Ilchi Lee's Blog, page 6

The Importance of Making Lasting Self-Esteem through Our Bodies

[Photo by Young777 via iStockPhoto]

Our dissatisfaction with the world and our lives stems from a lack of self-esteem. Lasting self-esteem can only be created on our own using our body.

I recently published the following article in Korean in the Korea University newspaper. I think it’s message applies not only to South Korea but to industrialized nations around the world. I would like to share the English translation with you.

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Last year, the suicide rate among teenagers reached its highest since statistics began in 1983. As of 2023, the average suicide rate among OECD member countries is 10.6 per 100,000 people, but in South Korea, it is much higher at 27.3, more than twice the average. Annually, 13,770 people, an average of 35.4 per day, ended their own lives. The suicide rates among the teenage to 20s age group and the elderly are particularly high.

The global village is overflowing with the Korean-wave, and this year’s Nobel Economics Prize winners praise Korea’s achievements by comparing North and South Korea, but the hearts of the people living in reality are only weary. The division and opposition faced by South Korean society have intensified, and the anxiety of future generations, born in the most prosperous era since Dahngun [believed to have founded Korea in 2333 BCE], is rather the highest. What have we truly forgotten?

In 2024, we are encountering the first generation of humanity that spends more time in the virtual world than in reality, a generation that is more familiar with screens than communication with people, and children who do not tread on soil. At the center of this is the smartphone, a symbol of material civilization.

The important thing is the condition of the brain that leads to smartphone addiction and even to suicide. Getting caught up in something means losing oneself. Suicide happens when self-esteem is lost, and one feels no value in oneself. Ultimately, it means the brain is not healthy.

In an agrarian society, industrial society, and information society, the amount of information has increased rapidly, but the basic structure and function of the brain have not changed. The essence of the increasing addiction in an interconnected information society is ultimately due to losing ownership of the brain.

People are ignoring the facts and accepting illusions, filled with unseen information, as reality. As long as there is a social system that drives endless competition, self-esteem will inevitably continue to decline. What can individuals living in an era of lost identity truly overcome?

I found the answer in the body. Everyone knows that doing sports makes you healthy. Now, I propose “Brain Sports” to make the brain healthy. The reason for talking about Brain Sports now is that it is the most universal and easy. It’s something everyone can relate to, and it’s done with the heart of loving oneself—that is Brain Sports.

Self-esteem is something you find on your own. It is my choice whether I spend time losing self-esteem or choose time to find it. No educator or parent can give you self-esteem. It is something you must strive for and achieve on your own, and to truly recover the self-esteem that is within you, you must start by moving your body.

When you fall off a cliff, even if someone throws down a rope, you must climb up with your own arms. Change begins at the very least when you lift your own body. Based on this, I recommend pull-ups. It is not just about regular pull-ups; the purpose and principle are important. This is because the brain can produce completely different outcomes depending on how it processes the same information and how much it perceives it on its own.

Self-esteem is something you find on your own, and to truly recover the self-esteem that is within you, you must start by moving your body.
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Without belief in oneself, one cannot continue doing a pull-up. Hanging there allows for self-diagnosis. It is a time of loving myself. It is about awakening the brain and teaching it that “I am the master of my body.” By clenching both hands and overcoming the gravity of the earth, you lift your own body. That single pull-up, the difference between 0 and 1, is an encounter with another world.

If you do not change the physical body, the mind is like an illusion. The self-esteem I create is eternal, but the self-esteem someone else creates is always unstable. The balance of the brain is broken, and you fall into the victim mentality and anxiety of the past. Money, fame, and power are like that. However, when you become healthy on your own and regain self-esteem in your brain, you want to help those around you.

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Many scholars in foreign countries say that Korea is a nation established by saints. Its founding principle of Hongik Ingan itself is a philosophy of creating saints, and within the phrase Shinin Hapil (Divine-Human Unity) lies the meaning of possessing the character of a saint. It refers to a person who chooses and practices Hongik [widely benefiting all] not as an unattainably sacred being but by making a conscious decision to do so.

What does South Korea [and the world] need right now? Where should the seeds of hope be cultivated? Depending on what South Korea demonstrates, the world will once again turn its attention to Korea at this point when the limitations of the global material civilization have been reached.

