DAHN YOGA has positively affected your life
We appreciate you taking the time to share how DAHN YOGA has positively affected your life. Here are some questions to help you reflect upon your experience….
What kind of improvement have you noticed (physical, emotional, spiritual)?
Physical – increased flexibility, improved posture, walk straighter, stand taller, weight is stable, more relaxed, can deal with stress more effectively
Spiritual – lighter energetically, have the ability to change how I respond to stress, issues, more connection to my body, happier, more self confidence.
What have you changed in your life?
I have started doing something I always wanted to do but have postponed because I feared failure. Now I don’t care – I love what I’m doing just for the process. I am pursuing greater connection in my spiritual and physical life. I also have a greater sense of dedication to my higher self through the practice.
What do you like about the Ilchi Lee Sedona center?
The energy is loving, supportive and inclusive. There is no pressure to do what you are not ready to do, but great opportunity and support to go beyond your own limitations. The members are all supportive and happy. The masters are very skilled and loving humans whose dedication filters to every detail of the center. They are a huge reason why I love the center.
How long have you been practicing DAHN YOGA?
6 months
May we have your permission to use your testimonial and photo for promotional purposes?
Yes
Are you willing to help distribute any kind of promotional materials for the center (i.e. bring pamphlet to others)?
Yes
Testimonials of Barbara
Barbara
Five months ago a close friend of mine, whose opinion I value highly, shared with me his impressions of a Korean brain-knowledge, body-mind-spirit exercise system called Dahn Yoga. Cautioning me that the name was a bit of a misnomer, as it is much more than yoga, he shared with me how the daily exercise classes, workshops and healing sessions had helped him with some health problems.
I did not have any major health issues, but I was curious. Feeling lethargic and worrying about maintaining my health as I got older (I am 58 years old), I had been searching for a regular exercise program. I did not like the emphasis on competitive body-building and the glaring TV sets at most gyms and health clubs. So I thought I had nothing to lose by trying Dahn Yoga.
The Dahn Yoga exercise program is rigorous. Initially, I could hardly stretch and found some of the positions difficult to do. But within a few weeks, I started to get more limber. The exercise routine varies each day with new instructors coming to the center to offer their expertise.
I go four-five times a week and find that people are commenting on how much younger I look. (I definitely feel younger!) My skin is more radiant and tighter.
Normally in spring, I suffer from allergies and I have noticed that they are hardly bothering me this year.
My digestion has improved; in particular, I no longer am constipated, which was a regular ailment.
The private healing sessions have helped me to relieve stress and release energy blockages. The regular exercise routine along with the healing sessions emphasizes energy flow along the meridians and healthy utilization of one’s organs. I believe that my body was under tremendous stress and my organs were underutilized. The Dahn approach appeals to me so much more than the Western orientation of prescribing pills to deal with the symptoms and not recognizing the whole human being.
In the periodic workshops, I have learned about the holistic Dahn approach to understanding one’s own body’s natural energy system.
The workshops, exercise program and healing sessions are done with utmost professionalism.
I am so glad that I found out about Dahn Yoga. I am sure practicing what I have learned in the last five months will add years to my life and make the next stage of my life more vital.
Content selected by: Ilchi Lee
Zhu Describe Dahn Yoga Experience
Zhu
I enjoy my Dahn program because:
It makes me feel like I am part of a big family. Everyone is polite and master Ahn & Kevin both excellent teachers. They make us feel welcome and happy to be in the center.
My Dahn Yoga practice has benefited me in the following ways:
I feel more at ease with myself; better to deal with stress through deep breathing; more able to relax;
I believe Ilchi Lee should be recognized because:
Master Lee has created something extraordinary. A program that is for all age. Dahn yoga or DahnMuDo is not just like any ordinary yoga or martial art program. It’s a program for the fitness of the mind, body and spirit. Through Dahn Yoga/ DahnMuDo, one can learn to be a better person a happier person. I think that’s what makes master Lee’s program a standout from others. A happy person can make others around him/her happy, and in turn they can make others around them happy as well.
Banish winter depression with Dahn Yoga
Winter brings cold, dark days and reduced sunshine, and when combined with stress and problems, it can produce a depressed mood. This can show up as unexplained sadness, fatigue, grumpiness, general malaise and even full-blown Seasonal Affective Disorder.
