Editor’s Note

Leading an Inspirational LifeTanyce Wong’s journey of personal change as Dahn Yoga practitioner

Dahn Yoga Life is changing. In fact, we’re celebrating 2014 as a Year of Change. We are doing our part as conscious participants in creating a more sustainable life. Sustainability isn’t just about recycling or eating organic food. It is about elevating consciousness and opening our hearts—personal engagement beyond personal concerns.

I hope you find inspiration and support for your personal growth and change within these pages.

Happy New Year! — Temani F. Aldine,

Editor-in-Chief

www.facebook.com/dahnyoga

M o r e e n e r g y . b e t t e r l i f e . | J A n U A r y 2 0 1 4

A Day in the Life .......................... 2 DY instructor Danielle Gaudette

Workshop Highlight ..................... 2Initial Awakening

Message from the Founder ...... 3 Bird of the soul meditation

Core Practice ................................. 3 Building strength with YeonDahn

Body Talk ......................................... 4 Getting the lowdown on knees

Hongik Community Focus ....... 4SMC and the Change Movement

It’s not always easy to change your habits, but the right tools and support can make a big difference. Tanyce Wong, a member of the

Honolulu Dahn Yoga Center, made a remarkable personal change that started with her Dahn Yoga practice in February 2007. “I felt that I needed to relieve my insomnia and depression. I never tried yoga, but somehow I knew it would help me to de-stress in a healthy way. I was getting chest pains so that was my wake up call to stop smoking.”

After just one month of classes, her insomnia was gone, and she felt happier. However, feel-ing the need to become more grounded, she signed up for workshops, learned more about energy principles, and gained a deeper aware-ness of her mind and body connection. “I was curious about how energy works, and so I stud-ied and trained every day. I devoted myself to getting healthier and made a goal to quit smok-ing in one year (I had been smoking for over 10 years). The workshops helped me to achieve my goal and during one of the meditations I was able to quit smoking—cold turkey.”

The training and the workshops supported her personal will to make a change in her life. The healthier state of her body and relaxed mind initiated a process of healthier choices:

“I also chose to follow my body and listen to it more so I chose to eat only organic foods and fresh fruits in order to cleanse and balance my body. I had really changed my brain about my habits!”

Now a Dahn Yoga instructor and Dahn Master, Tanyce is a prime example of personal change through willpower and energy princi-ples. Tanyce speaks of taking action through love. She engages the world from a new per-spective by integrating energy principles into her daily life. She now teaches yoga class after work, leads four meditation circles and is doing energy healing on her dad.

Tanyce is happiest when focused on her self-development, and she realizes a great deal of it comes from helping others. “The more diligent I am with my own development, the more I change and accumulate the energy to help many more people change.” — Monica Lugo

C Printed on 30% recycled paper.

“If you do not change direction, you may end up

where you are headed.”

– Lao Tzu

Dahn Yoga Life | January 2014 2

Danielle Gaudette, whose spiritual name “Johwatong” reminds her to “create harmony,” is a very dedicated

Dahn Yoga instructor and Center Manager. She has made a positive impact on the Bay Ridge, New York Dahn Yoga Center in a short span of time. We asked her about her work, her passion, and her personal message:

DYL: What is a typical day like for you as a Dahn Yoga Center Manager?

DANIELLE: I feel that a typical day run-ning a Dahn Yoga Center is very simple and yet very special. I have often said that the Dahn Yoga Center runs on love.

In the morning we begin by preparing for the members to come—nowadays it’s cold so we make sure it’s warm, smells good, hot tea is ready, and cheerful music is playing for when they arrive. I always take time to do my Shimgo, which is a morning meditation where I check my mind and heart and purify myself by connecting with [cosmic] energy. I ready myself to share that energy with others for the day.

DYL: When did you first become involved

in practicing, and then teaching Dahn Yoga?DANIELLE: I joined the Dahn Yoga center

in January 2000, right after finishing college, when I came home to visit my parents for a few months. I was looking for peace of mind and began to find hints of that right away through Jigam, an energy meditation exer-cise. I was intrigued, so in two weeks I decid-ed to join the Shimsung [Self-Discovery] workshop. From there my life completely changed.

DYL: What is the best thing that has come as a result of doing Dahn Yoga—for you, and for teaching others?

DANIELLE: I feel that I have grown as a person in more ways than I ever could have imagined for myself. I have found many tools in the practice and in the principles, both for helping others improve their lives, as well as helping me to keep overcoming my own ob-stacles and limits.

DYL: One of your students describes how you are helping him discover these things for himself. In fact, several students offered glowing impressions of your impact on their

Danielle Gaudette Dahn Yoga instructor and center manager brings harmony to Brooklyn

a day in the life . . .

