Teacher Accreditation (August 2013)

With Sandy McAlister, May 2013, Aston, Pennsylvania

Compiled by Dan Pienciak, Howell, New Jersey

After over 10 years of hosting T’ai Chi Chih accreditations, I realize that each one seems more poignantly powerful than the last one. From one perspective, it could be that, having recently been appointed as a teacher trainer, I was aware during this most recent accreditation that it could be my swan song as a training host, and this might perhaps have made me more keenly aware of every nuance and high point of the week. But from another perspective, both the cumulative experience of the trainer and auditing teachers and the (mostly) high level of preparation (such as attendance at intensives prior to the accreditation) contributed toward a week that was saturated in quality sharings. These were richly twofold: that of high-level learning/increased awareness of the TCC movements, and growth personally that the practice had precipitated in the individual candidates and auditing teachers.

It will no doubt be most impressive to let the words of those who were there speak for themselves:

“All of the experience of the trainers at both an intensive and this accreditation have made this a triply large experience.”

“I have realized that in persistently practicing TCC, a balance will work out with TCC practice and my life. This week I find the question arising, ‘What can I get rid of to make room for TCC?’”

“It has been a wild ride during the week, leaving me feeling tense and exhausted. But the sacredness has invited me to let go, and that has been a treasure to take home with me.”

“It has been a great blessing to have so many senior teachers present. I have never felt the imprint of the teachings to this degree.”

“The greatest gift for me has been the experience of real community. It feels like family.”

“I am truly honored and humbled in taking this step. I feel great gratitude for having been embraced by the support of everyone here.”

“The path to accreditation has brought me back to myself, and continues to help me through my self-doubts.”

“I’ve never been afraid to put my feet into the water. I know that if I don’t, then I won’t grow. This pathway has been the answer.”

“Everyone here has felt like points of light coming into my heart.”

“Within a day after having arrived here, the masks were put away and the ego put aside. We opened ourselves to each other. The truth that ‘all will be well’ has never been more apparent and real.”

“The Chi will take you further than your ego wants you to go.”

It strikes this host that the concept of re-entry after an experience like an accreditation week is interesting. For years, I perceived this as going back into the real world (and that has been painful for me many times). Somewhere along the way, I realized that such thinking unconsciously labels the weeklong experience as the unreal world. TCC eventually opened my mind, realizing that the experience of sharing a week of TCC, or an intensive, or conference is the real world (for me). The re-entry is more like going back into the unreal world. It brings to mind Justin Stone’s question for discussion at a meditation retreat long ago: “Is it possible to be on the spiritual path in the secular world?”

My hope is that we all take these experiences with us, and that they remain alive and well. It would be a pity to let the daily world talk us out of our experience, as one of our TCC trainers used to remind us at the end of events.

My other hope is that the reported words above will inspire many teachers to audit trainings and attend intensives and conferences whenever they can, and help continue to inspire serious students to aspire to become teachers.

Front row (left to right): Bruce Eisenmenger, Beverly Ward, Florence St. Peter, Ruth Slavin and Jan Parker. 

Back row (left to right): Sandy McAlister, Matthew Van der Geissen, Judith Drew, Kasha Breau, Steve Stevens, Marjorie Conn, Deanna Rasch and Daniel Pienciak.