Over the past 40 years, the path I have walked has been simply to convey how to play well with my body. I have shared ways to breathe with my body, converse with it, and feel it. Our ancestors were a people with a practice culture of training both body and mind together within the philosophy of Chun Ji In (heaven, earth, and humanity [which are believed to be one]). “Seek within the body” is the core essence of Sundo.

I imagine all the people of South Korea awakening their brains through pull-ups. I hope it becomes the country that utilizes the brain the best in the world. I was once asked a question at the International Brain Education Conference held at the UN headquarters: “How can humanity overcome the crisis it is facing?” People were curious and awaited my answer. My answer was simple.

“All we need to do is to play well with our body.”

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Meridian Exercises and Acupressure Points for High Blood Pressure

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Enjoy these gentle exercises and breathing techniques that support heart health by helping to manage high blood pressure.

Taking care of our heart health is more important than ever, especially as high blood pressure, or hypertension, continues to impact so many lives. In Eastern medicine, hypertension is viewed as an imbalance of Ki energy, which can create tension and stress in the body. Through mindful breathing, relaxation, and meridian exercises, we can help calm and balance this energy to support heart health and reduce high blood pressure.

Here are some gentle, effective techniques from my book, Meridian Exercise for Self-Healing, that are designed to ease tension, promote circulation, and encourage overall wellness.

1. Whole Body Tapping

Whole Body Tapping is a simple but powerful way to release stagnant energy and increase blood and Ki circulation. For beginners, start by gently patting the body. Gradually increase the pressure as you become comfortable. This technique supports relaxation and may help release emotional tension, encouraging energy to flow freely.

2. Palm and Sole Breathing

This mindful practice can help ease tension and promote relaxation.

Sit with your feet flat on the floor and your arms relaxed at your sides.Close your eyes and focus on the centers of your palms and soles.Imagine a flow of Ki energy through these points as you breathe naturally for 15–20 minutes.3. Deep Relaxation Breathing

Breathing exercises offer profound benefits for heart health and overall energy flow. Deep Relaxation Breathing invites you to lie comfortably and visualize your body transforming from a block of ice into a flowing stream. This practice enhances Ki and blood circulation, strengthens the immune system, and fosters a sense of deep relaxation.

Lie on your back with your feet shoulder-width apart and hands relaxed at your sides.Imagine warmth melting away any tension, starting at your head and moving down your body.Feel your breath grow deeper and slower as you focus on your heart and lower abdomen.4. Strengthening the Heart Meridian Exercise

To directly stimulate and strengthen the heart, try Heart Meridian Exercises. Lying on your back with your knees raised and focusing on your lower abdomen while practicing abdominal breathing can help balance energy around the heart.

Lie on your back, bring your knees above your hips and flex your ankles 90 degrees. Place your hands on your lower abdomen, forming a triangle with your thumbs and index fingers.Scan your body with your minds eye going from your face to your neck, chest, upper abdomen, shoulders, arms, lower abdomen, thighs, legs, toes, soles, knees, and again to thighs.Breathe gently and visualize energy moving through the center of the soles of your feet to your abdomen with your inhale. Release any stagnant energy through the soles of your feet with your exhale.5. Acupressure Points for Hypertension Relief

For those experiencing high blood pressure, acupressure can provide relief from tension. By applying gentle pressure to specific points, such as the Ki 1 (Yongchun) point on the sole of the foot, you may relieve discomfort and help relax the blood vessels. Regular practice of acupressure can support better circulation and reduce symptoms of hypertension.

Through these gentle exercises, we can work to release stagnant energy, improve circulation, and support a healthy heart. By fostering inner calm and balanced energy, we can create a foundation for long-lasting wellness. Give these techniques a try, and feel how small, mindful changes can bring more peace, joy, and vitality into life.

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How Can You Develop Inspiration?

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Meet challenges with inspiration by embracing them with a pure heart and a calm, present mind.

Inspiration is a sense we use to see with the heart. When we look at objects and the world through inspiration, we can discover the unseen essence and infinite possibilities hidden behind phenomena.

Approach Challenges with Inspiration

If we face a problem that worries us, we can change the order of things and view it from different angles. By confronting challenges calmly without confusion or haste, we can accept them as new beginnings and opportunities for growth. Concentrating in a relaxed way helps—when a problem arises, we pause, take a deep breath, and center ourselves, as if meditating.

A Pure Heart Leads to Inspiration

More important than anything else is the true, pure heart we seek to express. When we meet people and the world with that heart, our senses are restored, and our original inspiration returns. A beautiful world unfolds before us in everything we do, with everyone we meet, and everywhere we go.