Ilchi Lee, president of the University of Brain Education (South Korea), advises, “Don’t succumb to the impulse to hibernate during the winter months. Avoid the winter blues by staying active to circulate your energy, and building your vitality with a variety of Dahn Yoga’s Hold-for-Strength exercises.” These are effective postures for fending off winter depression, while keeping one’s body fit and stress-free.
Founded by Lee, Dahn Yoga (http://www.dahnyoga.com) is a body-mind fitness training, which focuses on brain-enhancing, energy-flowing health. With their roots in ancient Asia, the Hold-for-Strength exercises in Korean are called “Yeon-dahn” postures. “Yeon” refers to strengthening a sword’s steel blade by hammering it; “Dahn” means vital energy.
As Lee puts it, “Doing Hold-for-Strength circulates blood and energy throughout the entire body, opening the meridians [energy channels and chakras [energy centers to release stress, tension, pain, toxins and negative emotions that usually accumulate when one is less active.”
In Hold-for-Strength, people keep a position from one minute to one hour, depending on the condition of their physical stamina and mental focus. This concentrates energy in the lower abdomen area, which in traditional Asian health theory represents the body’s physical power center.
To develop the vigor and strength to dissipate winter’s depression, Lee recommends these healing exercises, progressing from the easiest to the more-challenging postures. Play pleasant music and try to empty your mind to a relaxed, almost meditative state. In all postures, relax your chest and breathe comfortably.
1. Reaching the Stars. This posture opens the acupressure points in the palms of the hands and in the soles of the feet to help release stagnant energy. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, toes pointed inward and knees bent slightly. Curl your tailbone up under you. Raise your arms above your head, palms facing the ceiling, with elbows slightly bent. With fingers pointing inward toward each other but not touching, your arms should be above your head. If you are full of emotions and thoughts, bring your hands farther behind your head. Breathe slowly and comfortably into your abdomen. Initially hold the position for 3 to 5 minutes, and increase it gradually over time.
2. Embracing the Earth. This posture circulates energy through the heart, restoring vigor to the upper body, and relieves fatigue from depression, stress and emotional trauma. Stand straight with your feet shoulder-width apart. Curl your tailbone up under you. Bounce your knees up and down a few times to release tension from the shoulders. Raise your arms and hold them as though you are gently hugging a globe. Your palms should face your body, and your fingertips should be an inch apart. Bend your knees, as though riding a horse. Maintain this posture for 10 minutes, and work up to 30 minutes over time.
3. Sleeping Tiger. This exercise builds energy in the lower abdomen, the body’s power center. It is good for fatigue originating in poor nutritional habits, chronic illness or sleeping problems. Lie on the floor with your arms to your side and your legs parted slightly. Relax your body completely. Now raise your arms straight up into the air, keeping your elbows slightly bent. Hold your wrists at right angles, so that your palms face the ceiling. Raise your legs to form a 90-degree angle at the knees and hips. Keep your knees parallel and shoulder-width apart. Hold this posture for 10 minutes, without dropping the legs. Work up to 30 minutes. After holding the posture, bring your hands to your abdomen. Slowly lower your legs into a comfortable cross-legged posture.
After completing a Hold-for-Strength exercise, people should shake their hands and feet and walk slowly around the room for around two minutes, breathing naturally.
It is best to select a posture that corresponds to their physical and mental condition at that moment. The aim is to increase people’s stamina so that they can maintain the position for a longer period. Lee suggests, “Build up the time you hold the posture slowly and don’t push too hard. Instead, relax, breathe, focus on your abdomen and smile.”
While performing Hold-for-Strength, most people experience various sensations in their bodies, such as muscle fatigue, joint pain, heat or cold, shaking and vibrating. Within reason, it is best to endure these physical responses as long as possible. Lee affirms, “Try to enjoy these physical responses, as they are actually positive signs that the body is releasing toxic energy and becoming healthy and strong — bringing you out of depression.”
For more information on Dahn Yoga, phone 1-877-HSP-YOGA.
Release what you hold inside.
I have learned that I need to release energy a lot, verbally. I have friends or loved ones that allow me to do this. It is so helpful to express yourself and open your 5th chakra. For me it is crucial. Not everyone releases things in the same way, but the trick is to respect what you need and what others need and to allow yourself to see the benefit of your unique energy.
