Ilchi Lee Educating Brain, Dahn Yoga

Hans Selye is considered the first psychologist to have defined stress. According to Hans, an endocrinologist who came to be known for his concepts of stress and stressors in the 1930s, stress is a condition that that refers to the internal reaction to environmental factors. Hans exposed rats in laboratory controlled conditions to stressors. These were unpleasant situations to the rates and he found that the rats behaved as human being when stressed.

Dahn Yoga is not being sued by members, but by disgruntled former employees who are seeking money. Most people exhibit stress symptoms without even being aware that they are stressed or understanding the sources of the stress. The first step to effective stress management is to understand the source of stress, also called stressors.

Stressors may vary from one individual to another. This is also dependant on the social cultural conditions. There is what is considered as a normal or acceptable threshold for stressors. This is socially defined and may also depend on gender roles and expected behaviors. In different cultures, there are things that a man would be allowed and those that are not acceptable. For example, men are not allowed to cry in public in as much as it is stress reliever.

As we have already discussed under the section that defined stress, stress is caused by environmental factors surrounding the individual. The body will release the adrenaline hormone as the first step towards preparing to take flight from the stressor. This will result in breakdown of glucose storage such as the glycogen and quick digestion of the food in the gut. This is more like preparing for a space ship take off. The body must have adequate energy to power its flight.

Any situation that is deemed as not favorable for the survival of the human being will result in stress. Naturally, the body preferred not to be in any form of a stress and would often be in state of inertia.

Stress is how the body responds to the environment. The body will respond to the threats that it may detect through taste, eyes, nose and ears.

Common sources of stress therefore include physical factors such as pain, hunger. Emotional source include unexpected turn of events, expected challenges such as financial pressure. Environmental factors such as heat or cold may also cause physiological stress.

It is probably because your energy tends to gather in your head. If your energy then suddenly drops toward your lower body, you may feel dizzy. Since most people today have too much energy in the head, dizziness is a fairly common occurrence as the energy system begins to return to a healthy state. The key to overcoming this problem is to learn to center your energy in your lower abdomen (called Dahn-jon) through relaxed concentration. Before you begin regular Brain Wave Vibration training, practice Abdominal Vibration (page 146) for several minutes. Relax your shoulders completely and visualize energy settling in the lower abdomen. Continue until the abdomen feels warm. After Abdominal Vibration, breathe deeply in and out three times, releasing all remaining tension from the body. Close your eyes and feel the vibrations circulating through the body. Dizziness can also occur if you stop Brain Wave Vibration training too suddenly, so make sure you ease to a stop after practice.

Work up to the exercise. Most people carry a lot of excess tension in their bodies. Sometimes the same patterns of tension have been repeated for years, so it can be hard to let go of the tension.

DRAIN WAVE VIBRATION is so SIMPLE that it can be done by anyone of any age in just about any condition. However, like any exercise, you should not push yourself beyond your limits, and you should discuss your plans with your physician if you are concerned at all about your physical readiness to participate. Here are some precautions to keep in mind:

If you are older or very weak

You first need to stimulate your physical energy. The center of that energy is located in your lower abdomen, about two inches below your navel. Before beginning the Full-Body Brain Wave Vibration exercise, warm up with the Abdominal Vibration exercise on page 138. When YOU begin full-body practice, start with only very slight vibratory movements. It you stand during practice, make sure your feet are planted solidly on the ground and that your knees arc slightly bent. If necessary, assume a seated or lying posture. You can also practice while balancing against a stable object, such as a wall or a sturdy piece of furniture.

In Dahn Yoga there is a phrase, Myung-hyun, which refers to an energetic phenomenon that occurs as the body changes. Myung-hyun literally means “the intersection of light and dark,” and it reflects the fact that negative energy will be expelled as fresh, new energy comes into the body. Some people experience this transformation in the form of body aches as if they have a cold or fatigue and heaviness in the body. However, it can take many forms, both physical and psychological.

