Dahn Yoga Boston

Benefits: This exercise will train the muscles in your waist, buttocks, hips, thighs, and legs.

Note: Relax the chest and rotate the pelvis while keeping the upper body straight.

1.    Stand with your feet apart and knees slightly bent, making sure that your hips don’t slip backwards.

2.    Spread the legs as wide as possible and assume the horse stance so that the ligaments in the hip joint can be stretched.

3.    Rotate the pelvis and hip 10 times from left to right. Concentrate on the sensation of the pelvic movement and on exhalation. Keep the knees and chest stationary.

4.    Reverse, rotating 10 times from right to left.

Ilchi Lee information about Dahn Yoga

Ilchi Lee writes in his book that we cannot change the past. We cannot change the past because it no longer exists, but traces and consequences of our actions in the past exist in the present. When we realize that the past is only information, we will have taken our first step towards freeing ourselves from it.

Information that makes up our past can be subdivided into facts and interpretations. For example, imagine that someone slapped you in the face. How long does it take to recover physically from the impact? A few minutes? A few hours? However, the insult or emotional hurt from the slap can last far longer. Therefore, what really affects us is not the physical slap, but our interpretation and analysis of the slap.

There is a story of an ancient Korean Buddhist monk that cleverly illustrates this concept. He was on his way to a distant land when he stumbled into a dark cave. Exhausted by his efforts on the journey, he chose to spend the night inside the shelter of the cave. He was fatigued and thirst}’.

As he groped around, he found a small bowl filled with the coldest and most refreshing water he had ever tasted. He drank it and had a really good night’s sleep. The next morning he awoke and found, to his horror, that the bowl was actually an inverted human skull inside which dew and rainwater had gathered. What had been notably refreshing the night before suddenly became nauseating. In that moment, the monk’s realization of his shifted perspective triggered his enlightenment to the relative nature of fact and perception.

BR REFRESHING is THE THIRD STEP in Brain Respiration. It can be divided into two parts. In the first, we free our minds of negative preconceptions and unwanted memories. Second, we fortify ourselves against the influence of destructive information.

Our brains are constantly receiving information. According to the meaning we assign to this data, we may act in a healing and nurturing fashion, or we may act in an antagonistic and harmful manner.

Facts and Interpretations

When we allow a preconception to rule our behavior, we are actually allowing our past to control our present and future. Information that has been processed, by its very nature, is what has happened in the past. In simpler terms, the past is just another set of data. The past exists in the present only as a piece of information. We often speak of the past as if it were still alive; however, in real terms, the past has no material or physical form —it has literally passed.

Ilchi  Lee books on human brain

Benefits: According to Ilchi Lee book this exercise strengthens the abdominal muscles, stretches the spine and back muscles, and enriches blood circulation. The swinging movement keeps the intestines in their proper placement and shape and relieves constipation.

Note: This stretch is most often used as a finishing exercise because of its energizing effect. It’s good to do just after Jung-Choong Breathing postures.

1.    Lie on your back and lock your fingers together. Breathe in and extend both arms above the head. Point the toes downward and stretch the entire body. Exhale and relax. Repeat three times.

2.    Now flex your toes and shift your arms and legs to the left side and then to the right side. Synchronize your movements so that your upper and lower body move together. 70 DAMN YOGA BASICS

3.   Keep your feet together as you perform these movements. Repeat several times.

CROSSING LEGS TO FINGERS

Benefits: This exercise limbers the legs and hips, relieves tension in the back and torso, and increases spinal flexibility. It also tones abdominal muscles and massages a number of internal organs, including the liver and intestines.

Note: Do not twist your lower back or pelvis further than is comfortable. Stop if the pose causes any pain.

1.    Lie on your back with arms extended to the side. Inhale. Lift your left leg to form a 90-degree angle.

2.    Continue to hold your breath while crossing your left leg to touch your right fingers. Simultaneously, shift your eyes to the left and gaze at your left hand.

3.    Exhale. Return to Step 1. Perform on the opposite side. Repeat twice.

Exercise stimulates the energy channels on the back side of the body and enhances blood circulation to the heart. Ilchi Lee tells that it stretches the arm and shoulder muscles, and optimizes the function of the liver and other organs.

Note: Breathe deeply in each position, and let yourself stretch a little further with each inhalation.

1.    Put your feet together and clasp your hands together.

2.    Breathing in, lift your hands with palms facing the sky until your arms are touching your ears on either side. Turn your palms toward the sky.

