Category Archives: Testimonials

Dahn Yoga Testimonials, yoga benefits, best weight loss exercise with yoga and pain management techniques through yoga.

Less Stress, More Meaningful Life

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Larry (Bethesda, MD)

Last September I returned to Maryland from a trip to China with daily digestive distress. Suddenly other health problems came up. So, at 60 years of age, I was feeling old. I made the rounds of doctors and alternative health practitioners, but with minimal progress.

Then a friend told me about Dahn Yoga Center in Bethesda. I tried it, felt it made sense, liked it and committed myself to go regularly. I am investing in improving my health for the next 30 years; otherwise I doubt that I will make it in terms of quantity of years or quality of life. I embarked on a routine of hour-long yoga classes (actually they encompass an Asian-wisdom and Western brain-knowledge body-mind-spirit exercise system that is much more than yoga), transforming workshops of many hours or days, and private healing-acceleration sessions. In a matter of months, the results have been positive, bordering on astounding:

The digestive trouble is under control, and without medicine.

Previously unable to walk up Metro escalators without leg pains and hyper breathing, I now take them in stride with hardly breaking a sweat.

Compared to prior hectic three-week business trips to Japan, during a February one I raised my vitality, increased my productivity, lowered my stress, and significantly reduced the debilitating jet lag of two flights half way around the world.

Besides feeling more fit and energetic physically, I am delighted that I have greater calm and clarity to deal with stressful episodes, from traffic jams to bad service to a client complaint.

With family and friends of my generation so often paying the health price of too much stress and too little meaning in their lives, I now see healing of myself as only the stepping-stone of becoming a healer for others. And it all started with the wake-up call of an intestinal disorder in China, six months ago!

Larry

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Anxiety attacks and sleeping problems

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Coby (Bethesda)

During the summer of 1992, I began to experience anxiety attacks and was unable to sleep through the night. I would wake up every few hours with my heart racing, certain that I was getting ready to have a heart attack. The anxiety could strike at any time. I could be driving home from work, on vacation, or simply having a family dinner. A couple of times, I was rushed to the emergency room suffering from a stress reaction—but it sure seemed like I was suffering a heart attack. In the spring of 2003, after trying for years to establish an exercise and/or diet regimen to alleviate my condition, I resigned myself to the fact that I would need prescription medicine to combat this daily nightmare and prepared to visit my doctor.

Two weeks before my doctor’s appointment, I was in my local deli and I saw the Dahn Yoga brochure heralding the opening of a center in Bethesda a few blocks from my office. Out of desperation, and fear of being on medication the rest of my life, I went for an energy-check up. After that session, I signed up for three months, unsure of what to expect but hopeful. I went to class three times a week, and within a month, my anxiety attacks had disappeared. I was finally able to sleep through the night. My fears of death and of having a heart attack vanished. I was, and am still, so grateful to be rid of the daily fear that would grab me without warning. I thought things could not improve much more, but I was to be pleasantly surprised by an equally great, and unexpected, benefit derived from my yoga practice.

For over two years I had been on a cholesterol-lowering drug (Zocor) because my cholesterol level had been as high as 280. On Zocor, my level had stabilized to a 210-200 level. I started attending regular classes at the Bethesda center in June 2003, and after 4 months, my cholesterol level dropped to 147! During this time, I would go class at least 3 times a week, and during the work day, I would drink a few cups of green tea and/or the brown rice tea purchased from the center. I neither added nor subtracted anything from my regular diet over this time (except for the brand of green tea). The only difference was my involvement with the Dahn Center.

In October 2003, my doctor removed me from the prescription medicine with my promise that I would have regular check-ups. To this day, my cholesterol level is still low and I am still off the medication.

I attribute my wonderful results to the physical and mental exercises taught by the professionals at the Dahn Yoga Center. I am convinced that the things taught here have enriched my life, focused my life, and, literally, saved my life.

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Severe back and knee problems

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Marcy L. (Houston, TX)

Marcy L. is a Neonatal unit nurse with a lot of job related stress. Marcy was afraid she would have to retire early because of severe back and knee problems. Marcy and I have been in a lot of classes together and she has been doing amazingly well. Her spine was deformed with an extreme curve to the right. Her pelvic bones were also out of position with all of the pain and problems that causes.

When the spine and pelvic bones are out of position this will cause the organs to be compressed and over time these organs will develop disease. She has had stomach ulcers and other digestive problems as you would imagine.

Since starting her Dahn Yoga practice her spine and pelvic alignment have improved. Her back, legs, and knees have strengthened and become more flexible.

A really significant thing Marcy mentioned was that the pain her condition caused her has either decreased or she is handling it much better than she was before taking Dahn Yoga.

I would suspect that it is some of both. With continued practice she can expect even greater advances. She looks great and most importantly happy.

