Dahn Yoga Class New Mexico

Even as adults, we tend to bounce our knees and drum our fingers when stressed or nervous. Also, when we feel disappointment or disgust, we shake our head side to side. This movement is done around the world, which Darwin noticed long ago through his observations of emotional expression. I believe these motions are instinctive to people because they help calm the brain waves in a very natural way. Through the rhythmic movements of Brain Wave Vibration, I hope you will begin to apply these methods to yourself in a more conscious, deliberate manner.

The healing power of rhythm is becoming very clear. Recently, drumming has become an increasingly popular form of therapy. It seems to offer troubled individuals a chance to release stored emotions and to gain a feeling of personal power. One study found that workers who got together to participate in group drumming gained a much more positive outlook about their work and developed a sense of community with their co-workers. Researchers concluded that drumming circles provided a great release for the workers’ stress and that the practice could reduce worker burnout significantly, leading to a reduction in employee turnover (Stevens).

The instruments are also thought to signify the voices of both heaven and Earth. The bulk and janggu, which are made of leather, represent the sounds of the Earth, while the jing and kkwaeng-gwa-ri, made of metal, represent sounds of the heavens. The music is composed to match the progression of nature—the wind blows, the clouds gather, thunder and lightning strike, and the rain falls. On hearing the music, listeners are swept up in the cycle of Earth’s natural rhythms.

I believe that this music, like a lot of other traditional musical forms, possesses a remarkable ability to affect the brain positively. It may be that rhythmic music has a great psychological effect because the first experiences we perceive with our brains are rhythmical.

Medical science has confirmed that infants begin responding to sounds around them long before they arc born. When you were developing in your mother’s womb, your ears were practical Iv the only sensory organs taking in information.

When people go out to a nightclub or blast the latest pop tunes from their car stereos, they are, in a sense, “self-medicating” their own brain waves. Typically, these songs have very heavy beats, which allow the brain to settle down to a more primitive, prerational state of being, in much the same way that tribal drumming helps produce subconscious, trance like states in primitive healing practices. Of course, the effects are not quite so dramatic, but the constant, heavy beat does provide the brain a chance to “simmer down,” escaping from the constant left-brain, prefrontal cortex activity that modern life demands. So the next time you see the guy in the car next to you bobbing his head up and down to the rhythm of the latest top-ten hit, you can think to yourself, “Oh! He knows Brain Wave Vibration, too!”

In his book This Is Your Brain on Music, neuroscientist and musician Daniel J. Levitin discusses the effect music has on the human brain. He notes that music is unique in its ability to stimulate all areas of the brain at once. He says, “Musical activity involves nearly every region of the brain that we know about, and nearly every neural subsystem.”

In my five-step Brain Education method, the goal of the fourth step, Brain Integrating, is to unify the three layers of the brain—the primitive brain stem, the emotional limbic system, and the rational necrotic. Very often one part of the brain undermines another, as when rational thinking is overcome by emotion. The goal of Brain Integrating is to get the various parts of the brain working together harmoniously, rather than competing with each other. Since it activates diverse parts of the brain, music seems to be a good step in that direction, which may also explain the cognitive advantage that children who study music seem to have over their nonmusical peers (Levitin).

Yull-yo, the Rhythm of Life

When I train people in the Brain Wave Vibration method, I usually use sa-mul-no-ri, the traditional drumming art of my native Korea. It has its roots in very ancient aspects of Korean culture, originating in the rituals of farmers who wished to ensure the success of their crops.

The four sa-mul-no-ri instruments each represent a different weather condition: the jang-gu, an hourglass-shaped drum, represents rain; the kkwaeng-gwa-ri, a small gong, represents thunder; the jing, the larger of two gongs, represents the wind; and the buk, a large bass drum, represents clouds.

Your skin could sense the warmth of your mother’s body, but it was a consistent, unvarying temperature, and you were suspended in the amniotic fluid, an environment with very little variety of texture. Your eyes were closed to the dark interior of your mother’s body and your mouth had no food to taste.

You lived alone in a dark world where the unceasing rhythm of your mother’s heartbeat was your constant companion. This and the sounds of your parent’s voices were the first stimuli to create connections in your brain and the first to begin giving definition to your being. When you hear the sound of rhythmic drumming now, or when you follow the rhythmical movements of Brain Wave Vibration, you are transported back to a place of newness and simplicity.

Music is such a consistent part of the experience of life that you could say that rhythm is essential to life. Medieval school of Europe hypothesized that a great harmonic system, called “the music of the spheres,” kept the planets in their proper or bit and rotation.

