Regular Practice = Mindful Attention and Awareness

From experience we know that the more we practice T’ai Chi Chih (TCC) the more benefits we receive. As we are reminded: “The effects of T’ai Chi Chih are cumulative. Therefore, consistency of practice is vital in order to experience the maximum benefits.”

Justin Stone also emphasized: “All that is needed is to practice the movements regularly — for 10 or 15 minutes in the morning and 10 or 15 minutes in late afternoon or early evening.” … “It is application — consistent daily practice — that gets results.”

Building on these insights, a group of TCC teachers set out to design a study aligned with the themes of the upcoming 2026 Science of T’ai Chi & Qigong as Whole Person Health Conference. We wanted TCC to be represented, and unlike the 2023 conference, the only way to participate as presenters this time would be to share findings from a scientific study.

Using the free Mindful Attention and Awareness Scale (MAAS), Anita Vestal, Jessica Lewis, and Adam Lacey created a survey to explore whether — and how — practicing TCC is associated with mindfulness. They began the project in May with limited resources and later received a $300 grant from the TCC Foundation, which allowed them to purchase professional support for database development and data analysis. Still, resources remained scarce. When they appealed for help during the 2025 TCC teacher conference, Greg Berg stepped forward. His expertise quickly became invaluable at every stage of the process, and with that, the “T’ai Chi Chih Research Group” was born.

More than 400 teachers and students have completed the mindfulness survey, and the research team is deeply grateful for this enthusiastic response. Preliminary findings show modest but clear associations — what researchers call “significant differences,” meaning the results are not random. Specifically, the group found that the more frequently we practice, and the longer we sustain our practice over the years, the higher we tend to score on measures of mindfulness.

From the beginning, the project had two main objectives:

• To gain insights to share with the TCC community

• To submit a research abstract to the sponsors of the 2026 Tai Chi & Qigong Whole Person Health Conference, hosted by the Osher Center for Integrative Health (a collaboration between Harvard Medical School and Brigham & Women’s Hospital). If accepted, the group will be invited to present their findings during a “poster presentation.”

The group plans to continue collecting survey responses until the end of November 2025, after which another round of analysis will be conducted (pending additional funding). While financial and technical limitations may restrict how far this quantitative study can be extended, one member of our group hopes to follow up with a qualitative study, gathering stories and perspectives from teachers and students to add depth and nuance to the data.

Going forward, the group hopes to explore the relationship between mindfulness and TCC in greater depth and from a new perspective. While the MAAS surveys provided useful insights, they could not capture the richness of personal experiences. To that end, TCC teachers and longtime students will be invited to participate in one-to-one or small group interviews (30 to 60 minutes via Zoom). With your consent, these conversations will be recorded, though your identity will remain anonymous. Your lived experience will play an important role in deepening the world’s understanding of the mindfulness components inherent to TCC.

Our TCC community has always been attuned to broader visions of integrative health. As Carmen Brocklehurst once said: “We tend to separate our mind, body, and emotions. But the true demonstration of spiritual growth is integrating these three elements and then bringing them to bear in a situation.”

The TCC Research Group submitted its abstract in September and will continue to share updates as the project develops. If you have skills in scientific research or are affiliated with an institution (such as a university, medical center, or nonprofit) that can receive funding and are interested in joining in the fun, you will be welcome.

Editor’s Note: Quotations from T’ai Chi Chih! Joy Through Movement Photo Text