“Are you holding classes this summer?”
This time of year, we are often asked this question. The answer is “No regularly scheduled classes over summer.”
Why?
When we first began teaching in Spokane in 1993, our classes were held at the old YMCA building in Riverfront Park. Class attendance was robust with 15 to 20 registering for our classes – except summer. For several years in a row, we tried different formats for summer classes, and each attempt followed the same pattern: by the fourth summer class only one or two students would attend. One year we offered an early morning (7:00 am) half-hour “Tai Chi in the Park” on the lawn in front of the YMCA building. Same result as the other summer classes.
For many Spokane residents, their energy is directed outward (yang) in the summer, and we found that some students had difficulty moving into the receptive (yin) energy needed for successful learning in class. Families with school-aged children found their schedules completely changed in the summer and focused on their children. As one intermediate student offered: “Why be inside at a class when I could be sitting on my deck in the beautiful, warm evening.” Good point.
So, we decided to “Follow the Energy”, and we stopped offering summer classes. It was nice to take a break from teaching and focus on our own private T’ai Chi Ch’uan practice. Teaching does take time and energy, and the teacher’s private practice usually suffers if time is short. We would return refreshed and recharged to regularly scheduled classes in the fall.
This summer we are offering two workshops for our current students (July 13 and August 10). These 2-hour evening classes are designed to support the continuing practice of those students who have just started their studies during the past six months.
Will they be successful? We will see. In this case, we are just “Following the Energy.” It will be an adventure in any case.
Sifu Jim