What is T’ai Chi Chih?

T’ai Chi Chih ® Joy thru Movement, is a series of 20 gentle, repetitive mindful, easy to learn movements designed to help Activate, Balance and Circulate, the flow of Chi, the natural Energy in our bodies, the same Energy that is in everything that exists, giving life and sustaining it in all its fullness. It is as simple as A … B … C… (Read more below.)

A group of our Canadian teachers pictured here with Master Justin Stone at  the last
T’ai Chi Chih Conference he attended in 2005 in Albuquerque,  at age 88.
Justin continued to teach as life allowed until shortly before he passed away at the age of 95.
A JOY and a privilege to have personally known him …
I happily carry his legacy forward as a part of the now world-wide T’ai Chi Chih Community.

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Spring 2023 Class Sessions and Saturday Retreat Days

Spring 2023 classes at The Lantern, 35 Barnes Road here in St. John’s, beginning the week of May 1st and going until the week of June 12th. Session will be 7 weeks  … may change to 6 or 8 as my May calendar gets finalized  Can preregister by e-mail at sheilaleonard@nf.sympatico.ca or by phone at 709-727-7863. Drop-ins also welcome.

Click here for the Spring 2023 Class flyer for more details and for easy reference, printing and sharing.

All sessions will be a GO pending sufficient registrations.

Flyer is also on my Facebook page. Facebook Profile Page   or  Facebook PAGE
Please see my NEWS page for on-going updates.
Any way you can share this information is greatly appreciated.

A Retreat Day at Virginia Water Contemplative  Centre, 47 Parsonage Drive, St. John’s
is planned for Saturday, May 6thth, 1/2 day a.m. for T’ai Chi Chih and 1/2 day pm for Wisdom Healing Qigong. All welcome for either half day or full day. May be another such day later in the session.

Preregistration is recommended for Lantern sessions … but is required for Retreat Days.
Drop-ins welcome at The Lantern as space allows.

NOTE: Masking is as feels appropriate for individuals.
Social distancing is strongly recommended.

Suggested donation:  $10 per class at the Lantern … $20 for each half day at Virginia Water …
or pay what you can, when you can, as your circumstances allow …

Donations can be made by cash, cheque payable to me, or e-transfer.

Please never let $$$ be an issue that prevents you from joining us …
you can always “pay forward” by doing a kindness for someone else.
We are all so connected that what we do for one of us we do for all of us.

 ALLERGY REMINDER:
PLEASE KEEP SESSIONS AS SCENT-FREE AS POSSIBLE.
THANK YOU

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 Sharing My Accreditation Celebration
for T’ai Chi Chih and Advanced T’ai Chi Chih (Seijaku)

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Boost immunity • Increase energy • Find peace
T’ai Chi Chih is an evidence-based method for finding inner peace, wellness, joy and better health.
Consistent practice keeps you centered, grounded and calm in difficult situations.
••• Join more than 250,000 who have already experienced its subtle power.
~ from Official T’ai Chi Chih Joy thru Movement Web Site

The Origins of T’ai Chi Chih

T’ai Chi Chih was originated in 1974  by Master Justin Stone. Justin was for many years a Wall Street businesman and jazz musician.  From there he moved to the Far East where he became a T’ai Chi Chuan Master and student of Eastern Traditions. It was from that experience and after he moved back to North America and settled in Albuquerque, New Mexico that T’ai Chi Chih was born.   Unlike many other forms of T’ai Chi, T’ai Chi Chih is not a  Martial Art form, but rather “a moving meditation” whose essence is softness, promoting serenity and a greater sense of well-being.

What is T’ai Chi Chih?

T’ai Chi Chih ® Joy thru Movement is a series of 20 gentle, easy to learn movements designed to help Activate, Balance and Circulate, the flow of Chi, that natural, vital, universal Energy in our bodies, the same Energy that is in everything that exists, giving life and sustaining it in all its fullness. It is as simple as A … B … C…

The more balanced,  the more freely the Chi flows in our body, the greater wellness and vitality we experience.  It is indeed yet another way to help ourselves feel better, in body mind and spirit,using our own natural inner resources.

T’ai Chi Chih is a mindfulness practice, a moving meditation rather than just “exercises”, and yet proven to be some of the best “exercises” we can do, stimulating the inner organs and indeed all 37 Trillion cells, for deeper awakening and optimal functioning.  It offers potentially amazing benefits physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually for anyone willing to commit to a faithful practice, as life and time allow, whether seriously committed or simply curious to begin with.