- from ‘Pathway to Healing’ by Albert F. -

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Acid Refulx

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Evelyn H. (Texas)

Evelyn Harris is a legal secretary in a stressful job. Evelyn has been at the Dahn Yoga Center for about 5 months. She was used to being very active with playing sports but recently had become a “couch potato”. She had begun to have problems with her health in particular she had acid reflux and a hernia in her diaphragm.

She knew she needed to do something about her health and since she had tried yoga before she came to the Dahn Yoga Center. Evelyn realizes that the Dahn Yoga is very effective and has seen great changes since beginning. She has reduced her treatment for her Acid Reflux to only one pill a day.

She had been on a lot of strong antibiotics which she no longer needs. She feels the exercises not only have helped her physically, but keep her sharper mentally which is great for her Bridge playing. Better physical conditioning is great for balance, coordination, as well as mental attitude and mental acuity. We have to have a healthy mind to have a healthy body.

- from “Pathway to Healing” by Albert F. -

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Dahn Yoga workshop-Initial Awakening

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Christine B. (Houston, TX)

“Watching the Candle” has been a difficult concept for me to grasp. However, I now have a better understanding of what it means. Visualizing a candle burning in my abdomen just hasn’t worked for me but understanding that I can control my body and mind is a goal that I have been slowly able to envision.

First, came the realization of how much I am a slave to my body and mind. Trying to regain power hasn’t been easy, but it is a goal that I certainly would like to reach.

Controlling my body through breathing exercises and focusing of the mind has proven to be a challenge. I have seen some progress. In particular, I have noticed how I could now reach a certain state of meditation and appreciate the peace that it brings me. I now long and look forward to reaching this state every time I come to the Dahn Yoga Center. My goal is to go deeper in meditation and for longer periods of time.

I am not a religious person and was never a spiritual person because I used to associate religion with spirituality. Now, I have discovered that you can develop spirituality without embracing a religion.

I have discovered how much spirituality has been missing in my life. I knew something big was missing from my life and I am searching for the real purpose of this life. I long to find peace.

I have become more and more aware of the fears that rule my life. The basic fear of death, fear of the unknown, fear of rejection, fear of loosing a loved one, fear of pain, fear of being caught unprepared, off guard. As a result, I am constantly on guard, worrying about what’s coming next.

I have a hard time loving and accepting myself, the way I am and fear of criticism leads me to always strive for perfection. As a result, I am enduring a lot of unnecessary stress.

What I hope to gain from “More than Body”, is additional knowledge and tools to pursue mastership. I honestly do not think that I will accomplish this in 100 days. I will continue working towards mastership of body and mind for several months. Maybe one day I will reach the enlightenment stage, but I do not really believe that I can accomplish this over a one year period.

June 18, 2001

Christine

“Watching the candle is the assignment of Initial Awakening”

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Energy is life

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Cathy T. and Andrea M.

I would like to start the stories of healing with the words of a 10-year-old that had been practicing Dahn Yoga for three years. Her name is Rachel and her poem is shared with us by her mother Cathy Townsend.

ENERGY IS LIFE

A river can never stop flowing like when you sleep.
A baby can never stop learning like your brain.
A flower can never stop growing like energy flow.
Animal can never stop loving like your heart.
You can never stop friendship like your soul.

Rachel’s poem shows remarkable maturity, wisdom and clarity far beyond her years. This is not unusual for young Dahn Yoga members to respond to the energy much better than adults. I guess it’s like computers—if you are born with them you are much more comfortable with them than people who have learned to use them later.

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Healing ourselves and others

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Alberto M. (Texas)

Looking back at my diary I realize I made much progress after the first of the month (January 2001) when watching the candle and doing the exercises seemed so difficult.

February was a month of much frustration and disappointment with myself, but also of much reflection and learning. It opened the door for the progress that followed.

The months of March, April, and May brought clear progress as I was able to watch my candle much more easily and release much more stale energy during the exercises.

During the Dahn Yoga exercises, I started to meditate deeply and have important insights and perceptions that actually materialized a few weeks later.

I also realized, looking back at my diary that I seemed to have a clear energy cycle within the month with low-energy during days 15-20 when I tended to catch colds or sleep badly. I am not sure if this is relevant, but this is usually the period just before the full moon.

Watching the candle helped me much in realizing the negative emotions that keep surfacing. The aggressive attitude of competition has been a frequent issue. Also my insecurities and feelings of inadequacy.

I also realize that insights and good perceptions come from very deep, but I am still mostly surrounded by emotions and thoughts that bury such intuitions and insights which surface only occasionally. I hope that More Than Body will help in dealing with these.

Recently, Alberto shared with me the following:
I have been practicing Dahn Yoga for a little over two years now. I have also taken Initial Awakening, More than Body, and Reintegration. I have also attended Ilchi Lee’s two Healing Chakra Seminars.

