By the Editor

This news comes from the International Brain Education Association (IBREA), who hosted a panel on poverty and welfare at the United Nations headquarters in New York City on January 12, 2012.

After a brief introduction, four panelists spoke on eradicating poverty and promoting equality, which is the 2012 UN ECOSOC agenda.

The first was UNDP’s (United Nations Development Program) chief economist for Latin America, George Molina, who shared that one third of the world’s population lives in poverty and 25,000 people in the world are dying from hunger everyday. The United Nations is actively fighting poverty in 171 countries, however, the number of economically struggling countries has increased. He demonstrated that economic development does not necessarily mean social development. To combat this statistic, he emphasized the importance of social development so that food can reach those who need it.

The second panelist was New York University Professor Joseph Ledoux, author of Synaptic Self: How Our Brains Become Who We Are, and

The Emotional Brain: The Mysterious Underpinnings of Emotional Life. Professor Ledoux spoke about how emotional functions work in the brain and how to regulate them. He showed how our emotions affect our thoughts more than our thoughts can control our emotions. He emphasized th importance of early education in preventing severe stress that can lead to fear and anxiety. He told how simple breathing and meditation is helpful for releasing stress.

The next panelist was Ilchi Lee, who is president and founder of IBREA. He expressed that the great latent potential and value of the human brain are demonstrated to the fullest when we give our effort so that all people can be happy together. He taught the participants simple exercises to release stress and guided them

in giving each other massage to relieve their stiff shoulders. He also mentioned that 58 heads of state will change in 2012, and that 2012 is a very important year. Ilchi Lee gave all the participants his proposal for human peace and welfare, and the recovery of the earth’s natural environment.

The final speaker was Dan G. Pavel, MD, Director of PathFinder Brain SPECT (Single-photon Emission Computed Tomography) at the Neuroscience Center in Deerfield, Illinois. He presented a study on the effects of Brain Wave Vibration as measured through Brain SPECT technology.

Eighteen UN representatives from different countries attended the conference, as well as UN agencies such as UNDP and UNESCO. The event were covered by MBC Broadcasting (a major South Korean television station), Korean TV, and South South News of the UN.

By the Editor

Ilchi Lee was interviewed for the January/February 2012 issue of Wisdom Magazine.
Click here to read the article online.

Or enjoy reading the contents of the interview below.

The Call of Sedona – An Interview with Ilchi Lee

by Edie Weinstein

“As always, I am amazed but never surprised at the way life has of bringing together people and opportunities. When we toss a boomerang out into the air, do we not expect it to come back? When we shout our name out into the Grand Canyon, whose name would come echoing back, but our own? Such was the case with the marvelous book entitled The Call of Sedona: Journey of The Heart by Ilchi Lee .

In November 2011, I attended a conference called Celebrate Your Life, held in Phoenix, Arizona. It was my first trip to that part of the country and I thought “While I’m in the neighborhood, I’ll stop by Sedona and visit friends who live there.” I have a lengthy ‘bucket list’ and that destination was on it. The timing was perfect, since I was there for 11/11/11 and enjoyed a labyrinth walk as part of a ritual honoring that auspicious date. While I was at the conference, I saw a flier for the book and took note of the glowing image of Ilchi Lee on the cover . He had a look about him that whispered ‘serenity.’ A few weeks after returning from my trip, I was asked to interview him.

Wisdom: Please tell the story of what first drew you to Sedona.

Ilchi: In 1995, I left Korea and came to the U.S. to share Dahn Yoga, a program composed of traditional Korean mind-body training methods, in the U.S., and other countries around the world. In order to familiarize myself with American society and culture, I began a cross-country journey by car across the United States. Through those travels, I desperately wanted to find a place where I could set my roots down and base my activities in the U.S. I was looking for a place where people could experience a profound meeting with their soul surrounded by the beauty of nature, a place that could awaken the greatest spirit within everyone. In early 1996, I was reading a newspaper in L.A. when I saw a picture of Bell Rock and first learned of Sedona.