No special clothing or equipment is required and very little space is needed, can be done anywhere, anytime, making T’ai Chi Chih very portable, a virtual moveable feast!

All of the moves can  be comfortably learned in a series of eight sessions of an hour and a half. I have also taught the full set on an 8-hour weekend.  The weekend is obviously more intense but it works well for students who are unable to commit to the full 8 weeks.

Who Can Do T’ai Chi Chih?

The simple, gentle movements can be easily learned by people of all ages … the very young as well as the very old, and everyone in between. My students have actually ranged from 9 to 104 over the years!

Classes can be done seated or standing, or a mix of the two. For those with physical limitations, the movements may be done with some modification.Some students who are in wheelchairs have come and enJOYed my classes and have have done quite well, experiencing a lot of benefits.

T’ai Chi Chih does not require a particular level of physical fitness, balance or coordination.  In fact, students report remarkable improvements in both balance and co-ordination and overall well-being.

Browse the official world-wide T’ai Chi Chih web site for more information.

Justin Stone has always maintained that there are only two good times to practice T’ai Chi Chih:
 “Practice when you feel like it and practice when you don’t feel like it! The rewards can be amazing!”

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The Essence of T’ai Chi Chih
by Justin Stone
Excerpt from “The Spiritual Odyssey”
p. 23 – 25 (1st edition)

Softness and continuity are the essence of T’ai Chi Chih. It is the soft water that wears away the hard rock, the tongue outlasts the teeth. Hardness and confrontation are brittle and destructive, softness and a gentle manner of thinking are life-enriching.

Look at the contrast between the oak tree and the bamboo. When a storm comes, the sturdy oak stands solid against the wind until it is overcome and breaks and dies. The bamboo, however, bends with the wind, and when the storm has passed, snaps back into place, unharmed. Softness proves more durable than hardness. Assertiveness takes a back seat to gentle firmness.

T’ai Chi Chih becomes a way of life. It is true that the gentle movements of T’ai Chi Chih form a moving meditation and an exercise of great efficiency – exercising the inner organs and promoting healing – but eventually it goes beyond these and permeates the life-style of the practitioner.

With the gentle movements of T’ai Chi Chih, even if we do only a few of them repetitively, comes a quieting of the emotions as the Chi (Vital Force) circulates and is then balanced. When the Yin and the Yang Chi are brought into balance, we are in a relaxed and meditative state.

Since this is cumulative, the practice of T’ai Chi Chih in the morning upon rising, or in the afternoon before dinner, or both, can become a very pleasant habit that builds up the Vital Force stored in the bones and below the navel.

With this accumulation we begin to notice the rapid growth of intuition, of creativity, and energy, and a strength far different from muscular strength … we find a growth of confidence, a belief in ourselves and our centre of being.

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Seijaku – Advanced T’ai Chi Chih

Advanced T’ai Chi Chih is known as Seijaku, a Japanese word
for “Serenity in the midst of activity”.  Seijaku introduces an
element of what is referred to as Resistance or hardness to the
soft moves of T’ai Chi Chih.

It omits Light at the Top of the Head and Light at the Temple and uses a slight variation in form for Bird Flaps its Wings, Carry the Ball to the Side, and Cosmic Consciousness Pose. Seijaku also includes some preliminaries before Rocking Motion,  as well as what is referred to as the Jing, plus 3 meditations, and The Joy Song which Justin himself wrote.

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Supportive videos and other Resource Materials

Under the drop-down Menu for Moves, Videos and Other Resources  you will find information regarding supportive printed material as well as links for teaching and practice recordings which you can follow along with  for practising on your own at home. The recordings include:

** DVDs and digital recordings by Justin Stone
** DVD recording of Seated T’ai Chi Chih by T’ai Chi Chih Teacher,  Guide  and Teacher Trainer, Sandy McAlister
** DVD recording by Pam Towne, T’ai Chi Chih Teacher and Teacher Trainer
** Two of my personal recordings, one a teaching/practice session and one a silent practice
** Two recordings of outdoor practices led by another fellow teacher, Chris Norkus
** Web site recordings for all the moves by T’ai Chi Chih teacher, Amy Tysinkski as well as a recording of a TED Talk which Amy gave on Teaching T’ai Chi Chih to High School Students

Re-lax and  En-JOY!

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