Muscles in your body atrophy without use. Likewise, you must use your brain to keep it functioning at full capacity.
Fortunately, you can kill two birds with one stone by moving your body. Every time you exercise your muscles, you are also exercising your brain.
The brain-related benefits of exercise are well documented. Even very simple muscle movements have been
found to prompt the growth of cells in the brain. Regular aerobic exercise is known to accelerate memory recall, increase endorphins, reduce depression, shorten reaction time, and circulate more oxygen to the brain.
Exercise helps create the ideal conditions for brain development within your body. First, it helps to reduce the effects of stress by neutralizing stress hormones and by stimulating the sympathetic nervous system. Secondly, it improves the overall efficiency of your cardiovascular system, which in turn brings more blood and oxygen to the brain.
Not only does regular exercise create a healthier bodily environment for nerve cells, but the actions themselves stimulate new growth. Every time you move your body, corresponding
areas of your brain are activated. If the action is complex, involving the coordination of muscles, balance, and sense, such as in the act of walking, many areas of your brain will Move Your Body
be activated simultaneously. As a result, new growth will be stimulated and old connections between disparate parts of the brain will be solidified.
For best utilization of the brain, look for novel, unexpected ways to move the body. Our tendency can be to only move the body in habitual ways. Even people who exercise regularly tend to return to the same activities over and over again. Instead, try cross training the brain, just as an athlete might cross train the body for better results. Also, look for exercises that move the body in a variety of directions, such
as yoga or dance, as opposed to exercise that uses the same repetitive motions.
Regular exercise will also give you the strength and stamina you need to act on the creative inspiration produced by your brain. Without this basic form of health, you may find yourself too tired and unmotivated to act upon your dreams.
Furthermore, physical training helps develop the self-control, integrity, and willpower you will need to begin creating the life of your dreams.

“Brain Management” by Ilchi Lee

“I want to share this true story with you and maybe this way I can help someone that is just like me. I initially went in to Body + Brain center for the Tai-Chi, and discovered more than I bargain for (don’t you feel like that sometimes.) Well I don’t think it was bargain that kept me going there. The exercises we are doing are simple and effective for the body and mind.

Like many of us I had a bad habit. It was very hard to give it up. SMOKING. I’ve tried so many, many times, only to fail and feel not worthy, because I could not control my habit. Well let me tell you that after two months of going to the center I stopped smoking and this time it was different because I felt that It came from inside me, It’s so hard to explain something that you have never felt before, it was easy to give it up and not feel bad or that you were missing it. I was surprised how my body reacted to the cigarettes, the taste was not satisfying any more.

Shortly after I stopped smoking I went to a party where a lot of people were smoking, to my surprise I was not craving for cigarettes and you know how it is at a party! You just let loose and enjoy yourself. I was not tempted at all even though they offered many times, and I had a good time dancing and being with friends.

Just like giving up smoking everything else has changed in my life, feeling the Ki energy is heavenly, you are in this state of peace, happiness that not only you benefit but everybody around you. There is so much more to say that I could go on forever. Stay tuned and I’m sure there is more of my growth that I could share with you.”

Ilchi Lee

Ilchi Lee has spent several decades investigating ways to develop the potential of the human brain. Through his life-long pursuit of brain-centered training methods and programs, hundreds of thousands of people around the world have achieved the benefits of healthier bodies, improved learning, business success, and personal empowerment.

Ilchi Lee personally has trained and consulted with top business leaders, such as Ju Yung Chung, founder of Hyundai Corporation and Jong Hyon Chey, founder of SK Corporation. He taught his method in many parts of the world, including the United States, South Korea, China, United Kingdom, Canada, and Japan.

The latest result of Ilchi Lee’s research and innovation, Brain Education System Training (BEST), aims to help people become the masters of their brains and ultimately of their lives. BEST includes brain-related exercises to increase mind-body coordination, to develop greater openness and flexibility of the mind, and to unleash creative potential from the brain.

Ilchi Lee believes that humanity, by focusing on the brain as the final determinant of human consciousness and behavior, will unite people worldwide in creating a peaceful, sustainable way of life within this century.

Dahn Hak Dahn yoga Ilchi Lee Uncategorized

Holistic wellbeing – A personal story by David Keller of Arizona

“Physically, I never felt very limber, but since training, I can bring my face to my knees as well as stretch my body farther than I used to. I have been living with back pain for years now due to a disc problem in my lower back. I have less pain now as well as more mobility. I didn’t realize how weak my lower body was until I started training. Through homework, as well as class, I can see improvements in my lower body strength and foundation.

Mentally, Iam now able to maintain focus for a more extended time than I have ever been. Although I am still erratic, there is improvement. I have learned more about Ki in my seven weeks of Body + Brain training, than all of my 2 ½ years of studying Aikido.

And spiritually, although I have only glimpsed my true self at times, I know that if I continue my training, I will eventually become my true self! What could be greater than that?”

One way to gain control over your stress response is to realize when it has become inappropriate.
Some stress is beneficial, but when and how does it become a problem for you? One way to determine
this is to watch your physical body closely. Often, even before your conscious mind becomes aware of
a stressor, the muscles in your body respond to it,becoming tense and rigid.
If you are under the influence of chronic stress, you probably have a few stress-related knots around your
neck and shoulders. Sound familiar? Work to release these knots through stretching, massage, and breathing
exercises such as those in the following chapters.
Be patient—your body has a stress habit, so these tense spots may take awhile to alleviate.
Also, notice how your body responds when you are in a highly stressful situation. Do you hold your
shoulders high? Does your breathing become shallow and rapid? These little details can be your clue to
the point at which stress hormones have gone from helpful to hurtful.

from the book “brain management” by ilchi lee