as Justin suggested years ago and sandwich three Seijaku movements between TCC movements. For example in doing “Around the Platter,” do three soft TCC style, then three Seijaku style, then three more TCC style to the left and then the same to the right. Continue this 3-3-3 format for each movement. An alternative would be to begin each movement with three Seijaku style and continue with six TCC style. I prefer to end with TCC to give the body plenty of opportunity to let go completely of any residual tension.

For some people, Seijaku is more enjoyable as a group practice. If you are having difficulty practicing by yourself, find someone to practice with. Practice with Justin via his Seijaku DVD. I invite you to watch it repeatedly, as you will discover new things each time. This is also an important part of your preparation for accreditation.

If at all possible, work with an accredited Seijaku teacher, even if you have to travel to do so. Unlike TCC teacher accreditation, you do not need any referrals to attend Seijaku accreditation; you just need to have been practicing Seijaku for at least six months. Still, it is extremely valuable to attend a Seijaku class or work privately with a teacher to receive feedback and answers to your questions.

There are three Seijaku accreditations scheduled this year; see the calendar on page 23. By attending the accreditation following the annual conference, you can attend two events for the price of one plane ticket. Plus you can have a longer immersion in Chi with like-minded friends. I invite you (TCC teachers) to plan now to attend both the teacher conference and Seijaku accreditation. It’s important to register early for the post-conference accreditation because once rooms are filled on a first-come, first-served basis.