Categories: Where in the World
Teacher News (December 1998)
By: Gail Collins
SCN
“Le Ying et Le Yang” in France
Florence Germain-Robin, who lives in the Cognac region of France, sent cuttings from two local newspapers reporting on the opening, in April 1998, of her “Vitality Center” in Clermont-Ferrant. At the Center, Florence is teaching three T’ai Chi Chih classes with “about twenty students, but no men.” She expected small numbers at first because “French people are slow for everything which is new” and so she finds the initial response encouraging. She is hoping that both men and women of the Cognac region will become enthusiastic about “this practice which allows people to eliminate stress from daily life.”
Florence became an accredited T’ai Chi Chih instructor four years ago and she was the first to teach the form in France. Florence’s seventeen-year-old daughter, Emilie, who lives in Minnesota, is also a T’ai Chi Chih devotée and is hoping to become an accredited teacher.
Little Falls, MN
Greetings from Little Falls, MN, where the still new and young Mississippi River gently flows near our place! . . . I moved from California in August, 1996 to work at The Spiritual Center (formerly Wholistic Growth Resources) with the Franciscan Sisters. It is the place where I “met” T’ai Chi Chih in 1993, and from where I hailed before CA. I return to CA (Berkeley, El Cerrito) each summer for continued study at GTU/ Jesuit School of Theology, but only for a brief 6 – 8 weeks. I am a Massage Therapist/Somatolgist and teacher. In addition I assist Sr. Phyllis Ann Reis in teaching T’ai Chi Chih to our Spiritual Center participants.
I am grateful to you [Lois], and to each one who so gently and firmly assisted my early learning and teaching TCC. Happy luncheons and mailing sessions at your dear home are among the best of my memories.
Our schedule here is quite full . . . Our program director believes strongly in TCC as an integral part of mind-body-spirit growth, and so Phyllis Ann and I are really lucky to have the blessing of a staff supporting our own TCC experiences.
Sister Francis A. Kay has returned for a short time from Zimbabwe, Africa for emergency eye surgery in New York. She was my TCC mentor, and an advocate, always of TCC.
Blessings upon you
– Gail Collins, SCN
Topics: Building a Class, Churches and Spiritual Centers, Personal Stories, Stress Relief, Teacher Accreditation
Originally appeared in: December 1998