Do your legs get tight and heavy sometimes after a long day of walking or standing up? Try this exercise for quick relief!
I have been a Dahn Yoga member for 4 years now and am involved in several classes that are being taught at no cost in the Greater Boston area. Some of these classes
have been running for 7-10 years. When I realized that the average member at the center has no idea about these classes are happening, I decided to share about them. They have been such a special experience. Here is a brief glimpse.
The longest on-going class (started in 2000 by Danielle Gaudette, Boston Regional Director of Dahn Yoga Centers) takes place at the Sunrise Assisted Living Center in Arlington. Once a week, we hold a class in the community room with 10-12 residents attending. Several BMC graduates alternate weeks of teaching, and the staff frequently attend if their work schedule permits. The activities director tells us how much the residence look forward to our visit, and the volunteer instructors share the same.
The class at the community health center in Dorchester has also been ongoing for many years (since 2003?). It is geared towards people suffering with diabetes. I have been responsible for it for the past 3 years. Many are Cape Verde natives who don’t speak much English, and overtime we have learned to communicate without words.
I have grown to love these wonderful souls. The experience is much than doing stretching exercise and relaxation. I believe we have built a small community of trust and oneness of spirit. I have seen remarkable changes in several of the patients. The class has become a real part of their lives. They care about each other and have started taking responsibility for their health. Their moods have lifted and we have started teaching each other our native language. To hear an 80 year old Cape Verde woman count to 10 one day in English gave me great joy.
One of the members has even taken Shim Sung, has started taking classes at a Dahn Center and assists with class at the community center. My goal is to see more patients
Outreach Shim Sung at the Red Cross
attend Shim Sung and even to see some of the staff take the workshop.
An similar project has be initiated at a community health center in Jamaica Plain. The participants of this class are spanish speaking women suffering from depression.
The American Red Cross Blood Services hosts another outreach program. Class is offered 3 different times per week. Staff members attend from various departments. Recently the class has been formatted to allow staff to attend either a half hour of stretching and breathing or to stay and participate in the second half of relaxation and energy accumulation so more can participate.
As a result of this outreach, the first workplace Shim Sung in New England was held at Red Cross last February, with 10 people attending. The Red Cross supported the staff by paying a portion of the workshop cost and attendees who were nurses received continuing ed credits.
All of these outreach projects have offered a great opportunity for growth and a way to share with the community. The joy and satisfaction experienced is immeasurable. Seeing the smiling faces, sincere appreciation, and the relaxed mental and physical state of the staff and patients is a great reward.
Barbara Maffeo is a BMC graduate and instructor of Dahn Yoga. She is a nurse and works for the Red Cross.
Introducing the first Dahn Yoga Two Minute Tips! Look out for a new one every Thursday from now on. This week, learn a quick exercise to protect your joints before you go hiking.
Wins Silver in the Nautilus Book Award
The Nautilus Book Awards recognize books of exceptional merit that make a literary and heartfelt contribution to spiritual growth, conscious living, and positive social change. The titles that won are Brain Wave Vibration, Healing Chakra, and In Full Bloom, written by Dahn Yoga founder Ilchi Lee and published by BEST Life Media based in Sedona, Arizona.
Brain Wave Vibration is given at the center to beginner practitioners, and I encourage everyone to read it, beginner or no. In it lies the philosophy and practical ‘how to’ of Brain Wave Vibration, including basic Dahn Yoga exercises as preparation for a deep BWV session. I love the BWV book because when I read it, it reminds me of the importance of the vibrations I put out into the world from my thoughts, emotions, and even physical condition. It motivates me to keep practicing.
The quality of information one consumes largely determines the quality of one’s life,” said Ilchi Lee said when asked to comment about the award. “I am humbled and honored to have my work recognized by the 2010 Nautilus Book Awards.
Healing Chakra is one of the only books in the center that explains the Chun Bu Kyung, the ancient energy script that hangs in most classrooms. The gorgeous artwork alone is reason enough to pick it up. If you are planning or interested in the Healing Chakra workshop, this is a great book to read.
In Full Bloom was co-written by Il Chi Lee and Dr. Jessie Jones, Ph.D from the Center for Successful Aging at California State University, Fullerton. The book presents ideas contrary to popular public belief that the brain degenerates with age, and gives tools and games to do to keep your brain in shape. If you want to create positive information about aging, definitely pick up this read.
As the author of this short article, I’d love to steal a selfish moment to share about my two favorite books in the Dahn Yoga library. They aren’t ones that have won any awards so far: Dahn Yoga Basics, by the Dahn Yoga Education Team, and Mago’s Dream, by Il Chi Lee.
Dahn Yoga Basics is a must read for any practitioner. It explains the three basic principles of energy exercise, which helps to understand the difference between a basic stretch and a meridian stretch. Mago’s Dream will have a more specific audience, those interested in the spirituality of environmentalism. I love Mago’s Dream because it eloquently expresses the reasons why I personally chose to practice Dahn Yoga- for healing the earth. It speaks of getting in touch with our bodies and soul to discover oneness with the body and soul of the earth.
