Dahn Yoga MA Member’s blog

If we practice breathing and movements that involve rotating the bones and twisting the muscles, waste materials stagnating in the body are effectively eliminated and new energy is delivered deep into the muscles. Movements that twist and squeeze the muscles also activate the capillaries, invigorating Ki and blood circulation.

Angling the wrists, ankles, knees, elbows and other joints facilitates Ki circulation. Merely raising the little finger slightly to give it an angle causes Ki to circulate to the entire body.

Dahnhak Ki-gong by Ilchi Lee causes energy to circulate to every corner of the body through the meridians, blood vessels, and nerves. Once energy circulates throughout the entire body, the chest begins to feel comfortable as the functions of the internal organs are improved and the mind is cleared and refreshed. Swallowing the sweet saliva that is produced at this time results in the natural healing of most diseases in the body. Mentally, as we become linked to the energy source of the infinite universe, various potentials manifest themselves in us.

Humans are the manufacturers and distributors of information. We are the owners and consumers of infor mation. We have the right to repair any malfunctioning information, and to throw any unusable information onto the garbage heap. Only good information can repair bad information. Information can only be changed by information

Now that we know what the prescription is, how do we take it? We take it through the brain.  Furthermore Ilchi Lee tells that our brain is the system into which information enters to be processed and stored. We utilize the information in our brains to develop a system of living called civilization. Therefore, understanding the brain is analogous to understanding humans, and consequently the civilization that has been wrought by humans.

Everyone has a brain. However, not many of us live our lives as masters of our own brains. Most of us allow others to run our brains for us, with information that they have manufactured and promoted. From the moment of our birth, our brain has been subject to information that has been fabricated by others. This began with our parents and their preconceptions of the world, which then became our preconceptions. In school, our brains became the domain of the teachers; in church, our brains became the domain of the preachers; in temples our brains were the domain of bonzes or rabbis. Unless you have a certain protective filter with which to judge information that comes into your brain, and are able to compare it to standards that you have set for yourself, it soon becomes very difficult to assess which information is good for you. Thus you allow external information to control the workings of your brain.

However, when the emotions of the moment pass, and they do pass, and we have performed these ‘acts of justice,’ we are often left with an empty feeling of loss and sadness. And ultimately we are left asking: “Why do these things continue to happen?”

It is because individuals have allowed information to become paramount to their own souls. They have let their guard down.

The question we are left with is, “How do we make sure that this never happens again?” Can it be through retribution? Perhaps that will provide a respite in the short run, but ultimately, it will create more ‘martyrs-to-be’ than peace. No, the cause of all conflict is information. The only way to stop this cycle of violence is to erase bad information and to replace it with good information. What is good information then? It is information that will allow your soul to grow, information that will allow our consciousness to evolve to a higher level and information that will contribute to the betterment of the world’s people and the Earth. This is the most fundamental way to heal society.

Read some useful articles about Dahn and Hak Yoga by Ilchi Lee.

Join with the rest of America and the world in praying for the souls of the departed and their families. As I spend the majority of my time in the United States. Ilchi Lee feel unbounded love for the often-breathtaking beauty of the land, and the everlasting warmth of her people. I was personally shaken by this tragedy. This is indeed a time of grief and reflection, not only for a nation, but also for all of humanity. The attacks were horrifying to us not only because of the magnitude of destruction they wrought, not because they occurred in our backyard, and not because they threatened security in our very homes. Ultimately it was because of our inability to understand the depth of hatred that lay behind these actions. There is a wall of ‘unknowability’ of the sheer rage exhibited by such actions. What could drive human beings, to purposely sacrifice their own lives to kill and maim thousands of innocent others in order to make a point?

When I look at the horrific aftermath of the attacks, I ask: “What point could possibly have been so important to cause such bloodshed?” “What cause could possibly have been so crucial to cause bodies and limbs to rain down on the streets of New York City?” “What national or international interest can be so paramount that innocent babies must be riddled with nails from a crude bomb, or a child be shot and bleed to death next to his father?”

We feel anger, rage, and an urge to retaliate against the perpetrators of these dastardly deeds. We want justice served, which often means inflicting the same or greater amount of pain on the parties responsible for these acts.

The motivation of a terrorist comes from information that caters to satisfying the collective ego of the particular group to which the terrorist belongs. In order to satisfy the collective ego of the group, an individual will commit terrible acts of violence. His or her brain has been injected by information that not only justifies such actions in the name of country, god, tradition, history, etc., but also glorifies them.

The group reserves the highest places of honor for the heroes who have advanced the cause of their egotism. Therefore, the reality behind any action is the information that drives it. Bin Laden may die. but the information that defines him will not. After his death, the information will just transfer to a different host, and continue its destructive work. What does this tell us about the nature of human beings?

The value of a human being depends on the quality of information held in his or her brain. Depending on whether that information is positive or negative, destructive or constructive, loving or hateful, the direction and destiny of the person’s life will be determined. However, the most important point, that we must never forget, is that no piece of information is more important than the soul. Even the gods and religions that make up our faith traditions are merely information that has been received into our brains from birth. That information did not create our souls.

All about Ilchi Lee.