Right now, in this moment, let’s close our eyes and try to feel the true, pure heart within. By opening the windows of our hearts, we let that mind shine through, and inspiration comes, bringing solutions to what troubles us.

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What I Learned from Practicing Pull-ups

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Through the challenge of practicing pull-ups, I’ve discovered powerful lessons about discipline, overcoming fears, and tapping into the strength in both body and mind.

As mentioned before, I’ve been doing pull-ups like crazy lately. It started as a way to challenge myself and gain the strength I’d lost over the past few years. But the process of being able to do pull-ups again and getting better and better at them has taught me so much. Now, I’m not only doing pull-ups all the time, but I’m also coaching the people around me to do them.

Pull-ups aren’t easy for most people. Trying to do one challenges both our bodies and our brains, helping us reach a whole new level we might not have thought possible. It’s a journey of self-growth that means looking at ourselves honestly, making a plan, and seeing real progress. By the end, we gain more than just lifting our heads above the bar.

Here are some realizations I’ve had on this journey so far. These are why I recommend pull-ups to every uninjured person.

Nothing is impossible. We can do pull-ups even if we weigh over 200 lbs. (91 kg.). It’s all about what our brains choose to do. Pull-ups are the most honest exercise for reinventing ourselves and proving that we can do it. One pull-up is not easy, but it can be done. However, if we don’t decide to, we can’t, no matter how light our bodies are. If we choose it, it will happen. That’s the power of our brains.I have the strength I need; I just didn’t use it before. We all have this potential but don’t often don’t allow ourselves to develop it. Pull-ups bring out that potential and make it visible.Training will never betray us. If we’re disciplined and work out consistently, we’ll see results. Training teaches us that only what we work for is real. Even if we become strong enough to do a pull-up, we’ll lose our strength if we stop training.Pull-ups express our love and respect for ourselves. We need to put a lot of time and attention into ourselves to practice pull-ups. When we see our progress and accomplish our goals, we gain self-esteem. Pull-ups are an act of love.We don’t need to go it alone. My YouTube feed is filled with videos about pull-ups, and I share the best ones I find with my friends and colleagues. We share our progress with our pull-ups and give each other encouragement and tips. When we do it together, we have more energy and motivation to succeed. The world looks different above the pull-up bar. When we raise our heads above the bar, we meet a new world with fresh air. It’s the air that exists when we’ve overcome our fears and torn through the belief that we couldn’t do it. It’s generated by newly formed trust in our bodies and our brains. Small successes build confidence. Before I could do a full pull-up, I learned to hang with my head above the bar (flexed arm hang) or do a chin-up. Seeing my progress motivated me to keep going. I also did other strengthening exercises and logged my actions, results, and awakenings so I could clearly see a change.

As you can see, these lessons aren’t just about pull-ups—they’re lessons for our lives. While I’ve described them, we can only truly feel them through experience. With the strength of our muscles and sweat, we can change our consciousness and discover new hope for ourselves, society, and the world.

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Sincere Devotion: From Surface Living to Authentic Fulfillment

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Sincere devotion to your true self brings clarity and depth to your life, enabling you to move beyond surface-level distractions and cultivate lasting joy, gratitude, and purpose.

As modern people, we can fall into a lifestyle of running from one task to the next. Many people cram their responsibilities, self-improvement goals, and self-care into their limited time, often in search of that ultimate life they feel they need to have. On top of that, attention spans are getting shorter and our minds quickly flit from one bite of information to the next. We skim the surface of everything, trying to take it all in and get it all done.

But can we really feel fulfilled this way? Are we living as authentically as we wish? Wanting to take care of everything is a noble desire, but there is one thing we need to develop and maintain to hold it all together: sincere devotion. More specifically, we need devotion to our true selves and the dreams they hold.

With sincere devotion, especially to our true selves in our hearts, we dig deeper than the surface until we can see the threads that tie everyone and everything together. In the quiet deep, we leave behind scattered and harried thoughts made worse by anxiety and stress. We touch the most authentic part of ourselves, and that spills out into the rest of our lives.

Instead of being stuck on the surface, going nowhere, we can devote ourselves to whatever makes us truly joyful. When we do, we gain a broader perspective on everything else in our lives. Even more than skills or talent, sincerity moves the needle forward. It enables us to approach any goal step by step. One day at a time, one action at a time, earnest devotion moves our hearts and souls. By doing so, it changes our destinies, our communities, and the world.