Whichever books are your favorite, I definitely encourage doing some balanced reading along with your Dahn Yoga practice- books from the center library and beyond. I remember reading ‘Conversations With God’ by Neale Donald Walsh after I took Shim Sung training in 2000. It helped me open my mind to the concepts and potential of true self. It is also important, however, not to over-rely on reading. I also recall a time in my practice when I realized I was looking for answers in books instead of finding them within myself. After that, for just a while, I didn’t read any books. Books, like everything outside of our own body and brain, are just tools to help us achieve our goal.
To order books, ask your local center or visit http://www.bestlifemedia.com
The management of diabetes involves a number of crucial considerations. The most important of these is the role that the patient plays in managing their own condition. More than any other factor, an individual is the most important ingredient to their condition. Diabetes management may include any of the following: Adherence to a strict diet and exercises, and the in-taking of medicine either orally or by injection.
Diabetes management however is complicated by other factors, some of which the patient has little control over. These include other illnesses, the effect of stress as well as the development of scars where constant injection occurs. This not withstanding, a patient can manage diabetes effectively provided they make some level of commitment.
Diabetes can be effectively managed through yoga. The discipline that is associated with yoga can help patients live long productive lifestyles. As noted earlier, diet and exercise for diabetics are critical considerations. Usually, if these two are well managed, the need to use drugs is highly minimised. Diet and exercise both require a certain level of discipline and motivation. The mind needs to develop commitment and be connected with the body such that such commitment is implemented by the body.
Yoga has physical benefits such as better blood circulation and burning of excess fat in the body. Besides these, there is also the added mental and emotional benefits that are gained through meditation and focus. It is associated with better stress management, improved self worth and better mental focus.
Management of diabetes needs all these benefits. Improved blood circulation not only helps better circulate oxygen in the blood but also transports sugar faster to the body’s cells. This process helps keep a patient’s energy levels up. Certain stretching that is associated with yoga helps circulate energy better in the body their by keeping the patient active. The relaxation associated with yoga also helps keep an individual’s blood pressure in balance and reduces irritability.
One of the most important advices that doctors will give a diabetes patient is the need to learn and understand their own bodies so as to better manage their conditions. In diabetes, you are your own best doctor. This goal is very much in sync what yoga helps people achieve: a better connection with self. An individual with a raised self awareness has power to manage self with high degree of effectiveness. For a diabetic, there can be no better asset than this increased self awareness.
A special type of yoga called Dahn Yoga has one additional advantage that is work mentioning especially with regards to diabetics. It focuses on increasing the connections between the body and the mind through simple exercises that are easy to do for people of all ages and sizes.
Stand with your feet parallel and shoulder-width apart. Relax your body completely, breathe comfortably, and close your eves. Bend your knees slightly and release all tension.
Lift your elbows out to the side and place our hands in front of the middle of your chest. Face your palms toward the ground, but keep your hands, shoulders, and arms relaxed. Bend your knees slightly.
Twist your torso from side to side, as though you are spinning on an axis. Twist only your upper body, keeping your hips and thighs completely stationary.
Breathe in deeply and exhale completely.
Continue the motion for several minutes. If you feel pain, breathe into the pain, focusing on directing fresh, healing energy into the area that feels painful. Continue until the motion feels comfortable. After a few minutes, let your arms drop, allowing them to swing side to side.
This form of Brain Wave Vibration, also known as Dahn-jon Clapping, will help facilitate incredible improvements to your health if you practice it regularly. Abdominal Vibration is among the most effective methods for improving the overall balance of energy in the body as it draws heat energy away from the head and into the abdomen.
This is a classic exercise to begin to stimulate the physical energy of the body. The physical energy is centered in the lower abdomen in what is called the lower Dahn-jon, but many of us, usually because of inactivity, do not have strong lower Dahn-jons. This is a way to reinvigorate the lower Dahn-jon, and thus the physical body as well.
If you suffer from any digestive problems, you should practice this consistently, working up to 1,000 repetitions per dab.
This exercise helps release tension from the chest area, which is usually hard to stretch completely through ordinary stretching exercises. It is a good choice when you feel burdened by emotions because it works to open up the chest, which is where we tend to hold emotions like sadness and disappointment. Chest Twist Vibration is also effective for relieving lung problems, such as asthma or bronchitis. During this exercise, focus on moving the chest, not just the arms.
When you first begin this exercise you may feel some pain in the body, which indicates that you have some blockage. Discomfort of this sort is most prevalent in the sides beneath the rib cage and in the spine, but it could be anywhere in the body. If the pain is extremely severe, you should stop, but otherwise it is best to power through the pain to help open the blockage.
When people first start practicing Brain Wave Vibration, they sometimes think that making bigger and faster movements will result in better effects, but this is not necessarily so. They are used to thinking that the harder they work at a something, the better the results will be. This is often true, but you must remember that Brain Wave Vibration works on a very different principle than other exercise forms.
Brain Wave Vibration is not about moving the muscles, pumping the heart, or burning calories, although all these things may offer added benefits. Rather, it is about improving the energy system of the body, especially as it relates to your brain. This could mean that very subtle vibrations are all that are needed. In fact, large, flamboyant movements will tend to draw you into the outside world, which is not the desired effect. As you begin, focus on your body to discover your own natural rhythm. Begin with simple, subtle movement and let the sensation grow from there.
More Ways to Connect
