T'ai Chi Training Summer 2013 - A Joyful Approach

Dear Friends and Fellow T'ai Chi Enthusiasts,

We extend our warm and heartfelt invitation to you to attend the Whidbey Island Summer T'ai Chi Training this August 2 – 9, 2013.

This year we welcome students of all levels, from new beginners to our most advanced students.  Courses specifically designed to enhance your development in the art at every stage are outlined below, as well as details about the training, location, accommodations, meals, cost, travel info and nearby attractions.

The venue, weather, food and people there are extraordinary, as you can see from this video clip by Patrice Wooldridge of our time together at Whidbey last summer.

Advanced students will have coursework focused specifically on achieving a functional martial art. Teaching apprenticeships such as B1 and F1 are planned, as well as additional apprenticeships depending on interest.

This year we also welcome beginning students eager to learn Tai Chi. After hearing many glowing reports from last year's attendees, we feel inspired to share the experience with our newer students.

The unifying theme of our work will be Whole Body – Whole Being.

We will build on the progress from recent innovative trainings and go deeper at every course level.  In our form work, we are shedding rote repetition and awakening more to pure form and flow. In our more advanced levels of Push Hands and Fencing, we’ll be helping each other retain Whole Body – Whole Being awareness through our partner play … listening, adhering, and choosing to follow emptiness instead of confronting tension and resistance.

We’ll be employing meditative work to reconnect with our Whole Being and increase our listening sensitivity. We’ll also work with a powerful deep tissue self-massage method to cleanse and reunify the Whole Body, releasing buried pain, corresponding fears and habitual tensions. This will open another level of awareness and enjoyment – yes, enjoyment – in our T’ai Chi and Push Hands practice. Come, share this experience and support each other.         

      - Margaret Matsumoto, Summer Training Curriculum Director

REGISTER TODAY TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF LOWER AIRFARES, ROOM SELECTION AND THE APPRENTICESHIP OF YOUR CHOICE!

Please let us know by June 1st if you are interested in taking an apprenticeship, and of course we encourage you to REGISTER BY CLICKING ON THE LINK BELOW, and take advantage of the lower prices for airfares, the higher priority in room selection, the increased likelihood that an apprenticeship you want will be offered, and the eager anticipation of knowing you will be among so many friends for a magical experience at Whidbey this summer!

Please contact me at David Goodell (at davidgoodell@earthlink.net) with your apprenticeship requests or questions.

With every good wish,

David Goodell

Training Coordinator

Class Offerings

 The classes we plan to offer are outlined below.  Enjoy as rich and full a schedule as you like, chosen from the courses outlined below:

  Beginning and Fundamentals Students

• Morning Rounds
• Roots and Branches Qi Gong
• Intro to Cleansing Massage
• Beginning Form and/or Fundamentals Class
• African Drumming
• Introduction to Meditation

More advanced students taking apprenticeships 

• Push Hands Classes
• Apprenticeships
• Yin Hours
• Apprenticeships
• Yin Hours
• Cleansing Massage
• Hall of Happiness
• Drumming
• Meditation

 Sword/Push Hands students NOT taking apprenticeships 

• Push Hands Classes
• Advanced Cleansing Massage
• Emptiness/Adherence
• Sharing Teaching Insights
• Sword
• Hall of Happiness
• Drumming
• Meditation 

Meals

The food last year was superb -- expertly prepared from local, mostly organic, fresh-picked produce, meat, fish and eggs.  Early August is the best time of year for local produce, berries, and fruit.  No matter your special dietary needs, so long as you let us know in advance, Kirsten, the chef, will make sure you are fed with the love and goodness your own mom would want for you.  Maybe even better.  I cannot recommend her food highly enough. 

 

 

Nearby Attractions                                       

         

                           

Before or after the training, consider allowing time to explore some of the near-by national parks with their unparalleled beauty and diverse eco-systems. Bring your hiking shoes and camera!

Register Now! 

Want to Bring the Whole Family? 

Note:  For a PDF copy of this article, click on Fun for the Whole Family.

While you are enjoying a week of intensive, yet gentle, t’ai chi practice, your family can stay at one of the popular resorts near the Whidbey Institute and see the sights.   Some of the popular nearby attractions are:

Orcas Island Gem of the San Juan Islands

People visit or live here for various reasons, but all of those reasons are invariably linked to the natural beauty the island possesses. The wildlife enjoys it as well. Here, eagles soar, whales breach, various species of birds gather, deer graze contentedly and otters and fish swim in the surrounding waters.

Orcas is best described as rural. Opportunities for outdoor activities abound. Mount Constitution, the highest point in the San Juan archipelago, promises splendid vistas from its 2409-foot summit. Moran State park features several lakes which host various activities.

Miles of shoreline ribbon the island with numerous beaches, both public and private. Surrounding land masses offer the San Juans protection from harsh weather, so the islands enjoy a year round climate that is more moderate than other locations in the Pacific Northwest.

The islanders gather in several quaint villages dotted around the island, with Eastsound being the major hub of island activity. Each community is unique and celebrates its individuality in different ways throughout the year.

This beautiful island has something for everyone … kayak in the Puget Sound; climb a mountain trail to enjoy the beautiful vistas; see Orca whales and marine wildlife; stroll through Eastsound village, exploring the small town shops; enjoy a wide array of superb dining choices; or simply sit back, relax, and enjoy the natural beauty of Orcas Island. The Orcas Island Chamber of Commerce hopes a visit to our island is in your plans. Please let us know how we can help.

Cottages are available for rent.

 Mount Rainier National Park - A Source of Inspiration

Learn about glaciers. Discover life in a rainforest. Hike the Wonderland Trail. Explore subalpine ecology. Watch clouds shroud the mountain and disappear. Visit the rustic historic buildings, and perhaps stay half way up towards the summit at Paradise Inn. Dream about climbing to the summit. Study geology. Experience a mountain meadow. Listen to a glacier crack.   BE INSPIRED!  Visit http://www.visitrainier.com 

 Olympic National Park and Forest

            One Lasting Experience

Along the Pacific Ocean shore, the beaches and temperate rainforest of Olympic National Park offer stunning beauty in a natural setting unlike anything you will see anywhere else in the world.   Visit http://www.olympicnationalparks.com

 

Other Northwest Attractions

           

Seattle features art museums, live music, and superb dining in its many fine restaurants.

If you like hiking, consider some of the many trails in the Cascade Mountains and the Methow Valley an hour east of Seattle.

Take the Clipper to Victoria, British Columbia, (http://www.clippervacations.com/) for a visit to one of Canada’s most beautiful and culturally rich cities, near the famous Butchart Gardens.  Visit http://www.butchartgardens.com

 For more travel ideas to the Whidbey Island area, go to:

Click Here

We suggest that you have your family meet you at the end of your week of training so you can all enjoy the beauty of the Pacific Northwest.  If you are traveling with family, we can help you find lodging near the Whidbey Institute where you will be staying. 

If you have more questions about traveling to the Northwest, please contact David Goodell at davidgoodell@earthlink.net