Unpacking the Conference

As our plane landed in Albuquerque, I remarked to my seat mate about the beautiful designs and art on the exterior of buildings; he explained it was common to see the designs throughout the city. I was excited to see more and to practice in the new T’ai Chi Chih (TCC) Center, as I had been accredited in the former one in 2013. I toured it and practiced there at noon on Thursday with 25 other teachers; Dee Hey lead the practice.

Guy Kent, the Albuquerque TCC Association, and all involved in the 2024 conference and the celebration of 50 years of TCC did a remarkable job ensuring each attendee had a memorable experience — from the opening practice on Thursday afternoon to the rededication ceremony led by Judy Hendricks on Saturday evening to the final practice on Sunday at noon with teachers from around the world leading. There was truly only one thing going on in Albuquerque.

The small group discussions, each with specific questions, gave us the opportunity to share our thoughts from our heart and get to know each other better. We had the opportunity to become reacquainted with friends from previous conferences, and we enjoyed making new friends. The learning and exchanging of ideas did not stop there. John Marquez shared his love of pyramid poetry, taught us how to write it, and encouraged us to share our poetic creations with each other. “Birds of a Feather” tabletop discussions on various topics were always fun at lunch time. And on Saturday we practiced with students from the local community. I enjoyed learning about their practices.

Seeing the hot air balloons overhead during the early morning TCC practices with other teachers on the cool, wet grass, with the sun at my back, was true joy. I am grateful and blessed to have received such a wonderful gift. I am sharing the program, piece by piece, with my students. They particularly enjoy the quotations by Justin that I am presenting at the beginning of each practice. Thank you, Justin, for giving us the opportunity to share this wonderful Chi.