A tantric coach has suggested a simple daily practice that could help couples feel more connected and reduce stress in their relationship.

Steffo Shambo, founder of Tantric Academy, which specializes in tantric practices and men’s coaching, said practicing a six-second kiss daily could help limit the amount of relationship-damaging stress produced by the body.

Shambo explained that the same characteristics that make extended kissing so powerful also create hormonal changes that strengthen the bonds of relationships.

Hormonal Impact

“Kissing has a lot of hormonal benefits that can affect the body, which decreases the absorption of stress,” he said.

Instead of being absorbed into the nervous system and processed by the brain as anxiety, the body releases oxytocin, reducing the amount of cortisol that is produced.

Cortisol is a stress hormone created as the body responds to pressure, and a build-up contributes to unpleasant relationship symptoms like disconnection and irritability.

Connection Benefits

Shambo added that kissing is rich in bonding elements we tend to run low on while busy.

“Kissing also replenishes connection because it is full of oxytocin and intimacy,” he explains, “These specific elements are depleted from the relationship when living stressful lives.”

Presence Practice

Shambo says that oxytocin supports trust and emotional function, while presence is crucial to maintaining connection levels and relationship health.

Shambo added that daily kisses were obviously better than occasional romance.

“Just remember, several seconds of connected kissing is better than any distracted intimacy. Spending at least six seconds in a mindful, connected kiss can help couples slow down and reconnect. The short timeframe used highlights how powerful even small bits of focused intimacy can be, but also that six seconds is nothing in the life you and your partner could build together,” he said.

How It Can Help Couples

Relationship struggles result from a combination of processes that occur after we disconnect physically.

In addition to stress buildup, lack of physical touch causes you to feel more isolated, which can leave you emotionally distant. This, as well as disturbed intimacy from busy lives, can all combine to make you feel extremely disconnected from your partner over time.

A consistent practice of six-second kissing can help couples rebuild their connection over time.