| Courses in yoga, the union of body and mind, continue | | | | Yoga, I became better able to handle even high stress |
| to increase in popularity in the United States. Many | | | | levels around me. I have learned to choose my |
| different yoga systems are available, although they | | | | emotions and am no longer overtaken by them. My |
| usually share the features of stretching, posture, | | | | reactions have changed. I am quieter and calmer. The |
| breathing, relaxation and meditation. | | | | relaxation techniques taught at Dahn Yoga have |
| While most Americans think of yoga as coming the | | | | helped me to become a better teacher, co-worker, |
| Indian cultural or Hindu traditions, there is a yoga with | | | | friend and family member." |
| more-than-5,000-year-old roots in Korea, In its | | | | As if these individual benefits from doing Dahn Yoga |
| modernized holistic fitness training version, 30 years old, | | | | were not enough, people like Linda often report that |
| it is called Dahn Yoga and can be learned and | | | | they feel compelled to share their new health and well |
| practiced at the 120 Dahn Yoga & Health Centers in 15 | | | | being with others. For Linda as a school teacher, this |
| metropolitan areas of the U.S. Sister Dahn | | | | meant to teach selected Dahn Yoga exercises to her |
| organizations operate in Canada, South Korea, Japan, | | | | students. As she explained, "I began teaching my |
| United Kingdom, Germany, Russia and Brazil. | | | | students (6th and 7th graders) to have good posture |
| Worldwide, there are 600 centers, with around | | | | and relax their bodies. Before class or tests, we would |
| 1,000,000 people using Dahn Yoga and related Brain | | | | do a few minutes of exercises and their concentration |
| Education methods daily. The originator of Dahn Yoga | | | | is improved. Since doing these Dahn Yoga exercises, |
| is Ilchi Lee. | | | | my students’ performance went up remarkably. I |
| Dahn Yoga is an integrated body-mind-brain system of | | | | have taught my students to use more of their brain |
| exercises for improving the body’s health, the | | | | potential, which is more possible after they relax their |
| mind’s capability, and the spirit’s connection. | | | | bodies by doing Dahn Yoga techniques. Their |
| From practicing Dahn Yoga, the results tend to be | | | | confidence levels have increased as they were able |
| individual health. But it is natural for Dahn Yoga | | | | to perform successfully after doing the Dahn Yoga |
| practitioners to share what they have learned, directly | | | | exercises, many of them for the first time in their lives." |
| or indirectly, with others – family, friends, workplace, | | | | Seeing in the workplace the positive results generated |
| and community. | | | | by everyone practicing Dahn Yoga can in turn elevate |
| Here is a prime example of the dual set of benefits | | | | the self-confident and self-esteem of the instructor. |
| – self and others – that Dahn Yoga often | | | | According to Linda, "My confidence level was raised |
| produces: Linda is in her early 50s, a school teacher in | | | | from sharing Dahn Yoga exercises with students and |
| the Midwest. She started to exercise at a Dahn Yoga | | | | colleagues. I started much more to believe in myself. |
| Center in the Midwest, originally becoming a member | | | | Speaking in public was always a challenge for me. |
| to make her middle-aged body more flexible. But soon | | | | Since practicing Dahn Yoga, my speaking anxiety has |
| she found out that Dahn gave her many more | | | | disappeared. I now actually enjoy public speaking |
| benefits. | | | | because by sharing my experience I can help others. I |
| As Linda put it, "In the first year of practicing Dahn | | | | have more to offer my students now that I have been |
| Yoga regularly, m life changed completely. Yes, I | | | | doing Dahn Yoga. I have become a much better |
| achieved my original goal – my body became more | | | | teacher." |
| flexible. But in addition my overall health condition | | | | Another aspect of life that emerges for many Dahn |
| improved a great deal. Specifically, my headaches | | | | Yoga practitioners is that they want to give more to |
| disappeared and my lower back stopped aching. My | | | | the community. In Linda’s case, this led her to a |
| body posture became straighter and my shoulders | | | | unique volunteering experience. As she expresses it, "I |
| more relaxed. I was feeling happier too. When I did not | | | | am teaching Dahn Yoga exercises to developmentally |
| feel pain, I was still able to concentrate better on the | | | | disabled adults, as part of an outreach program |
| tasks I was doing. My concentration improved | | | | organized by the nonprofit Dahn Foundation. This is a |
| tremendously. Projects at home and work were | | | | very rewarding personal experience. It feels good to |
| completed faster and easier." | | | | share Dahn Yoga methods in order to add to |
| With work often being the most stressful place in | | | | people’s health and happiness. I have found |
| people’s lives, the positive effects of Dahn Yoga | | | | something that I will continue to do when I retire – |
| are usually observable there. This happened to Linda, | | | | teach Dahn Yoga and spread health, happiness and |
| who stated, "Being a schoolteacher exposes me to a | | | | peace to other people. Thanks to Dahn Yoga training, I |
| lot of stressful situations. But after practicing Dahn | | | | have truly found my life purpose. |