When I first started Dahn Yoga, I had all kinds of preconceptions about the teachers.

First of all, all my instructors were Korean, so that was enough to spark my misconceptions about mystical woo-woo. However, as I got to know them better, and felt the essence of what they were trying to teach me, I forgot about our differences and instead just marveled at the experience of learning what they could teach me.

I don’t regret it.

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When we look into the mirror, if there’s dust, we can’t see inside clearly.
When we see the inside of ourselves, if there are emotions, we cannot see ourselves as we really are. Dahn yoga can help you clean this dust inside of yourself.

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Dahn Yoga is a state of being in which all apparent opposites, distinctions, and states are reconciled. Dahn means “energy” and Yoga means “Union,” not only union of the parts with each other, but also union with the whole. From this state of union, we live without fragmentation or inner conflict. We are able to embrace our whole being from the surface to the depths, encompassing both our transient limitations and our perennial limitlessness. We express through our individuality the wholeness of which we are a fleeting expression. We honor and live from, by, and within our true nature. This is the key to a life of peace and contentment. Dahn Yoga strives for that.

Dahn Yoga: some other type affects the mind as much as the body. It improves concentration, increases alertness, precipitates perceptual and rational clarity, cultivates calmness, develops equanimity, instills confidence, and nourishes contentment. These benefits all depend on presence of mind during practice.

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Dahn Yoga suggests you to take good care of your brain.

1. Do a mental warm-up.
   If you are not quite ready for brain aerobics, gently coax your brain into “alert” mode. Take a single digit number and double it in your head. Double the result. the feeling of accomplishment each time you get a successful result motivates you to continue. And it will get your noggin ready for bigger jobs.
2. Solve a Sudoku puzzle.
   Crosswords, jigsaw puzzles, Rubik’s Cubes — humans are naturally drawn to brainteasers, it seems. Now comes the wildly popular Sudoku, a number puzzle that requires no math, just patience and logic. Once you do one, you may have to do another — and another.
3. Try do Brain Wave Vibration Training.
   Find a near Dahn Yoga Center and visit there. You can experience a good quality of Brain Wave Vibration Training. Wave yourself out of stress today!
4. Take an activity break
   It could be a brisk wwalk or going up and down stairs in your home or office building for 10 minutes. or it could be shooting hoops or jumping rope in the driveway for that length of time. After your break, take a piece of paper and write down the objects from the drawer.
5. Do Jangsaeng Walking
   In Dahn Yoga, we recommend Jangsaeng Walking. Please have 10 minutes available and take a walk.

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Know the Real You (Ilchi Lee)

To grow well, you must learn to watch yourself well. You must be able to step back to see the whole picture of your life, while at the same time being able to see all the things hidden deep inside. In this way, you will really be able to see the forces that shape your behavior, and you will get great insight into how to adjust them when necessary.

The most important aspect of watching is honest objectivity. Self-reflection is not self-judgment, nor is it self-absorption. When you watch yourself, just watch. Do not react emotionally to what you observe, and do not chastise or congratulate yourself for what you see. Just watch and decide what habits you want to keep, what you want to change now, and what can be dealt with later.

Your ego can distort your perception, so try to step away from it when watching yourself. If a stranger could see the content of your mind and the motivations behind your actions, what would he or she see? Your ego may try to hide from the truth of this, or it may react emotionally, both of which will not help you grow. When you watch yourself, just accept what you see with humble gratitude, and then continue to shape yourself as you see fit.

If you have any question to ask him, please use Ask Ilchi Lee.

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So there I was, stretching my legs, when it occurred to me: I’m using the exercises I learned in Dahn yoga classes more than the exercises I learned on my high school basketball team, or my college exercise theory class. What does that signify? That the exercises are more effective? That the exercises are a combination of many techniques and ideas from many sources? That it’s simply my most recent major exercise education experience?

Hm. What (not so) deep thoughts for this November morning…

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The cold weather is coming.  Some days are a little more nippy then others,  the real trouble is the undecided state of the weather.  It is the constant flux of moisture, cold air/warm air, wind, and then dryness that gives us the trouble.  In the morning dress for cold damp air and be ready for the warm dry air by afternoon.  One could blame Global Warming (which is real) but in actuality don’t forget that here on the south end of New England this the standard for as long as we’ve been recording weather patterns.  New England Clam Chowder came about because the fat content of the cream gave us long lasting fatties to continually break down keeping our abdomen warm with action for long periods of time.  The Heat of the soup instantly warming us up like a good hot liquid does and the mixture of starches, vegetables and animal proteins make it easy to begin digestion, getting nourishment quickly for the on the go laborer.  The more we learn about our Dahn Jon the more we can see that innately we’ve already been working to keep it hot with out even knowing why.  So now we have wisdom.  Now we are learning about Chun Ji Ki Un, cosmic energy.  By keeping the body freshly supplied with this Heavenly Energy we can focus our mind on the Dahn Jon and keep the body healthy through good circulation.  Chowder is still wicked good! but now we have the Human Technology (by Ilchi Lee) to avoid bad cholesterol and more over better to store up good vibrant energy that keeps us going with a cool head, “warm heart”, and hot Dahn Jon. 

Chun Ji Ki Un!, Chun Ji Ma Um!

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You could think of the brain taking a few deep breaths and sighing out “aaaahhhhhh”.  In actuality since the brain does not breathe like a human does we are talking about the wave patterns.  Beta brain waves are the sign of activity- thought processes, solving a problem, what do I do with this yellow round thing coming at my face?  How am I going to deal with not being on time?  Alpha brain waves are the signature of accomplishment; the relaxed mind enjoying the fruit of the labor.  When we meditate we synchronize our brain to the alpha pattern, a lower frequency.   There are two others corresponding to loss of space and time and then the dream state.  As we move through life it is the alpha state that allows us not to worry about being late, to live in the moment.  Accepting that here and now is the only place we can actually be.  In Dahn Hak Yoga we experience opening our body up for relaxation and meditating on the sensation of relaxation, peace, happiness, and health.  Creating the habit of consciousness that resides in the realm of the alpha wave. All four brain wave patterns are continuously running we can solve problems on many levels all the time, even when we sleep.  Are you solving the problems that cause you problems?  HSP.

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What’s the first Halloween evening you remember? Most people can remember neighborhood parties, or the house that was always wildly decorated, or the scary old lady who gave out raisins instead of candy. What do you remember?

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Every time we do dahn jon tapping it takes me a moment to catch onto the feeling.  Bounce the knees, relax the shoulders, curl the tailbone.  Then it comes together and I feel my lower abdomen warm up as the old blood circulates out and the fresh rushes in.   70% of our body’s blood supply is used for the 12 organs in the abdomen.  If we do not consciously move it out it easily stagnates - hardly any of us eat completely properly and so some portion of the inner abdomen is usually always inflamed, irritated, or in allergic response.  By gently and firmly tapping the outer abdomen the vibrations can radiate through to the kidneys breaking up stagnation.  Through reflexology we can also activate our organs as the nerves to all of our organs end in our hands and feet.

Peace and Empowerment

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