What Does Sincere Devotion Mean?

Sincere devotion to our true selves means considering that part of ourselves first as we go about our lives. It means loving and cherishing that part of ourselves, deeming it the most precious. When we make plans, talk to people, or even spend our leisure time, we do it from the perspective of what our true selves want.

Learn more about the wishes of our true selves ➤

In order to keep this sincerity in every aspect of our lives, it’s helpful to have a daily practice that keeps our minds open to our true selves. It’s a time when we turn our attention, and all our inner senses, inside ourselves and do that inner digging.

This daily devotion strengthens our commitment and access to our true selves. We form a habit—our brains form neural pathways.

People who have a habit of sincere devotion always feel gratitude, happiness, and hope regardless of their external circumstances. Sincere devotion leads to a clear, focused, and humble mind. Once we take on a sincere and devoted mind, every person and thing we face is God or Buddha, and there is not a single object we encounter that is not our true selves.

Without this habit, however, we are in danger of falling into victim consciousness, selfishness, arrogance, and unhappiness. We may become more judgmental and resentful. Instead of loving unconditionally, we draw distinctions between “you and me” and build relationships based on limited understanding.

How to Practice Sincere Devotion

One of the best practices for making a habit of sincerity is full-body bowing meditation. The following video demonstrates how to do this practice.

In this type of moving meditation, we use our whole bodies to communicate with our minds and open our hearts. By grounding and circulating our energy and blood, focusing our minds, loosening our muscles and joints, and regulating our breathing, bowing opens us to our true selves. With each bow we make, we recommit our thoughts, words, and actions to our true selves. We tie the different parts of our lives together and make them meaningful.

I recommend picking a certain number of bows to do every day, depending on your current level of ability. Numbers that have some meaning in bowing meditation include 9, 21, 49, 81, and 100. Although daily practice is best, starting with a set number of days, such as 21 or 100, can help you develop the habit and give you trust and confidence in yourself.

As you do each bow, remember the importance of turning your attention inside. Watch the changes in how your body feels, the thoughts that pass by, and the emotions that get churned up. Be patient with yourself if your focus wavers or your movements are clumsy or difficult. Part of looking inside and loving your true self is accepting everything and embracing the process. Bowing represents the cycle of life—its ups and downs and all the changes that come with it. Whenever you falter, you just need to begin again.

Bowing is also called “sincerity training” since it is impossible to do properly without sincerity. When we show devotion through bowing, our bodies and minds will change, and our true selves will expand and act as a guiding light in our goals, our work, and our relationships. With devotion to our true selves, the cycles of our lives will stay fulfilling and authentic.

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Meet Noettori and Activate Your Brain’s Creative Power

Meet Noettori, who represents the BrainPhone and Brain Sports, inspiring us to activate our inner potential and live with peace and purpose.

Images have the power to convey meaning beyond words—they can shift our energy and mindset instantly. With this understanding, I created an image that embodies the energy of the BrainPhone, a concept I’ve developed to connect the brain, body, and soul to universal consciousness. This character is designed to inspire us all to live more peaceful, productive lives in harmony with the world around us.

Meet Noettori

Noettori, a small but powerful figure, symbolizes the BrainPhone, that part of our brain that connects us to the flow of universal energy and consciousness. When it’s active, our brains feel radiant, as if they are filled with a golden light. With “Noe” meaning “brain” in Korean, Noettori’s name fits his purpose: to help us use our brains for the highest good, both for ourselves and for all life.

Engaging the BrainPhone Through Physical Activity

To activate the BrainPhone, we don’t need to think harder—instead, we need to move our bodies. Noettori is built to show us this truth; his strong arms remind us of the power of activities like pull-ups. These exercises awaken our brains in ways that thinking alone cannot. Physical challenges bring us into direct contact with the truth of our abilities, strengthening our confidence and self-trust. These qualities are essential for the BrainPhone to operate fully.

The Joy of Progress

With each step we take toward improving our physical abilities, we feel an undeniable joy. This is why Noettori has a cheerful expression: when we’re positive and enthusiastic about our progress, we activate the BrainPhone’s potential to help us achieve our goals. Noettori’s smile is a reminder to approach challenges with a light heart and an open mind, which in turn keeps our brain and spirit aligned.