Legal Copyright 2013, Dahn Yoga & Health Centers, Inc. written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited. This publication is intended to inform, not prescribe, and is not meant to be a substitute for the advice and care of a qualified health professional.

Mission Statement Our mission is to empower Dahn Yoga members and employees by providing a space to exchange accurate, clear, and positive information relevant to Dahn Yoga and its practitioners so we can create and spread health, happiness, and peace for humanity and the Earth.

Editorial Director Helen KimManaging Editor Temani AldineAssociate Editor MinJae KimContributors MinJae Kim, Lynn Trombetta, Sandy Webb, Monica LugoDesigner Bokyung Moon, Letters 6560 State Route 179 Ste. 220 Sedona, AZ 86351E-mail dahnyogalife@dahnyoga.com

lives!DANIELLE: Actually, I have to thank you

for doing this interview, because hearing their sharing after class was most touching and rewarding! My biggest happiness comes when I see my members making great break-throughs, which cause them to want to make choices to improve their lives and the lives of those around them. — Lynn Trombetta

This year in Dahn Yoga Life, we are going to explore the holistic health aspects of different parts of the body. January’s

focus is on the knees. We brought in expert Banya Lim, a nationally licensed acupunctur-ist and Oriental Medicine practitioner with a background in Dahn Yoga instruction, to tell us about knees from an energy perspective. Based in Sedona, Arizona, Banya is a renowned educator in Oriental Medicine and Energy Healing, serves as a Director of the Chakra Healing Arts Center, Sedona Story, and the Institute of Brain Education, and as

Body Talk Getting the energy lowdown on your knees

an advisor to the International Brain Education Association.

DYL: What type of knee problems do you see a lot of with your clients?

Banya Lim: The most common knee problems are sprains in the ligaments or ten-dons, tears in the meniscus, and dislocation of the joint.

DYL: What meridians and pressure points are located in or around the knees?

Banya Lim: Interestingly, many of the di-gestive-related meridians are on and around the knees. DYL: How are these meridians important

to overall health?Banya Lim: According to the Oriental

Medicine tradition, the health of the joints is based on the absorption of nutrition. When our digestive system works properly, and with the proper nutrition and herbs, the joints will receive enough energy (Ki) to cor-rect any disharmony and regain its original and natural healthy state. — Temani F. Aldine

Dahn Yoga Life | January 2014 3

Let Your Heart Be FreeFly with the bird of your soul in this energy meditation

I invite you to meet the bird of your soul. It has been with you since you were born. It makes its nest in your heart. When your

heart soars, so does the bird of your soul. Try this meditation on the Bird of Your

Soul to help you get to know your heart and let it fly free:

Sit with your back straight and your hands on your knees. Breathe comfortably.

As you breathe, focus on your chest and the feelings deep inside. What do you feel? Do you feel at peace? Can you sense joy in your heart? Or does your heart feel heavy with sadness, loneliness, resentment, or frus-tration from past hurts?

Release that energy as you exhale.Rub your hands together briskly for 30 sec-

onds, and then tap your fingertips together rapidly for 30 seconds. Face your palms to-ward each other in front of your chest and feel the sensations in your in your palms Now breathe in and separate your palms. As

you breathe out, bring your hands closer to-gether. Focus on the sensations in your palms for about five minutes.

Now, imagine a bird in your heart. Take note of its shape and color. Picture that bird spreading its wings and taking flight. Fly with it. See the landscape far be-low you. Fly over mountains, rivers, lakes, and even out to the ocean. Fly wher-ever your heart takes you, until you feel completely free from your troubles and lim-itations. As you reach up to the sky, your arms sway with the feeling of freedom.

Finally, return to the ground. Let the bird of your soul fly back into your heart. Cover your heart with your hands and send love and as-surances to the bird of your soul.

from the founder

You Can Do It!Building inner strength with the core Dahn Yoga practice known as YeonDahn

Senior DahnMuDo instructor Soo Ahm Lee gives some insight into the core Dahn Yoga practice known as Yeon-

Dahn.DYL: What is YeonDahn?Soo Ahm Lee: Stillness in the midst of

dynamic movement—there is huge move-ment of ki energy and consciousness. It’s all about awareness and energy. If you cannot feel Ki energy and do not know the

principles, YeonDahn is just physical exercise. It can even be seen as some type of self-pun-ishment. It depends on how well you know yourself.

DYL: How do you do YeonDahn?

Soo Ahm Lee: Well, it’s not that dif-ferent from other training. DoIn exercise can be a preparation for YeonDahn.

Generally, you hold a posture while main-taining deep focused breathing. Most pos-tures involve the lower body, like the lower back, core, and legs. HaengGong breathing exercises are good examples of YeonDahn.

DYL: What are practitioners experienc-ing with YeonDahn?