Wisdom: How does the voice of Spirit guide your life?

Ilchi: The voice of my soul within always talked about the big dream that I had to reach. But it’s not as though it also provides a navigator or manual for you that will take you right to your dream. I had to figure out the directions on my own through a lot of trial and error in real-life situations. Many people hear the voice of their soul, and they have dreams. But because the path of reality to get to those dreams can be long and tough, people get discouraged and give up along the way. Listening sincerely to the voice of my soul, choosing what my soul really wanted, and hanging in there until the end without giving up until I accomplished what I chose … that’s what I did until now. The voice of my soul has always called attention to my dreams. Whenever I was tired and felt tempted to give in to complacency, whenever I felt lost in thick fog without a compass or flashlight, the voice of my souls always said, ‘It’s okay. The only thing you have to fear is fear itself. Don’t look down; keep your eyes on your dream. Then, instead of your obstacles, you’ll see hope.’

Wisdom: What are vortexes and why are so many of them powerfully concentrated in that part of the country?

Ilchi: A vortex refers to the phenomenon of an object rotating in a spiral around a central axis, the way water swirls down a drain or like a tornado, for example. If you think about it, you realize that, from the tiniest atoms to the Milky Way Galaxy, whose entire massive form spirals around, our universe is full of vortex phenomena. Our body has chakras, where energy is powerfully concentrated. To give a comparison, you could say that vortexes are like the earth’s chakras. The earth also has places where powerful energy pours out of the earth or goes into the earth, and those are what we call vortexes. According to researchers, there are 21 powerful vortexes on the earth, and four of them are grouped in Sedona. It is said that the energy is generated by the red rocks that have high iron content, and that it might also be due to the power of the giant crystals buried beneath the red rocks. From what I can feel, it’s not just certain well-known spots in Sedona, but rather, it seems that all of Sedona itself, as a whole, is like a giant vortex.

Wisdom: What impact do they have on us?

Ilchi: You could say that, through the influence of the powerful energy emitted by the vortexes, energetic and spiritual changes in the body and mind take place more quickly and strongly than in other areas. At a vortex, it’s possible to have a deeper experience of meditation than you otherwise normally would. However, the greatest strength of Sedona’s vortexes lie in awakening the great spirit within us. When this spirit awakens, we can go beyond petty selfishness and we develop a desire to contribute to making human life more valuable and the world a more beautiful place. That’s when each of us ourselves becomes a vortex that exerts a positive influence on the energy of other people, as well as the earth.

Wisdom: How are the vortexes like chakras in our bodies?

Ilchi: The channels along which energy flows in the human body are meridians, and the points by which energy goes in and out of our bodies are energy points called “hyol,” meaning “hole.” There are also invisible energy centers, where energy is concentrated and collects in the body. In Indian tradition, this is called a “chakra,” and Korean mind-body training methods call it a “dahnjon.” Because the earth is also an organic life form, it has an energy system similar to that of the human body. Vortexes play a role for the earth similar to that of chakras in the human body. Powerful energy is concentrated in a vortex, and earth energy whirls around as it gushes out, or heaven energy swirls around as it comes in. Just as we cannot see the energy of our bodies with our physical eyes, vortex energy is also invisible to the eye. However, it’s possible to feel the energy of the body by focusing the mind; likewise, it’s possible to feel vortex energy through various senses.

Wisdom: Why do you suggest clearing your mind prior to traveling to this magical place?

Ilchi: What you will encounter in Sedona is more than just the interesting red rocks, juniper trees that are hundreds of years old, or beautiful sunsets. In Sedona, you come to meet with your “Self.” Sedona’s sacred nature and powerful energy exist to facilitate that encounter. If your mind is filled with worries, selfish desires, or emotions, it will be hard for you to meet with yourself. This self is closer to you than anything else, but unless you empty your mind, it might as well be so far away you could never reach it. You cannot fill something without emptying it first.

