Tag Archives: meditation

Three reasons to practice meditation outdoors this spring

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After months of fighting cold temperatures, icy roads and mountains of snow, spring is finally beginning to shine through. This offers yoga practitioners all skill levels the perfect opportunity to incorporate the great outdoors into their exercise and meditation routines. Here are three reasons why you should consider heading outside to practice meditation techniques.

Natural stress relief
A major part of any yoga routine is uniting the body, spirit and mind to feel more relaxed, confident and at peace with the world. In order to do this effectively, there's no better place to enjoy the benefits of relaxation than among the green grass, tall trees and beautiful flowers in your community.

Peace and quiet
Sometimes you may not want to head into a yoga studio to work out or meditate, but you still need to find a quiet place to focus. If your home is full of distractions that will hinder your yoga stretches and meditation, going into the backyard or a nearby park can be a pleasant alternative.

Fresh air
One of the keys to successful meditation is being able to practice deep, controlled breathing techniques. Doing this outdoors gives you the added benefit of being in the fresh air and sunshine to help clear your lungs.

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Three reasons meditation exercises can help you study

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Whether you're a high school student or studying for your first freshman college exam, the rigors of academic success can certainly weigh you down and cause high levels of stress. If you're looking for a way to boost your study habits while minimizing your anxiety, you might want to think about meditation techniques for stress. Here are a few of the benefits meditation can offer your school work.

A much-needed break
Sometimes, when you've been staring at the same textbook for three straight hours, all you really need is a mental break. Luckily, practicing deep breathing exercises and repeating a personal mantra while meditating can help you recharge your batteries and come back to your studies feeling refreshed.

Increased focus
If you've felt your mind wandering and it's only been a short time since you began preparing for your upcoming paper or exam, you might need some help learning how to focus. The mental aspect of meditation can be a great way to push distracting thoughts from your head and realize how to direct your mind's focus where you need it to go.

Better sleep
Not only can meditation benefit your study habits, but the feeling of relaxation that accompanies it can also help you get a good night's sleep before your exam. And as any college student who has ever pulled an all-nighter can attest, sleep makes a world of difference in the classroom.

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Meditation to control anger

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We react with anger to many things around us. We sometimes have difficulty containing our anger and may flare up several times in a day. How can we control our anger and obtain peace of mind in today’s aggravating society?

We all know that it is not healthy to repress anger. According to psychoanalysts, an accumulation of repressed anger is like a time bomb waiting to explode. If not directed into yelling, throwing dishes, chain-smoking, or eating an entire box of chocolate in one sitting, unconscious anger will have a destructive effect on ourselves or others.

When you get angry, how do you cope with it? Most of us are likely to simply repress it, or to express it with a glare in our eyes or a tone in our voice. Some people try to divert their thoughts while others vent their anger by hitting a soft object like a pillow. To pretend that everything is ok, or to let your anger out each require enormous energy on your part. Here is a meditation to control anger. It works!

Meditation to Control Anger

  1. Make yourself comfortable. Using both hands, lightly tap all over your head with the tips of your fingers. After about three minutes of tapping, smooth your hair back two or three times.
  2. Tap your chest with both hands about for about three minutes. Place one hand over the other on your chest and make a long ‘Ah~’ sound. This is not shouting. When you make the sound, imagine that it is rising up from your abdomen and resonating in your entire chest area. After making this sound ten times or so, gently sweep your chest, making circles with your palms.
  3. Place both hands on your chest with one hand over the other. Inhale deeply through your nose to a count of four and let your chest expand. Slowly exhale through your mouth and release the stagnant energy from your chest. Breathe out to a count of six with your lips slightly parted and without making much noise. Repeat this breathing cycle five times.
  4. Next, smile with the outgoing breath. Inhale deeply and gently close your eyes. Now, breathe out with a smile. Begin with a subtle smile and gradually make it bigger until the tension in your face completely melts away. As your face relaxes, you will feel as if a hard shell has broken and you will smile naturally. The angry emotional energy will be gone and the situation that you were angry about will be a mere factual memory in your brain. This is a process of releasing.

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How often should I do Dahn Yoga?

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Q: I’ve been using the Brain Respiration book. With the Ji-gam training, I’m able to clearly feel the energy with my hands and am ready to move on to the BR meditations. 1) For how long and at what frequency do we continue with the initial exercises (Dahn-jon clapping, intestinal exercises, and each of the BR calisthenics) listed in the book? 2) At what frequency should we do the BR meditations listed in the book?

A:

We recommended that you do the initial exercises (Dahn-jon clapping, intestinal exercises, and each of the BR calisthenics) everyday before you do meditation.

You can get the best results if you do these exercise and meditation when you get up in the morning or before you go to sleep. Doing intestinal exercise during the day will help you make a habit of focusing on your body. (Intestinal exercise should be done at least 2 hour after meals.)

BR meditation can be done 1-2 times a day, about 20 minutes each. I hope your practice improves each and everyday.

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Regular Class

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A one-hour regular Dahn Yoga class consists of the following three parts:

  1. Meridian Gym
    Integrative stretching Dahn Yoga exercises based on the perfect coordination of: correct postures, breathing and conscious awareness. The exercises are designed to open the meridian channels and increase the energy flow that makes natural healing possible. It increases flexibility balance, and fitness; and you will also learn to release the negative energy caused by stress.
  2. Meditative Breathing
    Dahn Yoga meditation, which focus on breathing and ki-energy. Through the conscious control of your breath, you will learn how to eliminate the harmful effects of stress and negative emotions. You will boost your immune system and restore the natural healing power of your body.
  3. Dynamic Meditation
    A meditative dance, experienced by focusing on the free flow of vital energy, which is the medium between the mind/body connection. This practice will allow you to experience Ki-energy by lowering your brain waves, thus facilitating the state of transparent awareness, clear of negative emotions and troubling thoughts. This experience of being one with the flow of energy gives the practitioner a deeply fulfilling sensation of peace, joy, and inner freedom.

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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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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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Loss of a family member

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Virginia K (Houston)

I have been practicing Dahn Yoga since April 1999. I joined because I was having trouble dealing with the death of my husband in December 1998. I couldn’t sleep or relax. Now I sleep better and have more energy. Also, I feel better spiritually and am able to practice breathing; I do the intestinal exercises, and meditate. It helps me sleep better. After doing Shim Sung and getting up in front of people and talking. It helped me to deal with my grief. Sometimes I am very tired, but if I attend classes I have more energy. The exercises help.

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