Dahn Yoga Hawaii Member’s blog

Benefits: Helps intestinal function and releases tension from the abdomen. Allows more circulation to the lower abdomen.
1. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and your knees bent slightly.

 Position your hands in the shape of a triangle with your thumbs on your belly button.
2. Push your abdomen out, making your belly round.
3. Pull in your abdomen deeply, keeping your shoulders relaxed. Breathe naturally.

   Continue to push out and  pull in. Repeat 50 times.

from the book “Power brain Kids” by Ilchi Lee

Here are some other widespread myths related to the brain and age:

Myth: Seri ous brai n decline is inevi table.

Yes, changes in brain structure and chemistry do occur with age. But they do not have to lead to a steep decline in mental ability. Writing in Newsweek, Gene Cohen, M.D., Ph.D., founding director of the Center on Aging, Health, and Humanities at George Washington University Medical Center, says that in his work designing games to improve the mental function of aging men and women, he has found that the brain’s left and right hemispheres (the left is responsible for linear, logical thinking; the right, for creativity and intuition) actually become better integrated as we age, leading to greater creative potential.
Cohen writes that it is becoming clear that with the proper lifestyle and challenges, the brain can in many respects become stronger with age.
Myth: I am getting dumber beca use my brai n ce lls are dying.
It is true that brain cells die as we age. Brain cells die and new cells are born throughout our lives. But for many years people have assumed that, barring excessive drinking during college, brain cells cash in their chips at a higher rate as we get into the retirement years. But as it turns out, that is not true either. It appears that we lose brain cells at a consistent rate throughout life, owing to causes that range from stress and nutritional deficiencies to environmental toxins. Also, some neuroscientists now believe that brain
cell death may be a part of the brain’s learning process. The loss of some  cells paves the way for new connections to develop as we learn, part of the sculpting of the brain that occurs when the brain remains active and constantly learning.
Myth: The adult brai n ca nnot form new connections.

For many years, brain scientists were certain that the brain could not make new nerve cells to replace lost ones. But in the mid-1990s, researchers began to see evidence that indeed the brain can produce new nerve cells in some areas of the brain related to memory–a process called neurogenesis. This phenomenon is particularly responsive to regular physical exercise, meaning that working out is not just good for your heart, bones, and muscles, but good for your mind as well. Studies based on the work of Columbia University neurologist Scott Small and Salk Institute neurobiologist Fred Gage suggest
that regular exercise delivers more oxygen-rich blood to the brain, as well as a chemical called brain-derived neurotrophic factor, or BDNF . These factors and others appear to improve memory, learning, and other brain functions.

from the book “in Full Bloom” by Ilchi Lee

Benefit: The crane posture which you can practice at a Dahn Yoga center, founded by Ilchi Lee, clears head and balances right and left hemispheres of the brain, enhancing concentration. Improves nervous system function.

Posture

1. Stand up straight with your feet together. Place your palms together in front of you, as if in a prayer position.
2. Balance your weight on your right foot as you bend your left knee, and raise your left foot next to your right knee.
3. Let your toes point to the floor.
4. Close your eyes.
5. Hold the position while balancing. With practice, you can increase the length of time you are able to balance in this posture.
6. Change to your left foot.

Sole Patting

Dahn Yoga’s sole patting: Benefit—Significantly bolsters brain function. The feet are like a “second heart.” They are vital in orchestrating proper blood circulation. When the soles of the feet are stimulated, you will
begin to notice a heightened sense of clarity, focus, and concentration.

Postures:

1. Sit on the floor with your legs extended in front of you.
2. Bend one leg and bring the ankle over the knee of the other leg.
3. Make a fist with your thumb tucked inside your hand.
4. With the pinky side of your fist, pound the sole of your foot strongly 30 times.
5. Alternately, you could use a wooden stick to press the soles of the feet.
6. Pay attention to your Ki 1 (Yong-chun) acupressure points.
7. Repeat with the other foot.

I used to think I was a lazy person. When my colleagues asked me for something, I used my being lazy as an excuse. I used to say “I have a natural disposition to be lazy.” I didn’t know that I enjoyed it, but now I think from some point of view, I enjoyed it. I saw Ilchi Lee saying on laziness. He says laziness is an illusion.

There is a small rock hill near my home. It is not easy to everybody to climb all the way up to the hill, even though it is a small rock hill. You have to pass and go up high rocks here and there. When I pass that part, I always use my full concentration and strength. Being not that tall, I should stretch my extremities and grab the rocks. I am all too busy to be safe and get myself on the top. The idea of being lazy cannot find any place to be in my brain at all.

