| The BEST Method |
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Brain Education System Training (BEST) method is intended to develop our innate human capacity for health, well-being, achievement, and peacefulness through better self-management of the brain. BEST is the culmination of Ilchi Lee’s three-decade search for effective methods of human potential development. Video: Learn about Step 1 of the BEST method from Dr. Sung W. Lee
The Brain and Energy
One foundational concept is called Shim-Ki-Hyul-Jung, which literally means, “mind leads energy, moving blood through the body.” According to this principle, one can develop and accumulate ki-energy and can apply it to create changes in the physical body through consistent focus of the mind. This basic property of mind-body connection was confirmed in the 1950s by biofeedback researchers, who found that through focused attention, people could easily learn to change their heart rate, body temperature, and other aspects of their physiology. BEST 5 Steps
Versatilizing: At this stage, practitioners develop flexibility of body and mind. Through careful observation and self-discipline, behavior is modified to create healthier, more productive habits. This step relies and builds upon the plasticity (changeability) of the brain's wiring or activation patterns. Integrating: The brain has three basic layers, which reflect its evolutionary history: the brain stem (basic life functions), the limbic system (emotions), and the neocortex (abstraction, symbolic communication, reasoning, and planning). These structures have a tendency to function without conscious control, and modern culture typically emphasizes our advanced neocortical functions. Training for intense concentration and meditation allows practitioners to fully utilize all three layers in tandem. Mastering: Through effective functioning of the frontal cortex, practitioners seek to become the true masters of their lives. In essence, this step is the application of previous training content to everyday life. Mastering consists of applying and re-applying the first four steps of BEST in the direction of specific, concrete goals, resulting in a process of continuous personal and quality-of-life improvement.
3-Layered Brain
Above the brainstem is the limbic system. The parts of this higher brain control learning and memory, the expression of emotions, and the linking of past events to strong emotions. This center is also responsible for attachment and protective, loving emotions, so it might be called the source of our emotional intelligence. Finally, at the top of the evolutionary ladder is the neocortex. This is the youngest and largest part of the brain, the seat of higher thinking, writing, and language, our ability to reason and analyze, and our power to anticipate the future. These three brains perform their own specific functions, but they are also deeply interconnected, linking thought, emotion, memory, and action in complex ways that make us human. This network of nerves has the potential to make our brains agile and perceptive and our emotional lives rich and rewarding, no matter how old we are. Yet often this potential is not reached, because the traumas or habits of decades damage the flow of energy between these brain centers. Education typically focuses on abstract reasoning or knowledge acquisition through neocortical function, largely ignoring the deeper layers of the brain. The legacy of Western philosophy is to separate our ability to reason from our passions. In contrast to this notion, BEST aims to engage, develop, and integrate the subcortical structures of the brain, so as to draw out its full potential. BEST makes it possible for you to more fully integrate your thoughts and your emotions and uncover your most dynamic and genuine personality. The result? A healthy body, enriched emotions, and blooming creativity—you become the person you have always aspired to become.
BEST 5 Education FacilitiesDahn Yoga Centers Power Brain Education Sedona Ilchi Meditation Center Executive Competence & Communication |
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To access the infinite potential of the human brain, BEST begins with recognition of the traditional Eastern notion that mind and body are connected through ki (chi, qi), or life-energy.
Sensitizing: In this step, practitioners awaken their primary senses and develop awareness of ki energy. Through this process, they acquire tools to regulate the stress response system. Stretching, energetic movement, and breath-training exercises improve cardiovascular circulation and fine-tune the balanced functioning of the autonomic nervous system.
In a way, the human brain is three brains layered together. It has three distinct parts that echo our evolutionary past. At the deepest level is the reptilian brain, or brainstem. This is the brain we inherited from our distant ancestors, long before there were human beings. This brain is home to our most primitive instincts: reproduction, movement, the fight-or-flight response, and territoriality. The reptilian brain tends to be very resistant to change.