Taking Tai Chi Chih into prison

Sharing Knowledge: The Workshops

(Led by Kathy Grassel, James Hecker, and Judy Tretheway. Write-up by Judy Tretheway)

At least a dozen folks, probably more, gathered together to listen and share about teaching TCC in prisons and juvenile detention facilities. Kathy Grassel started telling of her work which not too many of us had heard about. She has been teaching for 8 years now inside and shared some of her philosophy:

About getting in: There are lots of opportunities at a lot of different levels. Primarily the chaplains facilitate this type of class but it may be different at the jail or prison you approach. Stay flexible and keep going until you find the right person. There is often some resistance because they link Tai Chi and martial arts, so usually it is better to refer to it as Moving Meditation.

Speaking about her approach to teaching inside, Kathy shared, “The rules for teaching are the same as our practice … consistency, softness and continuity. And the rewards are many. The people in your classes are normally very nice people you can love easily. Typically classes become ongoing classes, and the advanced students love to help the beginners. I don’t do much talking, just keep them moving, that’s what we are together for. Class becomes one place where the students are taken seriously, where their nerves can settle and they don’t need to keep looking over their shoulder.”

“The guys inside teach me more than I teach them. Sharing TCC inside is NOT about salvation. Let that go! It’s about commitment. If you want to experiment with teaching or feel you need to save people with TCC, do that somewhere else. What’s needed is someone who is willing to come in year after year. They expect ‘bleeding heart white liberals’ to only last a few weeks or months.”

Jim Hecker spoke about the power of TCC to change people. “The changes take place internally, not externally. The chi does it. Changing people is not your (the teacher’s) responsibility; the chi takes that responsibility.

Peter Gregory shared from his recent experience beginning to teach in a prison. The first few sessions he felt a wall between himself and the men. Then as he began to share from his own experience and include his own struggles, he found the connection that had been missing.

Sharon offered that she is not quite sure what it is that draws her to this work. “I don’t save anybody, I do this (TCC) with people.”

Jim quoted Justin adding, “No man is better than another.”

So as a group, we came to a primary key to working with disenfranchised populations: Don’t get attached to results, trust the chi and do the practice. We are all students of the chi. We don’t rescue people with TCC. We share a practice that has brought us healing and we continue to learn together.

Kathy shared from her experience with juveniles: keep it moving, keep it fun, don’t use “soft”, rather talk about letting go of tension and blocks. Find examples and images they can relate to. Get comfortable with teenage energy. Let them have fun with the movements. Bring treats. Be consistent. Get into the flow of their needs.

Most of us working in institutions are teaching on-going classes that have quite a bit of turnover. Suggestions that were shared included: Do an entire practice, so that everyone can experience the whole form, even if they are just beginning. This keeps everyone interested and challenged. Teach while doing the practice. Try doing a set of just weight shifts before Around the Platter to reinforce those principles. If you are teaching in a circle, try an inner circle of the more experienced, so that the beginners can follow from behind. Encourage beginners to take home just a few moves at a time to build their practice, and just go with the flow when the class is on movements they haven’t learned well yet.

Jim spoke about how good people inside are at sensing “where you are at”; they are well practiced at reading the unspoken communication. So activate your own intuitive understanding and teach from the center of your own practice.

On a logistics level – expect change; expect uncertainty; understand that your students’ inconsistency may be out of their control; and expect to learn more about freedom, love and human transformation and Tai Chi Chih than you ever thought possible.