Seeing Beyond the Surface with Our Inner Eyes

Noettori’s eyes remind us that we have an inner eye that can see beyond the surface, down to our zero point—the source of infinite potential within us. From this zero point, our BrainPhone connects us to universal consciousness and the limitless creative power available to us. This connection allows us to be creators of lives filled with peace, purpose, and harmony.

Brain Sports: Moving Toward a Saint-Like Life

I developed Brain Sports as a practice for those who seek to live in harmony with all life. By using our bodies to awaken our brains, we become active participants in our own growth and healing. Noettori embodies the spirit of Brain Sports, encouraging us to stay cheerful and determined no matter what challenges we face. He’s a symbol of resilience and a reminder of our connection to a greater purpose—living saint-like lives of peace, productivity, and coexistence with all life.

Let Noettori inspire you to activate your BrainPhone so that you can become a positive force for yourself, your community, and the world. As you engage with these concepts, remember that each step brings you closer to your true potential.

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How to Prevent Energy Leaks for a Stronger Mind and Body

[Photo by DragonImages via Envato Elements]

Learn how to prevent energy leakage and maintain a strong, open heart by focusing on proper mind-body connection, posture, and heart-centered goals.

In my last blog post, I discussed how to build a strong foundation for an open heart by strengthening the energy center in our lower abdomen (dahnjon). This week, I’d like to share ways to prevent the energy we’ve accumulated from leaking. To do this, we need to focus on some basic principles of energy.

Using Our Minds

The qi energy that circulates through our meridian channels and energy centers connects both our mind and body. They all affect each other. In particular, where the mind goes, energy flows. In other words, energy gathers wherever we direct our attention. The longer we focus on one place, the more energy will accumulate there. Just as sunlight focused through a magnifying glass can start a fire, directing our attention to a single point over time can have a powerful effect. This point of focus could be a physical location in our body, a person, or even an idea or goal.

In our daily lives, many external factors constantly demand our attention, scattering our focus. While we have many responsibilities to juggle, much like the principle of putting on our own oxygen masks first, we must focus on maintaining our energy before we can effectively help others. If we fail to do so, we risk depleting our energy reserves, leading to fatigue, emotional reactions, and stress. Unmanaged emotions and stress are another source of energy leakage.

In the exercises to build energy in our lower dahnjon that I shared in the last blog post, we focus our minds on that specific area. To maintain the energy and prevent it from dissipating, it’s essential to continue placing some of our attention there, even if only partially. This means being mindful of that part of our body throughout the day. By doing so, we can also feel more centered and calm.

Another important point of focus lies outside of us yet helps us concentrate our energy: a clear, heart-centered goal. Energy is generated by the heart, the middle energy center, and a strong lower energy center is key for keeping that heart energy stable and flowing. Directing some of our attention to what our hearts want while leaving some of it on our lower dahnjon helps keep energy flowing from our hearts. That energy fills our lower dahnjon and moves toward our goal. Our actions in response to focusing on that goal create situations that feed our hearts from the outside as well and help bring what we want into being.

Using Our Bodies

What we do with our bodies also directly impacts our energy levels. This is the foundation of practices like yoga and the postures I introduced in the last blog post. To allow energy to flow freely in our upper body, it’s important to keep our back and neck straight. Our hips also play a key role—they act as a container that holds the energy accumulated in the lower energy center. To prevent this energy from “spilling out,” we can practice turning or tucking in our hips.

Another essential aspect of protecting our energy is how we breathe. To retain energy, we should breathe with our mouths closed, allowing qi energy to stay in the body. Breathing through our noses helps us conserve energy, while breathing through our mouths releases it. When we are working to release stagnant or heavy energy, we may open our mouths to exhale and allow that energy to leave our body more easily. But exhaling through the nose helps keep our energy intact and balanced.

By maintaining proper focus, posture, breathing, and heart-centered goals, we can conserve and circulate our energy effectively—keeping our hearts open and our energy strong.

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How to Keep Our Hearts Safe While Keeping Them Open

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Instead of building a wall, we can build up the strength to live in the freedom of a wide open heart.

We’ve all experienced emotional pain and faced disappointment, and often we learn lessons from them. But sometimes that hurt makes us too cautious. We close our hearts off in fear of being vulnerable, and that protection seems to keep us safe. It also keeps us isolated and trapped, however, preventing the love that we are from going out into the world, leaving us as diminished versions of ourselves.

