Teaching Expanding in Sitka, AK

Recently I was phone ordering videos from Carmen Brocklehurst. (I really wanted to hear her voice and receive her TCC love). We were chatting about what events were coming up and how the Chi was being shared in our communities. Carmen said, “You must write an article” – right – like I have anything different to share. Then the March Vital Force came and there was an article about teaching TCC for credit by Janet M. Oussaty. Well, I am now writing about how TCC is being shared in Sitka, Alaska.

Since September 1997, each semester I have been teaching a one credit PE course for Beginning TCC and another one credit course for Intermediate TCC. Each course lasts one hour and goes for 12 weeks. My Beginning Course usually has 15 students signing up; the intermediate needs 10 to go. But this last year the Director of University of Alaska Southeast decided that the course could go with less as two of his employees were explaining how it was benefitting them in being less stressed and better staff. This Spring I had my first participant in a wheelchair take a class. (I have worked with the residents of the two nursing homes and the Senior Center in Sitka but none had signed up for a class). My students are awesome! They concentrate and work hard to be soft and effortless during classes; they have wonderful senses of humor.

The first Saturday of every month we have T’ai Chi Chih by the Sea. We meet behind the library to practice outdoors. We can view Sitka’s beautiful scenery – Mt Edgecumbe (which looks like Mt. Fuji); the jagged peaks surrounding Sitka Sound are perfect for doing Daughter on the Mountaintop and Daughter in the Valley, plus as we face the water, eagles dive and ravens caw adding to the oneness. Sometimes we even have a cat that loves to be with us as we practice.

I try to share TCC at any time I can – I usually always do a 90 minute presentation at the Alaska Chapter NASW Conference in Anchorage, a 50 minute presentation at the Care of the Elderly Conference in Sitka, another 50 minute presentation at the Wellness Conference and a demonstration at the Health Fair. My goal is to have all of Sitka learn and practice TCC (population, 8500). I am excited about having two of my students go out (what we call leaving Alaska) this summer for teacher’s training. None of this would have been possible if Justin had not originated TCC and if Russ Brown had not come to teach classes in Sitka. Thank you.

If you are ever in Sitka (the cruise ships and Alaska Airlines come here) please let me know so we get some folks together and practice TCC.

– Nancy Jo Bleier
Sitka, AK