Sometimes I climb the hill with my friends. Being a man, sometimes I help my friends to climb the hill. At those times, I get really busy and dilligent to help them.

Yeah, I agree that laziness is just an illusion. I will choose diligence and stick to it.

Sedona Mago Retreat celebrates its 10th anniversary with 300 guests

Sedona, AZ - June 5, 2008 - Sedona Mago Retreat Center held its all-day 10th Anniversary Festival, highlighted by Ilchi Lee’s “Brain Education for Successful Aging” lecture, May 25, 2008.

More than 300 people from Sedona and the Verde Valley joined this open-house celebration on the 160-acre site surrounded by Coconino National Forest.

What would Sedona look like if a city had not grown up next to its breathtakingly beautiful scenery?

The answer to many of the first-time guests at the Festival is Mago Retreat. Mago is a variation of the name that several Asian cultures give to Mother Earth.

With its unique beauty and vortex-energy Mago Retreat has created an ideal environment for the renewal, training, and healing, attracting people from around the world, in its first decade. Its natural setting features mountains, rolling hills, red rocks, gardens, a lake, and abundant plantings. In harmony with nature and based on green criteria, its facilities include meeting rooms, guest rooms, dining hall, meditation areas, pool-spa, horse stables, and water management system.

Many guests went on the guided walking tour of the healing garden, with its pathway between the rainwater-filled lake and colorful flowers and fragrant herbs. The guests lunched at the dining hall, enjoying an international vegetarian buffet.

 At the packed Mago Hall, the Festival’s entertainment consisted of performances with roots in Korea’s culture. The performances included a high-energy dance, two demonstrations by DahnMuDo (self-empowerment martial art) masters, and the traditional fan dance.

Opening the official 10th Anniversary ceremony, Tara Kim, Mago Retreat’s General Manager, explained, “Mago Retreat essentially exists to interact with and serve the local Sedona-Verde Valley community, as well as the global community of cultures.” She invited organizations and groups to look to Mago Retreat for a welcoming place for holding their programs, meetings and events.

The audience watched a video prepared specifically for the Mago Retreat 10th Anniversary, showing how the center has dramatically evolved since 1998.

Cottonwood Mayor Diane Joens gave a congratulatory speech, stating her admiration for Mago Retreat’s 10 years of accomplishments in creating an international retreat center neighboring her city. Messages sent to Mago Retreat by distinguished people – including the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea S.J. Kim and Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano – were acknowledged.

As the founder of Mago Retreat, Ilchi Lee (www.ilchi.com) presented the main lecture of the day. He is founder and president of the International Brain Education Association and Korea Institute of Brain Science (a NGO granted consultative status with the United Nations). Of his 30 books, the latest is In Full Bloom: A Brain Education Guide for Successful Aging, coauthored with Dr. Jessie Jones.

In his lecture on “Brain Education for Successful Aging,“ Lee explained how the brain can remain fit long after 50 in order to produce physical health, mental functioning, and inner peace. He described how to shift one’s brain state from negative to positive. To be able to do this, he demonstrated several simple yet profound exercises – muscle resistance, longevity walking, and brain wave vibration.

 As Lee put it, a good brain operating system involves believing in God or the Creator, loving the Earth, and respecting one’s brain and soul. Realizing and applying these concepts through the brain wave vibration can generate hope and a can-do spirit to achieve one’s dreams. Beyond any personal success, one of life’s most valuable achievements is creating hope for others.

Lee contended that the brain is the source of our individual problems (depression and obsessiveness) and collective problems (terrorism and global warming). Most people want more and more, and deny that they cannot take it with them when they die. The source of solutions can be found in the brainstem, which is our path of return to a divine state or God. This is called Chunwa in Korean.

Lee affirmed that the hope for humanity in these troubled times is the better use of our brains. The start of this path is realizing that the gateway at the top of our head (brain) is the basis of our hope for growing our soul, and thus eternal life. This is the ultimate requirement of aging successfully.

For more about the Sedona Mago Retreat Center, visit www.sedonamagoretreat.org.

http://www.sedona.biz/sedona-mago-retreat-festival0208.htm

Hawaii DMD students in action!

A performance by Master Namji Kim, who is also here in Hawaii to conduct DMD School over the next week.    

A few of us have talked about Oprah’s new online class with author/spiritual teacher Eckhart Tolle, in which they discuss Eckhart Tolle’s book, “A New Earth.”  It’s another way to talk about what we study as Dahn Healers.  Enjoy!