The concept of meditation, as defined by Dahn Yoga, is awareness of yourself as the true essence of life within a state void of idle thoughts and emotions. There are various objectives for practicing Dahn Yoga, such as health, happiness, and peace, but these goals can ultimately be met through this realization.
How can one explain the connection between Dahn Yoga and meditation? You might say that Dahn Yoga is an amazing mind and body method for following the flow of energy into a state of meditation. Though it might be easy to imagine meditation as only sitting still with one’s eyes closed, in order to meditate, if you don’t shut off the idle thoughts and emotions inside your brain, it will not matter how long you sit, because there is no way you will be able to enter a state of meditation. Your body must be relaxed, your breathing deep and stable, and your idle thoughts and emotions must be turned off to practice meditation.
Dahn Yoga practice, especially Brain Wave Vibration (BWV) and Jigam, lets you shake off your thoughts and emotions very easily and provides an optimal state of meditation in which you can experience vital energy. The one-hour Dahn Yoga class that you take is ultimately designed for the goal of helping you breathe well and creating a state of meditation.
A Dahn Yoga class can be categorized into four major parts: Meridian Stretching, BWV, Energy Meditation and Dancing (Jigam and Dahnmu), and Jungchoong Breathing.
The purpose of Meridian Exercises and BWV is to improve the practice of the next step, Jigam and Dahnmu. As you inhale and exhale slowly while practicing meridian stretching, the blocked energy pathways in your body start opening up as your mental chatter fades and you are able to focus your awareness on your body. With this awareness, it is easy to notice the bodily changes or sensations taking place, such as tightness, or what areas ache or feel cold or warm; you begin to develop the sense of controlling your body.
The second step is BWV. You listen to the rhythm of exciting music with every cell in your body as you draw out the rhythm of life within you. When you shake your head and whole body to the rhythm of the music, your consciousness will go past the wall of doubt of the neocortex, the “thinking brain,” and the wall of fear of the limbic system, the “emotional brain,” to enter into the brain stem, the “life brain,” and meet with the rhythm of pure life.
Once you get your energy circulating and you reach a state in which your thoughts and emotions have quieted down, you begin the third step of Jigam and Dahnmu. In Jigam, “ji” means “to stop” and “gam” means “emotions.” It is the optimal training for turning off thoughts and emotions. As you focus all of your awareness only on the sensation of the energy felt in your hands, you gradually move from your external consciousness to your internal awareness. As you move with the flow of energy that spreads through your arms to your whole body and do Dahnmu, you’ll feel yourself dancing in an ocean of Chunjikiun as if you were an astronaut gliding through space.
The final step is Jungchoong Breathing. Dahn Yoga regards breathing to be so important that saying “breathing is meditation, and meditation is breathing” succinctly conveys this truth. This is the process, through breathing, of efficiently amassing the vital energy felt through Jigam and Dahnmu into your dahnjon, the energy center in your lower belly. When you practice dahnjon breathing, you can feel energy rippling into your dahnjon like gentle waves sweeping onto a shore. Of course, for beginners and those who aren’t ready for dahnjon breathing, one must begin with the prior step, which is sending out energy blockages from the chest with chest breathing.
Making your dahnjon abundantly full of energy through Jungchoong Breathing recharges your energy for everyday life. When you reach a state in which there is a reserve of condensed energy in your dahnjon, you increase your ability to control your emotions and stay centered and positive. You will also be in a state of relaxed concentration and able to achieve meditation even in the midst of your everyday life. Dahn Yoga classes are truly an amazing method for developing this ideal state of body and mind in just one hour.
Moreover, the MindScreen and LifeParticle Meditation recently developed by Dahn Yoga founder Ilchi Lee are incredible Energy Visualization Meditation methods that enable you to create vital energy for yourself and for sending to others.
Let Dahn Yoga help you utilize your inner power to create health, happiness, and success each and every day!
— Lynn Moon