About the Founder Ilchi Lee was born in South Korea in 1950, a few months after the start of the Korean War.
After a lifetime of searching for meaning, Lee engaged in an intense 21 day ascetic practice to find an answer that still eluded him: Who am I? The answer he received was that his energy and mind, and all humans’ energy and minds, are one with the energy and mind of the entire universe. He also became aware beyond a doubt that we have the capability to heal or destroy the earth depending on how we use our brain.
Driven by a desire to share what he received, he started teaching basic mind-body exercises to people in a park. After five years, his growing number of students wanted to practice year-long, not just when the weather permitted. Thus, in 1985, a 900 sq ft space was rented in Seoul, and the first Dahn Center was born.
Throughout his three-decade career, Ilchi Lee has continuously strived to develop new ways to share his awakening. He created many training programs and methods, organized numerous projects and events, authored dozens of books, and founded a variety of for-profit and non-profit organizations, all with the same purpose.
A true believer in the power of individuals to change themselves and the world around them, Ilchi Lee seeks to empower individuals to live according to their highest ideals and grandest dreams. He identifies the source of the ability to do so in the human brain, and thus considers its development as the most critical aspect of human progress. For this reason, he created the Brain Education, which organizes the best of his programs into a profound five-step process for unleashing the brain's unlimited potential.
For more information about Ilchi Lee, please visit www.ilchi.com
History of Dahn Yoga As he searched how to share his enlightenment, Ilchi Lee discovered that the wisdom he had received reflected the wisdom contained in a 9,000-year old sacred Asian text called the Chun Bu Kyung, and that of the traditional Korean Sun Do practice.
Sun Do originated from the ancient Korean people in Northeast Asia. It was practiced as part of popular culture during the Dahngun era, from 2333-108, and then disappeared into the mountains where it continued to be practiced by Sun Do masters for centuries.
From a modern perspective, Sun Do may be considered similar to other types of yoga, tai chi, meditation, or martial arts. Dahn Yoga includes most of the elements of these body and mind practices.
Dahn Yoga, first introduced in Korea as Dahnhak Seonwon (rough translation: Vital Energy Arts Center), grew steadily in Korea throughout the 80’s and 90’s. In the mid 90’s, Ilchi Lee retired from management of Dahn Centers and went on to pioneer ways to use Ki energy to maximize the potential of the brain. He developed Brain Respiration, an early precursor to today’s Brain Wave Vibration. Brain Respiration became so popular that it was named a "hit product" by two popular Korean newspapers in 2002. Dahnhak had spread to the U.S. in 1991, at the invitation of a Korean businessman living in Philadelphia. Centers grew steadily over the years, and eventually added a franchise system in 2008.
A brief timeline of Dahn Yoga's modern day history:
1980 Ilchi Lee starts teaching holistic exercise in a park.
1985 After five years of developing his methods with free classes in the park, the first Dahn Center opens in downtown Seoul for his growing number of students. The first edition of Dahnhak: Its Principles and Training Method is published.
1986 The practice spreads, and advanced students start spreading the practice.
1987 Dahnhak starts to be known as a new successful practice. Large corporations, including Gold Star (now known as LG), SK, and Daewoo ask for Dahn Yoga to be taught to employees. Dahn Yoga is also introduced to athletes-in-training and troops in the Korean military.
1989 The energy healing side of the practice starts to develop. A small energy healing center in Seoul is opened, giving energy evaluations and treatment plans based on Dahn Yoga and energy healing.
1991 As practitioners experience Dahn, they are eager to bring it to where they live. A Korean businessman living in Philadelphia invites Ilchi Lee to the U.S. Soon after the speaking engagement, his top student opens a small center in the US.
1996 The first Japanese Dahn Center is opened in Tsuruhashi, Osaka. Shortly after, Canada gets its first taste of Dahn Hak. The first Canadian Center opens in North York, Toronto, Ontario.
2001 Ilchi Lee starts the Healing Chakra tours in the US. This tour would extend through the next three years around the world. By the end of the three-year tour, close to 15,000 people have participated in these workshops. Today, the Healing Chakra is lead by senior Dahn Yoga practitioners.
2002 The Dahn Yoga practice spreads to England, and a center opens in Surrey, England, just outside of London.
2006 Volunteering in the community was part of Dahn Yoga's history since Ilchi Lee started from teaching for free in the parks. Dahn Foundation is born as a 501c-3 non-profit organization to officially develop and support such activities.
2006 The first Dahn Center is opened in Samara, Russia.
2007 Ilchi Lee develops the Brain Education program to organize the various programs developed over the years into one complete training system.
After experiencing significant improvement in MS symptoms, an active member in Arizona develops Dahn Yoga Classes for MS sufferers through the Dahn Foundation. Eventually, a Dahn Yoga for Multiple Sclerosis and Similar Conditions - DVD is made for people with MS to benefit nationwide.
2008 A franchise system is developed in the US for individuals who want to own and operate their own Dahn Centers. They are called 'Body-and-Brain' Centers.
Brain Wave Vibration evolves from Brain Respiration as the quintessential Brain Education training and spreads quickly throughout Dahn Yoga centers. The Brain Wave Vibration book is published.
2009 Brain Management Consultant (BMC) is developed to train instructors who want to be licensed to share the principles of Brain Education through teaching Dahn Yoga, Brain Wave Vibration, or principles of Brain Management in their organizations, homes, and workplaces.
The franchise centers start to spread overseas, and the first Body-and-Brain Center is opened in Sweden.