3.      At the same time, lift your heels and tilt your head backward to look at your hands.

4.    Lower your hands slowly as you breathe out.

5.    Repeat the motion with your arms raised and palms up. Inhale and tilt your whole body to the right side as far as it can go without losing your balance. Hold your breath and feel your whole left side being stretched.

6.    Lower your hands and return to the upright position as you breathe out.

7.    Repeat the motion, now moving to the left. Feel your whole right side being stretched.

8.    Lower your hands and return to the upright position as you breathe out.

9.    Breathe in as you bend forward at your waist and try to touch the ground with your palms. Be careful not to bend your knees. Try to touch your knees with your forehead, or come as close as you can.

10.    Return to the starting position as you breathe out.

11.    Repeat the whole cycle four times.

Ilchi Lee writes that your tailbone is one of the most overlooked parts of the body, yet its position during your training exercises is the key to achieving optimal physical and mental well-being.

Jung-Choong Breathing embodies postures and breath work. It focuses on exhalation and proper positioning, letting inhalation happen naturally, without any conscious, intentional control. The angle of the taifbone is critical to the flow of energy in the body. Just as the internal organs are supported by the tailbone, so is our energy system.

In the embryonic stage, we all have a tail, but it is soon enveloped by the body as it enters the fetal stage of development. So, in fact, you still have a tail now, but it is inside your body, in the form of your very important but largely misunderstood tailbone.

You may have learned in biology that the human tailbone is “vestigial,” meaning that it is an evolutionary “leftover,” with no practical use for the modern human body. As it turns out, the tailbone is very important for the structure and support of the body-and the flow of energy throughout it.

First of all, the human tailbone acts as a cushion for the spine. The tail-bone is actually constructed of three to five bones that are loosely hinged together. Whenever we sit down, the three bones curi under, acting as a shock absorber to protect the spine.

The tailbone also supports internal organs because many of the muscles that support the abdomen connect to it. Essentially, the muscles of the lower abdominal cavity form a “hammock” that supports all the surrounding organs, attaching on the front to the forward pelvis and on the back to the lower spine and tailbone.

Jung is a Korean word meaning vital energy, while Choong refers to fulfillment. Ideally, the process of breathing creates life energy, which is then accumulated in the Dahn-jon. However, this doesn’t happen all the time. Why? Because the body is not properly positioned to gather the energy.

To gather energy, the outflow valve of the energy has to be closed. The hip joint, in conjunction with the tailbone, works as the valve for energy flow in the human body. Curling up the tailbone is very important because it helps to form a proper angle for gathering energy while causing a light tension in the Dahn-jon. Once the appropriate body position is taken, Ki generated by breathing is naturally gathered at the Dahn-jon. This gathered energy creates natural pressure around the abdomen, allowing proper energy circulation to happen naturally.

For deep and natural breathing, the blockage around the chest caused by stress has to be opened. Breathe naturally, focusing on the exhalation. Relaxing your chest and upper body will help you. To open up the blockages, exhale with the mouth open slightly at the beginning stage, making a “ha-ah” sound through the throat to deeply release stagnant energy from the inside of the chest. After a certain time of exhaling this way, you may breathe with the mouth closed. As for the principles, Jung-Choong Breathing is not very different from the traditional breathing techniques. The distinction of Jung-Choong Breathing lies in its focus on natural breathing in a proper position instead of concentration on and intentional control of breathing.

Benefits: This exercise will help you reduce tension and stagnant energy from your whole body. It enhances blood and Ki circulation and relaxes the body.

Note: Breathe naturally and comfortably while rhythmically bouncing the entire body up and down.

1.    Stand with the legs shoulder-width apart.

2.    Bend the knees slightly and begin to bounce gently.

3.    Rhythmically bounce the entire body up and down. Sweep the sides of your body with your fingertips as you bounce.

4.    Turn the body 45 degrees to the left and rhythmically bounce the entire body up and down.

5.    Turn the body 45 degrees to the right side and rhythmically bounce the entire body up and down.

Ilchi Lee tells that another important benefit of Jung-Choong Breathing postures involves a core energy principle called “Water Up, Fire Down.” As the Dok-maek, or Governing Meridian, that runs along the back is opened through the postures, cool water energy from the kidneys flows up easily to the head. In turn, by opening the Im-maek, or Conception Meridian that runs down the front of the body, hot fire energy from the chest is carried down toward the abdomen. As a result, the healthy energy state known as “Water Up, Fire Down” is restored.