Ilchi Lee

When you are exercising, you should make sure you have good posture and alignment. Through the years, your body has probably developed habits that are less than ideal. If you conscientiously strive to improve your posture, you are essentially retraining your brain to adopt a healthier habit.

When you do the standing exercises suggested in this guide, try to keep this posture. As with any physical exercise, be careful not to exceed your body’s limitations. Remember—you don’t have to be perfect. Practice consistently and you will improve one step at a time.

The following two exercises, which you should do every day for 30 to 45 minutes, will provide you with a strong foundation for the remaining activities in this guide.

Posture Correction
1. Relax your shoulders.
2. Straighten your waist, and curl your tailbone inward like a hook. Your spine should straighten and you will feel a gentle strain in your abdomen.
3. Bend your knees slightly and naturally.
4. Distribute your weight equally to the soles of both feet.
5. Your feet shoot be shoulder width apart.
6. Keep your feet parallel to each other, like the number 11.
7. Breathe. Focus on areas of discomfort, then inhale through the nose. Imagine the breath flowing to the area of discomfort.
8. Now open your mouth slightly and exhale.

Jangsaeng Walking
1. Tilt the lower part of your pelvis forward.
2. Breathe with your lower abdomen.
3. Let your heel tap the ground gently as you step forward, with a straight leg.
4. Feel your weight transfer fully to the balls (Yong-chun) and toes of your foot.
5. Keep your feet parallel, stepping on either side of an imaginary line.
6. Angle your body one degree forward.
7. Swing your arms freely.
8. Smile!

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