Soo Ahm Lee: YeonDahn usually in-volves some type of endurance. It is a learn-ing process Ilchi Lee compares to the

tempering of iron, which is strengthened by placing it alternatively into a furnace and then into cold water. Our body, emotions, and pre-conceptions are challenged at once.

There will be some pain at first, maybe in the tendons and muscles, but it’s important to watch how you tense your back and shoul-ders. These can be emotional reactions. Sweat and vibration of the arms or legs are natural reactions. Relief comes as we relax the body and release tension with our breathing.

DYL: What are some benefits of YeonDahn?Soo Ahm Lee: It helps us develop strength

and flexibility for body and mind. The lower body is strengthened and Water Up, Fire Down energy circulation becomes a conscious experience. You can feel hot energy from your Dahnjon that warms your hands and feet. This also brings fresh oxygen and cool water energy to your brain.

As stagnant energy is released, awareness of the place where you feel pain will strengthen that part of your body. The sense of overcom-ing physical limitations will build confidence and help spiritual growth. — MinJae Kim

Dahn Yoga Life | January 2014 4 Dahn Yoga® 1-877-477-9642 www.dahnyoga.com Body & Brain Yoga® 1-480-664-2194 www.bodynbrain.com

Sedona Meditation CenterFoundation and epicenter of the growing Change Movement

The Sedona Meditation Center (SMC) is where director Jiu Jung and her team of instructors welcome and reach out to

the the local community. A project of the non-profit Dahn Yoga Foundation, whose mission is to put Dahn Yoga principles into action and expand the Dahn Yoga commit-ment to community well-being, SMC has chosen Effecting Change as its theme and is taking a leading role in the ‘Change Move-ment.’

Inspired by Ilchi Lee’s film Change: The LifeParticle Effect, Jiu and her team actively teach others in the community how to con-nect their mind, body, and spirit. And in ad-dition to yoga and meditation classes at area schools, businesses, and agencies, SMC mem-bers are volunteering to support local munic-ipal and charitable organizations. Jiu says, “Sedona is the model for the Change Movement. We encourage community ser-vice and help other non-profits. We want to spread health, happiness, and peace.”

SMC is truly a community center, offering

several free classes, inspirational movie nights, concerts, presentations, and energy healing events featuring a variety of interna-tional healers and musicians. Collaborative Healing is a signature event for SMC and oc-curs on a weekly basis. Their paid classes not only include yoga, meditation, and tai chi, but also different types of dance.

Special events include a Yoga & Brunch on Saturdays and a traditional Korean Full Moon Ceremony each month. These events are free and open to the community, offering

a very special time for gathering and person-al reflection. These events help members of SMC integrate their lives in the wider com-munity and create ‘Change’ through loving and helping themselves, their community, and our earth.

Mind, body, and spirit—Jiu and the Sedona Meditation Center know that when all are truly connected through positive energy, health, happiness, and peace follow—for our-selves, our country, and our world. This is the Change Movement. — Sandy Webb

Initial AwakeningOptimizing the mind-body connection to take charge of your overall health

Looking for ways to make your New Year’s resolutions stick? Yoga class is a great place to start, but those interested

in gaining a deeper mind-body connection, more energy, and overall motivation would be wise to consider Dahn Yoga’s signature workshop “Initial Awakening.” From my own experience, I can attest to the effective-ness of the workshop. I also asked Arthur Babakhanov, a senior Boston-area Dahn Yoga instructor, Center Manager, and experienced workshop trainer, for his perspective.

Since this is one of the first workshops someone new to Dahn Yoga might experi-ence, the “initial” part seems self-explanato-ry. But what does the “awakening” refer to? According to Arthur,the workshop is suitable for beginners and helps people better under-stand energy principles through experience.

He encourages new members to include

the workshop with a 3-month membership. Regular class helps people relax their bodies and minds and get to know the feeling of “energy,” but the workshop accelerates this process. Arthur says “with Initial Awakening, they gain a deeper appreciation of the princi-ples that support their practice and recognize the value of maintaining a strong Dahnjon.”

Participants in the workshop are “awaken-ing” to the operation of energy principles in their own lives, first and foremost, the ener-gy principle of Water Up, Fire Down. This physically healthy condition is the perfect en-vironment for creating mental well-being, improving focus, and developing confidence.

They experience the mind to body connec-tion through exercises geared to awaken body awareness and acceptance. Through ac-ceptance, they can release the feelings that surface, whether they are emotions, discom-fort, or pain.

Arthur says, “The body is like a house. When the homeowner is away, dust settles and the house becomes dirty. The longer the owner is away the deeper the cleaning re-quired.” With this workshop the “homeown-er” can deeply clean out the effects of nega-tive thoughts and physical inactivity. Creating the optimal conditions for mind and body to actively work together, we can begin to create the changes we wish to see in our lives. — Monica Lugo

workshop spotlight

hongik community focus