Wisdom: How did a traumatic event when you were 14 alter your life?

Ilchi: In a serious accident that occurred when I took my friend swimming in the reservoir during my eighth grade summer vacation, he drowned. I took to bed for nearly a month afterwards from the trauma of what happened that day. After that, I suffered extreme terror and anxiety about death. At the thought that, like my friend, I, my parents, and everything in this world would all disappear someday, I felt that living was so pointless. I built bigger walls between me and my academic studies, and having nothing to devote myself to, I clung furiously to the practice of martial arts, such as taekwondo and hapkido, for hours on end. In my high school years, I became a terrible pessimist. Having to live without knowing the meaning of life was the source of unbearable suffering for me. This incident from my early youth made me harbor more desperate questions about the meaning of life.

Wisdom: What was the literal ‘wake-up call’ that led you to your path?

Ilchi: As I began to be aware of my true self, there was one question that came to me incessantly from within. That question was, ‘Who am I?’ I always thought, ‘Who brought me to this world without my permission; and if I was brought here, shouldn’t I at least be told the reason why I exist?’ The answer that I ultimately gained as I approached the threshold of death several times was, ‘I am Chunjikiun and Chunjimaum—the energy and mind of the universe.’ This was the enlightenment that what was born in this world was simply my physical form; the true identity of my being is the eternal, fundamental life energy of the universe that existed before I received a body. The realization that this universe and I are not two but one—that we are all one—and the urgent need to communicate this to other people have led me on this path. This awakening took place in the summer of 1980, on Moak Mountain in Korea.

Wisdom: Please talk about your 100-day training.

Ilchi: In the latter half of the 1970s, at an antique book store in Seoul, Korea, I felt powerful energy while looking through a book about Tai Chi. Because I didn’t want to lose that feeling, I resolved to do a 100-day training. My eyes opened by themselves at 4 a.m. every morning, and before I knew it, I would find myself sitting on the nearby mountain. Oddly enough, no matter how long I sat, I didn’t feel tired. My breathing became so deep that I could hardly tell whether or not I was breathing. If I just sat down, it felt as though my body became weightless and breathing came effortlessly. Toward the end of my 100-day training, I had an important experience that made me aware of the energy latent in human beings. The weather was cold, with a wind chill factor of 20 degrees below zero Celcius, so I considered taking a day off, but I couldn’t drop the ball on my training, if only because of all the sincere devotion I had given so far. I went to the nearby mountain as usual and did some training, but my whole body froze up and I was gripped by a fear of death. That’s when I thought, ‘Oh Heaven, please do as you see fit,’ and let go of everything, and suddenly, my lower belly became hot with an exploding warmth and my whole body became as hot as a mass of fire, so much that even the snow around me began to melt. I had very powerful experiences of energy during my 100-day training, but I still didn’t have the answer to the question, “Who am I?’ That’s why I went to Moak Mountain to do training for another 21 days.

Wisdom: You faced death during the ordeal that was your 21-day training. Do you marvel that you survived?

Ilchi: If, even after surviving my 21-day training, I still hadn’t been able to answer the question, ‘Who am I?’ that would have been like death to me. Actually, after the 21-day training, it’s just like my individual identity disappeared. That’s when I died as an individual, and instead, the world came into my heart.

Wisdom: Please talk about the Sedona Meditation Tour.

Ilchi: Every year, millions of tourists come to visit Sedona, but how many of them return truly inspired by Sedona? The majority of them come here because they’re drawn by something, but I feel very anguished that they only look around here and there at Sedona’s beautiful landscape before heading back where they came from. After thinking about this, I decided to try something new in Sedona. I combined meditation and travel and started a self-development program called the Sedona Meditation Tour. Sedona is a place that makes it easy to bring down the defensive walls surrounding the self. We can’t open ourselves up 100% inside of our worldly relationships. When people are self-conscious and have a calculating mentality in order to protect their personal interests, a defensive shield forms between them that can’t always be seen. You can’t see yourself deeply through that defensive shield. Sedona’s gorgeous, monumental landscape and unrestrained, wide-open energy naturally clears away such defensive shields. When the defensive shield is cleared away, you embark on a true journey of meditation to your inner world in search of your Self. One especially strong advantage afforded by Sedona, with its abundance of energy, is that a meditation tour activates the circulation of energy in the human body and enhances awareness.