In order to guard our hearts, we may stick to the familiar and spin our wheels to maintain the status quo. We use a lot of energy to never go anywhere, leaving little energy for anything else. Life becomes about survival, and the world around us appears harsh and unforgiving, like there isn’t any place for us except in the tiny box we’ve built to sustain us.

On the outside, that box may actually appear beautiful. It may be filled with material abundance and many people. We may have checked the boxes on all the things society considers important or that we thought would make us happy. But although we have moments of fun and pleasure, we’re not truly happy. That’s because we haven’t only sheltered our hearts from other people; we’ve kept them from ourselves.

Security Comes from the Heart

Besides these side effects, closing off our hearts has the opposite effect from what we intended. Instead of giving us security, it makes us feel more insecure. Without love actively flowing from our hearts, we feel like we don’t have love to give, like we are unlovable and unworthy. Our confidence wanes, and we want to hide the rest of ourselves, not only our hearts.

On the other hand, when love can flow from our hearts, we have the distinct sense that “everything is OK.” Regardless of our external circumstances or personal shortcomings, ultimately, without reason, it is OK. We become self-assured and want to share with others. We gain the desire to do more, be more, and help more. In other words, we feel secure in ourselves and our contribution to the world.

Build a Foundation for an Open Heart

In a topsy turvy world in which we are exposed to negativity daily, keeping our hearts open can be a constant endeavor. It’s easy to get pummeled by the negativity in our environment, and in our minds, if we’re not internally strong. The good news is that we can strengthen ourselves by building up the energy in our core.

By our core, I’m referring to the lower energy center in our abdomen that’s below our navel and between our hips. This energy center, or dahnjon in Korean, is the foundation of the qi energy system in our bodies. When this energy center is full of bright, pure energy, we have a buffer against negativity. Even more, it can purify the energy around it, transforming it into bright and pure energy as well, transforming negativity into hopeful serenity.

Building up our core doesn’t take special tools or a gym membership. It can be done with simple energy exercises that engage our minds and bodies and direct energy to the lower energy center. The key is to do them consistently.

There are many mind-body exercises that have this effect. Here are a few for you to try. Choose the ones that work best for you to practice daily. You can also combine them for even greater effect. They work best if they are followed by relaxed Abdominal Breathing while focusing on the lower abdomen.

Abdominal (Dahnjon) Tapping

Use your palms or fists to tap the area of your belly about two inches below your navel. You can tap with two hands simultaneously on either side of your lower abdomen or tap with alternate hands on a single point at the midline of your body. Make a steady rhythm as you keep your upper body relaxed and exhale through your mouth. Focus your attention on the feeling of the vibration in your lower abdomen. The longer you tap, the more energy will be gathered in your lower dahnjon.

Intestinal Exercise

Rest your palms on your lower abdomen, with your thumbs meeting at your navel and the rest of your fingers meeting below to form a triangle. Imagine a string pulls your navel as far toward your back as possible, then release it. Repeat this motion while keeping your shoulders relaxed and focusing on the sensations in your lower abdomen. The more repetitions you do, the more energy you will build in your lower energy center.

Belly Button Healing

Press your belly button in and out repeatedly. You can use your fingers or a blunt tool. Feel the sensations inside your lower abdomen. Exhale through your mouth to release old energy, then keep your mouth closed to accumulate energy in your core.

Sleeping Tiger

Hold this accumulation posture: lie on your back with your hips tucked in so that your entire back rests against the ground. Bend your hips, knees, and ankles 90 degrees. Keep your feet parallel, about hip-width apart. Raise your palms above your shoulders, facing the sky, but without locking your elbows. Try holding the posture for at least five minutes to start. The longer you remain still while focusing on your lower abdomen, the more energy you will gather.

Chuk Kigong (Tree Breathing Posture)

Hold this standing accumulation posture: feet shoulder-width apart, knees bent, back and kneck straight, hips curled in, arms in a circle in front of your chest with fingertips pointed toward each other without touching. Stay for five minutes or more while focusing on your lower dahnjon.

As we can see, position, focus, vibration, and breathing pulls energy to a particular area to build up energy there. With dedication and practice, we can always have enough energy to support wide open, loving hearts.

In the next blog post, I will give you tips on preventing energy in your lower energy center from leaking out.