I started the program in the old center on Gessner Rd. I was having sleeping problems mostly due to stress and frustration. I walked past the center a couple of times and decided to come in. It started a process of change that went much beyond sleeping which by the way has improved 100%. I am now focusing in on what my vision for the future is and how to actualize it.

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Kidney Problems

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One of the most dramatic stories I heard was in an interview with Griselda.

Griselda is a really nice person and has great strength of will. She is from Uruguay and cares for her parents. Her father is sick with kidney problems and has been on dialysis. He has recently been hospitalized for kidney failure, which is a very life threatening problem.

Griselda was diagnosed with a rare kidney disease in January of 2001 with her kidneys functioning at only 42% which means she was only one step away from dialysis herself.

She has only been practicing Dahn Yoga for a few months but already her kidney tests have improved from 50% to her last test results which were 78% functioning. All I can say is way to go. When you see Griselda in class she looks like the picture of health so I asked her what she was doing besides the regular exercise classes.

Her description of her routine was, she meditates and she talks to her kidney’s a lot.

I think she thought I would think that as strange, but I understand only too well.

Think about it like this. If we can prove that saying bad things or thinking bad thoughts to ourselves can be translated into hormones and other chemicals which have a bad effect on the body and eventually cause disease, why then can we not believe that saying positive things will have a good effect?

Norman Cousins did it in his book “The Anatomy of an Illness” with laughter. The technique Griselda is using is one that has been practiced in Eastern Medicine for thousands of years. She is also using some acupressure techniques which are self applied.

This technique of self healing was taught to her by the Masters at the Houston Dahn Center, but it takes time and commitment both of which Griselda has the courage and conviction to apply. She is one of my heroes.

- from Pathway to Healing by Albert F. -

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My realization at Shim Sung

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Lara H (Las Vegas, NV)

My mother began taking Dahn Yoga classes in Las Vegas three years ago. I began to grow vicariously through her experience and whenever I visited her, took as many classes as possible, since there wasn’t a center close to me in California.

I realized at Shim Sung (self-discovery training) that I really wanted to get more involved in Dahn Yoga. I decided to move to Las Vegas to be near a center.

The midterm session met eight times, and four times I drove for five hours to L.A. The healers in L.A. gave me such strength and love that I looked forward to the drive and to sharing my energy and soul with them. I really began to piece together a vision for my life. I realized that I wanted to heal others, which included helping them get in touch with their soul and true self.

Soon it was time to return to Arizona. I was excited to be learning more yet sorry that my amazing experience was ending. Then I realized it never has to end! Now it is my turn to share this joy with everyone I meet! I shall never forget the sweet and tender hearts of all the healers with whom I shared training!

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Benefits of Dahn Yoga

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Ben D. (Houston)

I came to the Dahn Yoga Center seeking to learn something of the art of yoga, in hopes of finding a means by which I could improve my health, physically, emotionally and spiritually. I had heard all my life of the very positive benefits to be had by the regular practice of yoga, and I sought to investigate how I might tap into this great resource.

I am forty-seven years of age. The past few years, I have experienced an alarming diminishment of my physical skills. Additionally, the everyday stress of living had resulted in my seeking out medical help for depression and anxiety related disorders.

It had become very apparent to me that I needed to find a new path to follow that would lead me to a greater awareness and appreciation of the joys of living. For this reason then, I decided that it was time to begin my exploration of the world of yoga.

My sole reason in choosing the Memorial Dahn Yoga Center was that it is very convenient to both my home and office. Although this is what caused me to cross your threshold initially, I soon found you three to be a great fountain of warmth and caring that would lead me to come from great distance to gain enlightenment from your teaching.

I started the regular class sessions, but initially had some doubts because of my poor physical condition and anxiety over being in a new and strange environment. However, I am so pleased to tell you that I quickly found that your teachings, and the fellowship of my classmates soon dissipated any uncomfortable feelings that I had, and I now feel a part of a new and wonderful family. Truly, I have felt from the beginning that I was welcomed with open arms by people from so many different places and walks of life. My pride in having such a terrific group of new friends is enormous.

As to the physical benefits of Dahn Yoga, I am also happy to report that I am begininng to see the positive benefits of the exercise regimen, as well as the program of breathing, meditation and learning how to tap into the endless store of energy to better my health and enrich my life. Although I still have a number of physical limitations, and sometimes overdo things to the point of pain, I believe that my body ad mind are being positively transformed by your teaching and my commitment to Dahn Yoga.

I am most grateful to the three of you for your kind acceptance of me as your student. It is so obvious that you are committed to sharing the benefits of your knowledge and experience with all members. I am certain that I will continue to grow and improve in my practice of Dahn Yoga, and I eagerly look forward to my continuing journey.

If you feel that my experiences would be helpful to other students, please feel free to share this letter with them.

Thank you again for your love and guidance.

Your student and devoted friend,
Ben D

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