Wisdom: What would you say is your life’s work and passion?

Ilchi: Through rigorous spiritual training for which I risked my life, I encountered the greatness of the soul within me. I also came to realize that, like me, every person has a great soul inside of them. One of the most important enlightenments I had was that meeting the great soul within is the most natural of occurrences. You don’t have to make an extraordinary effort or meet somebody special for that to happen. Because it’s such a natural thing, the moment you turn it into something particularly special in your mind, you push it farther away from you. In the same way that a chick naturally hatches from an egg with the right temperature or environment, all you have to do is provide the conditions conducive to meeting with your great soul within. I know what those conditions are, and what I do is let other people know what they are. What matters most is that you trust yourself. You need to believe that you are a being capable of enlightenment, and that you came to this world in order to become enlightened. Enlightenment takes less than a minute. But it could take 10 years for you to believe in yourself.”

By the Editor

In a study appearing in Volume 2012 of Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, a team including researchers from the University of London and the Korea Institute of Brain Science report the results of their assessment of the comparative effects of Brain Wave Vibration, Iyengar Yoga and Mindfulness training on mood, well-being and immune function.

Created by Ilchi Lee, this unique form of meditation is based in a combination of Korean tradition and modern understanding of the human brain. Brain Wave Vibration is a moving meditation involving movements of the head, neck and body and is designed to relax mind and body. It is considered most beneficial when practiced in combination with other yoga exercises.

A previous study showed how Brain Wave Vibration (http://www.ilchi.com/blog/new-research-on-brain-wave-vibration/) has positive effects on regulating stress, but the current study looks more deeply at the benefits of the practice. Participants in the University of London study practiced the method as part of a 5-week program and experienced mental benefits, comparative to Mindfulness training, and physical and emotional benefits, comparative to Iyengar yoga.

Brain Wave Vibration was introduced to many people with BEST Life Media’s 2008 publication of the Ilchi Lee book by the same name. Since that time many people have reported benefiting from practicing Brain Wave Vibration, which the study now documents and supports. For example, the researchers noted evidence of “[a]n improvement in sleep [that] has been a common anecdotal report by Brain Wave Vibration practitioners, as has increase in energy and vitality.” In effect, Brain Wave Vibration was unique in its benefits to depression and sleep latency in study participants. The researchers concluded that the results of this first controlled trial for this unique form of mind-body training were sufficiently provocative to warrant further investigation.

For more information on this study or the book Brain Wave Vibration, please visit www.brainwavevibration.com

About BEST Life Media:
BEST Life Media, an independent publisher dedicated to providing positive and supportive resources through which individuals can create happier, healthier, and more peaceful lives. Principle publications are books, CDs and DVDs on yoga, meditation, and holistic living.

By the Editor

The Power of Meditation tour that began in Chicago, Illinois continued in Albuquerque, New Mexico last Saturday, December 17, 2011. With 412 people in attendance, this Dahn Yoga-hosted event featuring guest speaker Ilchi Lee brought together many who wished to become better acquainted with meditation.

Ilchi Lee’s lecture focused on the need to control one’s emotions in order to manage one’s life effectively. He introduced simple breathing and walking methods as forms of meditation that can help people calm and let go of their emotions. However, he said in order to be in control of your emotions, you need to recognize that your emotions are not a part of you, but merely something you have and carry around with you. With that separation from your emotions, you can see them clearly and they are less likely to overwhelm you.

