TCC in Print

A group of Sun Lakers has completed a six-week course of T’ai Chi Chih, a class of discipline and exercise that staimulates internal energy (Chi) for healing and tranquility. Lee Campbell, a certified instructor of T’ai Chi Chih in Phoenix, AZ offers psychological, intellectual and spiritual well-being, growth and development in the class. She will return to Sun Lakes for another class in October.

Excerpted: The Sun Lakers, Vol. 13, No. 4, Sun Lakes Country Club, AZ Apr. 15, 1996

Learning T’ai Chi at the Coffeehouse

A series of four T’ai Chi Chih classes has been offered in recent weeks at the Rice Lake Coffeehouse. T’ai Chi Chih or “joy through movement” is a series of 20 simple and gentle movements easily learned by anyone regardless of age or physical condition. Practice of these movements is designed to help reduce stress while enhancing stamina, vitality, inner peace and well-being. Barbara Sommers, is a certified TCC instructor who has been conducting classes since 1991 — until 1994 in the Chicago area and since moving to Northwest Wisconsin in the Rice Lake, Comstock, Turtle Lake, Balsam Lake, Frederic and Eau Claire areas.

Excerpted: Rice Lake (WIS.) Chronotype, Feb. 21, 1996, Out on the Town

Stress Reversal

… T’ai Chi [Chih] instructor, Barbara Sommers, 48, of Cumberland, has been teaching a newer, more Americanized form, called T’ai Chi Chih.

The simpler form Sommers teaches at classes in Rice Lake and Comstock seems to attract people who are interested in healthier lifestyles and those who may have chronic pain. “It’s a more accessible, user-friendly form,” Sommers said, noting the form was developed 20 years ago, while its roots go back thousands of years.

Sommers has experience working with seniors, as well as those suffering with migraines, chronic fatigue, muscle and back pain. “Others want to learn how to slow down and have a stress-free time in their day. The major thing is feeling comfortable with slowing down.” … “The biggest impediment is the amount of time people are willing to practice on their own to create a positive habit in their lives,” Sommers said.

She doesn’t have a rigid prescription for the amount of time to spend on it, but she likes to do the moving meditation in the morning.

“I like to do it before the doingness of the day begins,” she said. “Others like to practice after the kids are in bed.”

Excerpted: Leader-Telegram, Viewpoint Section — West-Central Wisconsin, Dec. 31, 1995