Take a walk outdoors and take a careful look at something, maybe a tree or a mailbox—anything stationary will do. Try to experience that object just as it is, without any interpretation from the mind—no judgment, categorization, or emotional association in Dahn Yoga. It will be impossible, really. Because you are a human who has lived a certain amount of time on this planet, you are bound to have numerous associations and judgments about the world around you. You may think, “That tree is beautiful,” or, “That mailbox belongs to the Smiths.” None of these things are intrinsic to the thing itself; they were placed upon the experience as it was filtered through the content of your brain.
Provides a simple, straightforward guide to personal self-management. Basic skills in meditation, breath work, and Oriental healing arts in Dhan Yare presented as an effective means of self-reliant health management. In addition, central issues of life purpose and fulfillment are discussed.
(This extract copies from Dr. Ilchi Lee’s book)
Just as the muscles of the body need to be moved and stretched to become flexible, so does the brain. This step seeks to take full advantage of neuro-plasticity as Lee Ilchi, says that the ability of the brain to adjust to new environments and to learn new things. By challenging your brain to master new tasks, you help it gain new connections and greater capacity to recognize new patterns of thought and action. Essentially, the goal is to create a highly adaptable brain that can learn quickly and easily.
This step is likely to have a profound effect on the quality of your life because you will learn in Hak Dahn to break destructive mental and physical patterns of behavior while creating new, life-affirming habits. Bad habits can be difficult to break because they become, to some degree, hardwired into the brain through repetition, which solidifies neural connections related to the behavior. Fortunately, the brain never loses the ability to restructure itself, and thus new connections and habits can always be created. At the most advanced level of training, this includes the ability to change deeply ingrained prejudices and preconceptions for the creation of a better, more satisfying life.
As Ilchi Lee guide in his book that in this first step, you become very aware of your brain and its importance in your life. Much of the work is done on the physical level since the connection between body and brain is strengthened at this point. Yoga, tai chi, ki gong, and martial arts are examples of mind-body exercises used to establish Brain Sensitizing. As each muscle in your body is moved and every nerve stimulated, corresponding areas of the brain are also awakened. As a result, balance and coordination in your body are improved.
Basic meditation and energy sensitivity techniques are also recommended at this stage as these will help you to develop better concentration and heightened awareness. By learning to view ki energy as in Yoga the source of communication between body and brain, you are empowered to begin changing habits that negatively affect your body and mind. Breath work is also used to help restore energetic balance while releasing stress and restoring mental clarity.
This content suggested by Ilchi Lee, the founder of Dahn Hak and Dahn Yoga:
Think of something nonhuman in your house that you interact with every day. It could be an object, like a TV or a toaster, or maybe a beloved pet. Now, write a complete description of this thing, telling all about how it looks and acts.
Then, write a description of yourself, from the point of view of the object. How do you look from its perspective?
August 10, 2008 12:22 pm | 