Start with loving your body and opening your heart to pure love inside

Though we may have technological advantages over our ancestors, there is one thing we still have in common: the need for love. In fact, changes in social structures may have uncovered how important love really is to us.

Several scientific studies have explored the biological basis of love, your yoga practice can also help you find true love. Dahn Yoga teaches that personal development is a process, summed up by the Korean phrase “Jungchoong Kijang Shinmyung.” This is a process of learning to love yourself and, eventually, everyone.

It is essential to start with the gathering of physical energy or loving your body. The first step, “Jungchoong,” is associated with the strengthening of the lower dahnjon, the second chakra, which helps us maintain physical and emotional balance. In Sealing the Deal: The Love Mentor’s Guide to Lasting Love, Dr. Diana Kirschner advises: 1. Get moving! Exercise has been shown to reduce feelings of loneliness, create uplifting endorphins, and reduce depression; 2. Watch What You Put or Don’t Put in Your Mouth. Don’t punish yourself by overeating, starving yourself, or drinking too much; 3. Get Sleep. Sleep is very important in regulating mood. Consider a regular relaxation or meditation program to reduce stress, increase relaxation and promote deep restfulness.

The next step is “Kijang,” or the purification of emotional energy, associated with the healing of the fourth or Heart Chakra. Emotional maturity is an essential milestone on the path to enlightenment, the third major stage called “Shinmyung.” Literally translated as “brightening of divinity,” energy flows through the sixth and seventh chakras in the brain; you will realize love for all and life itself.

To reach the third stage, purifying the fourth Chakra is crucial. The fourth Chakra is an energetic bridge between body and spirit; physical healing and often requires emotional healing. This is about finding true love within.

In order to become consciously engaged in our personal growth, we must develop awareness of our internal environment—what messages and reactions we have stored and replayed over the years. Until we begin to heal our hearts, we are stuck in reactions to memories of our early need for love not being met. We act out of our wounds and attract people into our lives with whom we relive these wounds. The underlying loss must be acknowledged, grieved, and accepted, in order for it to be healed.

For the Heart chakra, the most important action is forgiveness. When added to compassion, forgiveness helps us heal others and ourselves. This is love in action that puts us in touch with our authentic power and moves us away from seeing ourselves as victims of our circumstances. The healing process shifts our perspective to courage and creativity to give us what we thought we lacked. True love, the treasure we discover within, can be reflected in our relationships with others. It sounds like a profound change, but it can begin with small steps.

— Joseph Alexander