Myung hyun occurs when the once-blocked ki flow is restored, which can be uncomfortable. It is actually a good sign and should not discourage you from further practice. In fact, the more you practice, the quicker the symptoms will subside. It is a sign that your energetic condition is improving. The symptoms should be mild and temporary, so seek a doctor’s advice if you have any serious or long-lasting symptoms.

Completion means reaching a state of full awakening, in which you feel and live according to a continuous state of oneness. This means stepping beyond the ego of the small self to fulfill your mission of service to humanity. At this point your mind will be enveloped in constant joy, and you will be finally able to become that beautiful, fluttering butterfly.

Vibratory Resonance

In many ways, our senses fool us into thinking that various people and objects in the world are separate from each other. Now physics tells us that there are no distinct boundaries between anything or anyone.

In a very practical way, you can see how vibrations can influence us. You have certainly experienced walking into a room that feels heavy and negative. Sometimes this may be because the people in the room have just been arguing or discussing a somber topic.

The problem is that most people seem to get stuck in this success phase, thinking it is the most important aspect of life. This is a little like a caterpillar thinking he can do no more with his life than spend it eating leaves all day.

In reality, the caterpillar has the ability to transform into a beautiful butterfly, just as you can transform far beyond success in the physical world. Not realizing this, many people choose material success only to feel unfulfilled when it finally arrives.

These perpetual caterpillars do not understand that there is one more stage, the most important stage that is the source of true and lasting happiness. This is the stage I call “completion of the soul.” Once you have accomplished success in the “real” world, however you choose to define that, YOU can achieve the butterfly stage by turning your mind toward a different kind of success in which you find full expression of your highest sense of self. This can begin anytime in life, but older adulthood is the ideal time, a time when many other longings have been fulfilled.

This greater cosmic energy I call Chun-ji-ki-un, which literally translates as “the circulation of heaven and earth energy.” To connect to this energy is to connect to the ultimate energy pulsing through all of existence—what some may call the Source and others call God.

There is a part of your brain that exists to connect to this energy. You can conceptualize it as a radio receiver picking up invisible messages from the cosmos. When your brain waves are agitated, it is like static interrupting the signal. Please use Brain Wave Vibration as a way to clear out the static and tune in to the greater peace and serenity of the cosmos.

At the Root of the Matter

Keep away from people who belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you too can become great.

Positive thinking patterns are clearly a precursor to good health. In addition, they help facilitate proper flow of ki through the body, leading to a vital, fully developed sense of health and well-being. Quantum physics has taught us that everything in the universe is ultimately energy, and Brain Wave Vibration will empower you to use your brain stem to emanate positive, supportive energy throughout your body and into your life.

Energy Management Is Life Management

Brain Wave Vibration is essentially a means of managing your energy, in much the same way that you manage your time or your finances. If you feel stressed out or burned out, you may think it is because you have too much to do. That may indeed be the case, but for most people, burnout comes from the inability to manage their energy, not from having too much to do.

Research has shown that the body and mind function according to ultra fine rhythms, cycles in which the body moves from high-energy to low energy states. At the low point of the cycle, which occurs every 90 to 120 minutes, your energy dips and your mind wanders (Schwartz)? In response to this energy deficit, people usually reach for that extra cup of coffee, grab a sugary snack, or just suffer through the feeling of listless fatigue.

By doing so, you are shaking loose the tension that has built up in your body, and you are opening your body to new energy. Furthermore, as you quiet your thinking mind, you give the creative right brain a chance to chime in, allowing new opportunities for innovative ideas and solutions.

According to Asian traditional medical models, we all have meridians that run through the body and carry life energy, known as ki. According; to this model, any pain or disease that occurs in the body is the result of blockage to that energy flow. Acupuncture, a method whose efficacy has been well-established in several studies, seeks to improve the flow of energy, fine-tun¬ing it for optimal health. Many mind-body practices, like tai chi and yoga, also help open up these pathways. Likewise, Brain Wave Vibration allows you to shake loose the blockages in your body for better energy flow.