Attached at the Yurt

Talk about some serious attachment issues. Michael Roach and Christie McNally, two Buddhist teachers who travel the world meeting with their students, decided to make an unusual vow when McNally was just 24 years old and Roach 20 years her senior.

They vowed to have a monogamous relationship and to never be more than 15 feet away from each other—ever! That was 10 years ago. During that time the couple spent three years in silence inside of their Mongolian style yurt in the desert outside of Tucson, during which time their only visitors were fellow Buddhists who brought them their food. According to Roach living in such proximity to, and not being able to walk away from another human being forces you to deal with emotions like anger and jealousy.

While some might find the couple to be outrageous, others find them to be an inspiration. The couple operates a school on the same property as their yurt. Students come from as far as Australia and Israel to learn about karmic relationships. Roach and McNally believe that the better you treat people in your everyday life, the happier your personal life will be. [Nytimes.com]