Ilchi Lee’s lecture was preceded by a special performance of “Nella Fantasia,” a song made famous by Sarah Brightman. It was sung by Solome, a long-time opera soprano. Next, five Dahn Yoga members and instructors treated the audience to a kigong form they developed themselves called “LifeParticle Kigong.” This flowing sequence of movements entranced the audience with its beauty and power.

The final performance was given by a Dahn Yoga member named Caroline, who sang and played the harp to a song she composed herself called “Heaven Chose You.” The song spoke of a mission that is waiting for each of us if we embrace it. Caroline was inspired to write it while attending Dahn Yoga’s Dotong Course.

On the day of the event, the city of Santa Fe proclaimed it was a city of Brain Education. Mayor David Coss sent a congratulatory note that emcee Michael Munson read part of during the Power of Meditation event. It expressed gratitude to Ilchi Lee for bringing Brain Education to New Mexico. An important factor in the proclamation was the teaching of Brain Education in Dahn Yoga centers in New Mexico for the last 13 years, and the 40 outreach classes being taught in and around Albuquerque and Santa Fe.

As part of his lecture, Ilchi Lee showed inspirational videos that demonstrated the power of meditation, especially Brain Education and its LifeParticle meditation. One video told of Albuquerque native Bette Castoria’s brain tumor reduction without treatment, which she believes is due to her Dahn Yoga practice, her positive mindset, and the love sent to her through LifeParticles from many people around the world. Bette was on hand to share her feelings about her experience.

The other video showed the hope and confidence Brain Education gave to students in El Salvador, where the International Brain Education Association (IBREA) has been teaching it at one of the schools. What started as a pilot program will now expand to eight additional schools in El Salvador, as well as three schools in Liberia and six in the Philippines.

After his lecture, Ilchi Lee was able to meet members of the audience personally at the book signing for The Call of Sedona. The event ended with an upbeat and happy atmosphere. Participants were able to share their experience with others in person, or on Facebook, where The Call of Sedona page posted updates about the event as it happened.

By the Editor

On November 20th, 2011 the first Power of Meditation workshop was held at the Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center with close to 1000 people in attendance.

Hosted by the Chicago Dahn Yoga & Health Centers, the event began with a ChunBuShinGong demonstration by local Dahn Yoga instructors and students. ChunBuShinGong is a special kigong form with one movement for every character of the ancient text, the Chun Bu Kyung. The flowing yet powerful form brought a unified energy to the event hall, deeply moving the audience.

This demonstration was followed by a performance by Chicago’s Power Drumming Team. As the throbbing and dynamic sounds of traditional Korean drums filled the hall, cheers erupted from the audience. Next a touching rendition of “Nella Fantasia” sung by Kaori Williams, a talented soprano, calmed and gathered the audiences’ minds.

Finally Ilchi Lee shared his wisdom and insight. He opened his lecture with a video clip depicting the power of breathing and meditation. Then he led the audience in feeling energy in their hands with simple motions and concentration. This jigam exercise was followed by energy dancing (dahnmu) and Brain Wave Vibration. One member of the audience, Hana Marek from the Dahn Yoga Center in Libertyville, Illinois said, “My body heated up so fast and so well with Brain Wave Vibration that upon stopping the vibration,” she felt great surge of energy inside her. Experiences such as these let the audience feel a state beyond their five senses.

Ilchi Lee described three powers all human beings possess: the power of self-healing, the power of insight, and the power of creation through the process of fusion. He emphasized that each of our brains have an unlimited capacity. However, we place limits on ourselves by taking our preconceptions as truth.

Finally, Lee guided participants to receive LifeParticles, aiding them with the tinkling of a high-pitched bell and images from a LifeParticles video.

Through all of these experiences, the audience tasted the shift in consciousness needed to bring about an era of spiritual civilization. Ilchi Lee said this era will arrive when enough people choose this shift. Beginning with the Chicago area, the Power of Meditation tour will bring many people the simple tools of breathing and meditation they can use to raise their consciousness beyond their normal experience, and bring about a new era of peace and balanced living.