Let’s say you have in front of you, the worst terrorist in the history of humankind, perhaps even Bin Laden himself. Say he is sleeping, with a face that is almost angelic, without a trace of evil. At this moment, can you call him the devil? Or is he good? Can you apply any value judgment to this person at this moment? He is neither devil nor angel. He is just a person sleeping. While sleeping, the various forms of information in his head: knowledge, intellect, will, ambition, personality, etc., are dormant in his brain and thereby powerless to influence his surroundings. It is the information inside a brain that makes a person into the devil or an angel. Depending on the information and the source of information that a person chooses to accept, he or she may stand on the side of God or Satan.

Here Ilchi Lee says that I’m sure that terrorists have parents, brothers and sisters. I’m sure that terrorists have wives or husbands or girlfriends or boyfriends who love them. And I am also sure that each one of the terrorists was the light of someone’s life. The terrorists gave their lives willingly because they held a piece of information, or belief in this case, that was stronger than their instinctive hold on their very lives. They probably thought of themselves as great martyrs up to, and beyond, the moment of their own death. And were without any sense of guilt, because this information represented the overriding value in their lives. A person thus polluted by bad information not only disgraces himself but also disgraces his god, for he always justifies his actions by his faith or belief. Unfortunately, God is helpless against being painted by this same terrorist stroke because God cannot appear in court to defend himself.

Despite the obviousness of this, people do not realize that they have come to Earth and that Earth is the foundation of life. Nations, religions, and all else exist because of the Earth. Even space travel exists because of the Earth. However, there is no school that teaches this.  According to Ilchi Lee book there is no curriculum that expounds on the relationship between Earth and humanity. If we were to realize the true meaning of Earth and Earth-Humans, then it would be impossible to hate each other as we do today.

We did not come to the Earth to compete against one another as separate entities. We came to the Earth to found a peaceful global community centered on Earth, as a cosmic exercise in the evolution of our awareness and the growth of our souls. Only we can institute world peace. Not the moon, the stars, or even the sun. Only we, the Earth-Humans, whose awareness has expanded enough to see the reality of the Earth and earth’s community of interwoven life, are capable of creating lasting peace on Earth. An Earth-Human can go beyond the boundaries of nation and religion, because his expanded consciousness recognizes the fleeting nature of artificial separation that imprisons us. We will no longer belong to one particular people, country, or religion. We will belong to the Earth, and her all-enveloping wholeness.

For an Earth-Human, the standards by which he or she lives will be determined by conscience that arises out of awareness that the Earth is at the root of all. An Earth-Human will gladly take responsibility for the future of the Earth, for an expanded awareness demands nothing less. To become an Earth-Human is to realize your spiritual heritage of enlightenment.

PURPOSE: Assesses lower-body strength, which is needed for numerous tasks, such as climbing stairs, walking, and getting out of a chair, tub, or car.

HOW TO TEST: Sit in a chair with your arms folded across your chest. Stand up, and then sit down again. Count the number of full stands you can complete in 30 seconds.

ARM CURL

PURPOSE: Tests upper-body strength, which is needed to perform household chores and other activities involving lifting and carrving items, such as groceries, suitcases, and grandchildren. HOW TO TEST: Sit in a chair with one arm at your side, holding a hand weight—5 pounds (2.27 kilograms) for women and 8 pounds (3.63 kilograms) for men. Bend the elbow and bring the weight up to shoulder height, then extend the arm again to complete one biceps curl. Count the number of biceps curls that can be completed in 30 seconds.

About Ilchi Lee

The Senior Fitness Test provides an easy and effective way to measure the strength, flexibility, and endurance of older adults without sophisticated equipment. Safe and enjoyable for older adults, it also meets scientific standards for reliability and validity. Developed by In Full Bloom coauthor Jessie Jones, Ph.D., and her colleague Roberta Rikli, Ph.D., its accompanying performance norms are based on actual performance scores of over seven thousand men and women between the ages of sixty and ninety-four. When completing the test, do the best you can, but do not overextend yourself or push yourself beyond what you consider safe. Prior to testing, complete a five- to ten-minute warm-up and general stretching routine.

This test was not developed specifically for use with the Brain Education System Training (BEST) method, but it is a great accompaniment. It is especially helpful for assessing progress during step one, which emphasizes the connection of body and brain. If you work with older adults, or if you would like to assess your own condition, try using this test before you begin. Usually it takes approximately three months of consistent practice to fully experience the benefits of BEST, so it is preferable to retest every three to six months.

Read Ilchi Lee books about Brain Education System Training (BEST).

In Oriental medicine, the Yong-chun is one of the most important energy points. Yong-chun means “like spring water spouts out of the earth, life en-ergy is created inside the body.” It is believed to be a source of great vitality and courage for your life. This same concept is represented in the West in the term “cold feet,” which suggests that courage is somehow connected to circulation in the feet.

Yong-chun is located in the front third of the sole, right under the ball of the foot, between the second and big toes. It is located in the indention where the sole print creates an upside-down V shape.

To stimulate the Yong-chun, stand up straight and comfortably, and lean forward about one degree from the center of the sole. When standee ing this way, your weight naturallv shifts to the Yong-chun. As vou do this, concentrate on your Yong-chun and use the strength of vour toes. Since the weight is now evenly distributed throughout the bodv, the joints won’t have the burden of bearing your entire weight. You mav notice that it is hard to stand still in this posture because your body will want to spring forward naturallv with little effort.

Now walk forward, concentrating on the Yong-chun and using the strength of your toes, as if you were grabbing the earth. As your weight is placed on your toes, all the weight that was on the heels will move to the front.

Read more articles about walking principles by Ilchi Lee.