Dear Friends of Charlottesville T’ai Chi Center,
Have you ever seen koi, the golden fish, gliding peacefully through a pond? They are strong swimmers who lend beauty to a garden as they move. It is said that if you leave koi in a pond without any rocks to explore, they will become sluggish, no longer skimming the water to catch the golden rays of the sun. That’s a little like what could have happened to us in the time of coronavirus. We were happily swimming along in the vast ocean of the world when suddenly we found ourselves in a little pond. We had to stay close to home. Not much space, fewer activities than we were used to. It would have been so easy to become lethargic, but CTCC gave us something to explore.
Whether you signed up for classes when CTCC began offering them on Zoom, or whether you went deeper into the forms by practicing on your own, you know how precious the things we have learned through CTCC can be. Every time we “play the lute” or “grasp the bird’s tail” it’s a little different, with something new to investigate. Even if it was hard for you to stay motivated to practice during lockdown, you had the memory of how it used to feel to practice, and the reassurance of knowing that your practice is waiting for you to return whenever you are ready.
Internal martial arts strengthen the heart/mind. We talk a lot about the health benefits of T’ai Chi, referring to physical things like balance, but our mental and emotional health is just as important. Researchers are only beginning to understand the toll that lockdown has taken on the mental health of those who were not lucky enough to be like koi in a pond filled with forms to explore, moving together and feeling the warmth of our T’ai Chi sisters and brothers.
Our annual fundraising campaign is an opportunity to express gratitude for what you have learned and to help CTCC pass on the benefits of T’ai Chi, Hsing I, and Ba Gua to others. Most of you know that class fees alone cannot cover our expenses. As a nonprofit, we also depend on tax-deductible donations to make ends meet. In these challenging times, your generosity will go farther than ever to help secure CTCC’s future, no matter how large or small the gift.
With deep appreciation,
Hiromi Johnson
Director and Founder
Charlottesville T’ai Chi Center
CTCC is a 501 (c) (3) educational nonprofit, EIN #20-1001285. Your donation is tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.