TCC Sacred Practice Spaces

Bruce Childs, Barnstable, Massachusetts

Pamela Adelstein, MD, says that “A space can be sacred, providing those who inhabit a particular space with a sense of transcendence — being connected to something greater than oneself. The sacredness may be inherent in the space, as for a religious institution or a serene place outdoors.”

I fondly remember my first impressions of quietude and “a sense of transcendence” at the T’ai Chi Chih Center in Albuquerque. Clearly, the center radiated an inherent sense of sacredness, in no small part due to the presence of Justin Stone and his students and teachers. Justin’s numerous paintings and books inspired everyone who stepped across the threshold. A visit to the center was to experience a place apart. I was continually drawn back to the T’ai Chi Chih (TCC) community in search of quiet comfort in body and mind.

Some years later I remain curious as to how my students feel about the spaces in which they learn and practice, both inside buildings and outdoors. So, I asked a friend, June, a seasoned TCC practitioner, how she might describe her ritual, her personal experience of practicing TCC and what keeps bringing her to weekly open practices.

June wrote the poem in response. She doesn’t say so directly, but I believe she is characterizing the sacredness of the architectural space and her inner, personal space.