Practicing TCC as a Couple

T’ai Chi Chih (TCC) is a powerful practice of mindfulness, anchoring us in the present moment. Jon Kabat-Zinn (founder of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction) has said that “ultimately, mindfulness is intimacy — with ourselves and the world.” Intimacy in and out of the bedroom is an essential ingredient in romantic relationships.

Soon after my husband and I became accredited TCC teachers, we also began coaching couples in relationship and marriage skills, with an emphasis on spiritual development. We always included some TCC instruction because we found that when a couple did the movements together, a heartfelt connection would quickly develop between them. The energy of that connection deepened more when the couple faced each other.

This deep connection became the foundation of everything else we introduced to couples for the next twenty-five years.  Richard and I often do our own practice facing each other. This shared experience continues to enhance our 40-year relationship. The mindful intimacy awakened when practicing TCC allows us to shift together toward a profound experience of what Justin Stone called the Essence, the Real. What could be more intimate than that?