Lunar New Year Events--great parties planned in multiple locations. Check out the list on the website.

SUN 73 TRAINING OPPORTUNITY

SAVE THE DATE: Tai Chi Vermont will hold our biennial Sun 73 Tai Chi instructor certification/recertification training on Thursday, September 17 & Friday, September 25 (yes, eight days apart!) in the beautiful Fellowship Hall at Charlotte Congregational Church, from 9-4 (8:45 arrival/check-in each day.) Registration for this training will open Saturday, August 8 and close Saturday September 5. Look for more details in upcoming newsletters.

Note: Recertification in Sun 73 will also recertify you in Fall Prevention Tai Chi, levels 1-3.

IN THE MEANTIME: Ellie Hayes, Laurie Knauer, and Beverly Blakeney will be offering a series of four in-person Sun 73 Enrichment Workshops at centrally-located St John’s Episcopal Church in Randolph on these dates: Thursday, April 30; Thursday, May 28; Thursday, June 25 and Thursday, August 6, from 9-12 each day. Online registration for these workshops will open on February 28. Registrants will receive a video link before each workshop, covering the upcoming section of the Sun 73 form we will be focusing on, so the earlier you register, the more time you will have to practice with the instructional videos.

Feel free to reach out to Ellie with any questions: dragondance60@gmail.com

Two Wonderful Enrichment Series

Standing Meditation--2/12 and 3/19. These Zoom sessions will be led by Ellie Hayes and Beverly Blakeney and run from 10-11 a.m. To register, click here.

Moving from the Inside Out: Enriching the Fundamental Exercises--First session of 3 is on 3/13. Sessions will be led by Jo Bregnard and Zhen Wolffe and run from 1:30-3:00. Hybrid Format (in person at Springfield UU and via Zoom). To register, click here.

For Information about the Upcoming Fall Prevention Tai Chi Level One training, see the website.

What can go wrong will go wrong, by Anne Bower

You'd think that after 5+ years of teaching tai chi on Zoom I would be in fine control of the technology. Think again. Recently, my camera would not open. I got that little image of a camera with a line through it and nothing--I mean nothing I tried would turn it on. Luckily, two people in the class were instructors, so I turned things over to them and watched everyone doing their forms.

It was amazing. I got to watch carefully, offer some suggestions, and have good conversations with everyone about their successes and questions.

When class finished I was able to work with a tech person to get the camera turned back on.

But at the very next class the camera decided to track me around the room, which didn't work at all. I had to be "headless" in the image people saw on the screen in order for them to see the forms as we worked along. We had good laughs, we got to focus on feet and hands, and after that class finished I was able to go into my laptop's settings and turn off the camera tracking command.

The frustrations of technology--I tell ya!!

Winter Amazement

As this newsletter goes "to press" the snow and frigid termperatures have become a big feature in all our lives. Here's hoping you are taking care of yourselves as you shovel, plow, etc. and that you can enjoy the snow safely.

With the Year of the Horse starting up in February, practicing your "horse stance" while shoveling can be helpful. Use those big leg and butt muscles instead of relying on your back.

Try tai chi in the snow and then check out the footprints you leave--you may be surprised by how small an area you take up! Or you may find that your prints create a more beautiful pattern than you'd imagined would be possible.