January 2026: Letter from a practicing clinical psychologist
My name is Rick Griffin and I am a practicing clinical psychologist. I have taken tai chi classes with a number of different instructors over the past 20 years. Without question Master Rodney Batiste is the best instructor I have ever had. I am delighted to recommend Master Batiste who is an extraordinary tai chi teacher who combines exceptional skill with genuine warmth and humor. His classes are thoughtfully structured, blending tai chi with mindfulness and meditation in a way that strengthens both body and mind.
Each session begins with gentle, purposeful warm-ups that build strength, stamina and balance and he always explains how these movements connect to the principles of tai chi. He has a natural ability to make students feel comfortable while encouraging everyone to reach their personal best. What truly stands out, though, is how easily he connects with his students on a personal level. He offers encouragement, insight and humor that keeps his students engaged and improving.
Master Batiste’s unique emphasis on mindfulness through guided imagery, visualization, breathing techniques and focused awareness takes the tai chi experience to an entirely different level. The psychological benefits of his classes, in terms of reducing and achieving peace of mind, are invaluable. Beyond his technical expertise, Master Batiste brings a warm, affable presence to each session. He is a rare instructor who is compassionate and inspiring and brings out the best in his students through his knowledge and enthusiasm for the art.
January 2026: Letter from a student
January 10, 2026
To Whom It May Concern,
I am writing today to recommend to you Master Batiste, my Tai Chi instructor. I started Tai Chi last March – I am 74 years old and I had 2 hip replacements the previous year and my friend recommended this program to help me gain strength, balance and overall health. I have never been very committed to any kind of physical program until I started these classes with Master “B” as we like to call him.
Master “B” is incredibly knowledgeable not only of the Tai Chi art itself but also the various systems of the body and how they function together and spends time every class to teach us what he knows and what he has recently learned. Every hour class is filled with information about the art of Tai Chi, warm up exercises, mediation and mindfulness exercises and, of course, the moves of Tai Chi. Master B is passionate about reducing stress – something he said affects every aspect of your physical and mental health. Master B is incredibly patient with his students – there is never any criticism of not doing something correctly – in fact, he goes to great lengths to tell us to do what we can and accepts our physical limitations without judgement.
I am so thankful my friend recommended Master Batiste to me – he is changing my life for the better!! I would encourage anyone to enroll in his classes – you won’t be disappointed.
Janet Gomez Retired Department of the Navy Civil Servant
Assistant Principal, Achilles Elementary School, January 2026
Dear Mr. Batiste,
Thank you so much for coming to Achilles Elementary to offer our Staff a Tai Chi Class as part of our Wellness offerings to teachers and staff during your community outreach month. Our staff enjoyed the opportunity to take a moment out of their Teacher Workday to learn how to reset, breathe deeply, and relieve stress. After the session, our teachers shared how they felt more relaxed and learned a strategy to deep breathe at their desks when moments get stressful.
Thank you again for taking the time to come to Achilles and share your expertise and wisdom with our staff. We are so grateful for you!
Sincerely, klöp/’1L11/(L
Stephanie McGuire, Ph.D.
Assistant Principal Achilles Elementary
January 2026: Doctor
Dear Sirs,
I am writing a recommendation for Master Rodney Batiste as a Tai Chi Instructor. I have been taking his Tai Chi classes at the Riverside Wellness Center in Gloucester for 6 months, and have found them very informative and inspiring. Master Batiste’s background in Martial arts is well known, and can be found online. My background includes a Bachelor of Science, and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from The Ohio State University in 1983. My husband and I had a private small animal veterinary practice near West Point, VA, and we are now retired. My previous experience learning Tai Chi was from 1999 to 2008. I had taken several courses with the now retired instructor for Williamsburg Recreation Department, as well as several weekend seminars around Virginia during that period. In all those classes, Tai Chi was mentioned as having health benefits, but the entire instruction was about “The Form” and learning its movements. Perhaps it seemed we would magically obtain those benefits just by doing the form, however, I am learning from Master Batiste that it is not the “quantity” of the forms we do, it is the “quality” of the forms, and when done correctly, even just a fraction of the form can bring health benefits. Master Batiste structures his Tai Chi classes differently, and instead of emphasizing learning all the moves in the form as the primary goal, his emphasis is on achieving the health benefits from Tai Chi at the earliest stages and even with physical limitations. He reads extensively on the health benefits, writes short inspirational handouts, and brings the information into the teaching with useful exercises. As his student, it seems he always has a lesson plan in his mind; sometimes it includes an informative lecture about an aspect of Tai Chi, sometimes it will be a new exercise, but there is always a plan. Master Batiste mentions the health benefits (see links below of some articles) of reduced stress, lower blood pressure, helps manage chronic pain, improved balance and flexibility but has also taught the tools to achieve the these goals. His classes include simple strength training, stretching and increasing blood flow to the muscles, mindful meditation to improve memory and cognition and deep breathing. He also teaches differently from other instructors by emphasizing each movement of the form as a separate entity rather than part of a long pattern, and this allows participants to learn the motions adapted in a chair, and even as mindful meditation visualizing the form without moving. He has many teaching techniques that can be adapted for different levels in his students, and has a personable style that works for varying situations. I highly recommend Master Batiste as an informative and experienced instructor in Tai Chi for health benefits.
Sincerely, Susan M Banks DVM