US T'ai Chi Training Summer 2016

Week Two for all Students, Including Beginners

Building on the work of our recent Summer and Winter Trainings, the curriculum we now offer for all class levels has been refined to provide a more clear and effective path to learning and mastering the art of Tai Chi Chuan.

Classes and apprenticeships will be taught with the help of our most experienced and accomplished teachers, fresh from a week of their own practice and enrichment together. 

Whether you are a new beginner, an advanced Push Hands student, or an apprentice teacher wanting to learn to teach the next level, you can be sure that plenty of time will be devoted to your level of study.

The tentative schedule, arrival/departure times, cost, meal options, accommodations and travel information are shown below.

Hope to see you there!

Best,

David Goodell

Training Coordinator

Tentative Week Two Schedule

  6:30 – 7:45 PH 4 -7 

  7:30    Morning Rounds

  7:45 – 8:45 Breakfast 

   9:00 – 10:00 Public form classes (beginning through advanced)/Apprenticeships*

10:15 – 11:15 Time In The Art for everyone

11:15 – 11:30 Tea Break

11:30 – 12:30 Public form classes/Apprenticeships

12:30 – 1:30 Lunch

  1:45 – 2:45 Push Hands for everyone

  3:00 – 4:00 Sword/Fencing

  4:00 – 4:15 Tea Break

  4:15 - 4:45  Meditation

  4:45 – 5:45 Hall of Happiness

  5:45 – 7:00 Dinner

  7:15 – 8:30 African drumming

  8:45    Live Music, Movie Night, etc.

* Please note that we may add classes based on the needs of those who register.

Arrival/Departure Times

Cost

Event Fee for one week $800

All Meals $420

Breakfast only  $120 

Lunch Only  $140

Dinner Only  $200 

Room*  $500 

Tent Camping onsite (no camper vehicles onsite or in parking lots please)   Free

Please note that the number of available beds onsite is limited.   Registrations postmarked by May 15 qualify for an early bird discount of $50. 

Cancellation Policy – cancellations by June 15 will receive a full refund.  From June 15 through July 14 cancellations will receive a refund less a $150 Administration Fee.  No refunds after July 14.

*  Most rooms are shared.  The few private rooms are very small, so we have priced them the same. Cabins are rustic and share showers and water facilities with campers.  If you want a private room or cabin, please let us know when you register.  They will be assigned on a first come – first served basis. 

Meals

Photo by Karen Kohlhaas

The food is superb -- expertly prepared from local, mostly organic, fresh-picked produce, meat, fish and eggs.  End of July is a great 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.

Accommodations

Whidbey Institute offers comfortable shared and small private rooms onsite in the Farmhouse and at Granny's house.  Three small, rustic cabins, and a beautiful meadow surrounded by tall evergreens for tent camping are also available.  (Please do not bring your camper van or trailer as they do not have a place for you to stay in them.)

What to Bring

The weather here in the summer is usually sunny, in the 70s with a light breeze during the day. Nights typically cool off to the high 50s.  There are places to hike and beaches a short drive away, however, the water is cold.  Great for walking the beach or wading, but chilly for swimming.  Based on that, I suggest you bring the basics listed below:

Travel Information

Photo by David Goodell

Best way to Whidbey Island from SEATAC airport and back again is the Whidbey/SEATAC Shuttle. If you are taking the shuttle, I recommend that you allow at least two hours for the return trip from Whidbey to SEATAC, which includes the ride on the ferry back to the mainland.  Please note you need to book your shuttle ticket to Langley, about two miles from the Whidbey Institute, and back to SEATAC airport in advance.  Cost for the round trip is currently $74 ($68 for seniors).                                                                                   

Langley to Whidbey Institute:  We will provide rides from Langley to the Whidbey Institute once you arrive, and back to Langley where you can catch the shuttle when its time to go home. Once the ferry docks on Whidbey Island, please give Bill a call at 336-601-8625.  He’ll bring you to the Institute from where the shuttle leaves you at the gas station, also known as the Langley stop.  We can provide this more efficiently if you let us know in advance when you plan to arrive at Langley, and when you need to return.        

                                                                                                                                     

Cars:  You can rent a car at the airport.  However, the shuttle has priority boarding onto the ferry.  Early mornings have little wait time for boarding the ferry, which runs on the half hour, but as the day wears on there can be a wait time for private cars of two hours to get onto the ferry. You may also encounter Friday morning rush hour traffic on I-5 as you head back to the airport. I suggest checking the ferry schedule and expected wait times so you allow sufficient travel time if you are driving back to the airport.  The round trip ferry ride for a car is currently $16.60.

                                             

Please contact me (davidgoodell@earthlink.net) with any questions.          

                                                                                                                        

Before or after the training, consider allowing time to explore some of the nearby national parks, such as the Olympic National Park, Mount Ranier, or the Butchart Gardens in Victoria, Canada, with their unparalleled beauty and diverse eco-systems. Bring your hiking shoes and camera!