Additional ResourcesTo learn more about connecting to your heart: Love Heals Practice Guide: A 21-Day Journey to Personal Transformation by Ilchi Lee and Ilchibuko ToddFor heart opening audio meditations: Bird of the Soul by Ilchi Lee & Healing Chakras: Awaken Your Body’s Energy System for Complete Health, Happiness and Peace by Ilchi LeeUnderstand your energy system and get core strengthening exercises: Water Up Fire Down: An Energy Principle for Creating Calmness, Clarity, and a Lifetime of Health by Ilchi LeeRelated Blog PostsGrasping for Specialness: Attachment to RecognitionInner LightEternal Peace and SecurityDiscover 3 Tao Insights That Free Us from SufferingWhat Are Our True Selves?Featured Video

Stand Still and Die, or Move and Live

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We struggle when we are disconnected from our higher selves, but by shaking to the rhythm of music, we can free our souls from emotional energy, connect to universal consciousness, and experience peace, joy, and balance.

Why do we struggle? We may think of particular reasons when we ask this question. Many of these reasons, however, can be boiled down into one: we are disconnected from our higher selves.

What is the higher self? It is the soul and spirit. Our souls and spirits may sound the same, but in the Sundo view, they are different. Our spirits are the information in our heads. It’s what travels around when we dream, going here and there. Our souls, on the other hand, cannot roam. They hold tightly to the qi energy in our hearts and only leave our bodies when we die. It’s OK for the spirit to be gone for a while, but the soul should not leave us.

Our souls in our hearts can connect to our spirits in our brains, and they can connect with the universal energy and consciousness around us. In fact, that is what they are meant to do. When our souls are connected this way, we cease to struggle, because we can use universal energy and consciousness. We’re not limited to our small selves. Our souls can escape from the sadness, loneliness, and pain that are inevitable with disconnection. Instead, they can feel absolute love, joy, and peace.

Then, knowing the preciousness of peace, we don’t hurt other people, for our own peace is shattered when we wound the heart of another. We also don’t fall furiously in love. Nor do we become enmeshed in passionate belief or lose ourselves in fervent faith. We maintain a peaceful state, always watching ourselves dispassionately. We discover the unchanging world of consciousness, transcending life and death.

How to Free the Soul

Our souls can only make this connection when it is free of emotional energy—when the energy around it is pure. Then, how can we keep our souls clean? These are the steps:

The first is knowing the state of our souls. It’s realizing, “My soul is suffering, oppressed and contaminated by emotional energy. My soul is not in good condition right now.” We can only cleanse our souls if we feel their condition, like being able to wash clothes only if we know they’re dirty. If we’re aware of being lonely, suppressed, frustrated, unworthy, and other disconnected conditions, then it’s time to clean our souls.

The second is having the attitude, “I want to restore my soul to its original state.” It’s understanding, “I should make my soul clean and pure so it can completely connect to universal consciousness and universal energy.” Then, we can choose to do it.

The third is cleaning the emotional energy around our souls. To launder the soul, we have to shake our bodies. We have to shake them without thinking of anything. Shaking our bodies means becoming like a little child. When we shake our bodies like a child, we achieve a very pure state, without any desires or thoughts. We shake until our minds become really peaceful, until they are really like that of a child.

Our bodies develop rhythm when we shake them. Rhythm is life and purity. We need to shake until we find the unadulterated rhythm of life. Shake all of it—your hands, knees, arms, your entire body. Find the rhythm. Your brain will become more flexible. Joy welling up in your heart is proof that your purity has been restored.

“I am frustrated. I feel frustrated somehow, and I need to change. I’ve grown distant from my soul.” When such thoughts come to mind, shake. When you want to restore the purity of your soul, sitting there thinking doesn’t work. When such thoughts come to mind, quickly accept them, choose to recover a pure soul, and shake your body. We have to move if we want to live.

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Add the Rhythm of Music

Music is also energy; it’s energy that can purify our souls. Play music as you shake, and feel your body moving to it, riding on waves of energy. Your hands and arms move, and your shoulders and torso move. Watch the flow of those movements just as they happen. Once you’re completely going with the energy, open your eyes but don’t use them to watch. Watch with your body. Listen with your cells, not your ears. Listen with your skin, with your muscles.

Move earnestly and powerfully! You have to keep moving, going with the energy. Do it to the music without overdoing it, and without sinking into it too much. Only then can you go deeper inside yourself. Your emotions shouldn’t lead too much, and they shouldn’t get too far behind, either.

All the movements that have been stored in your memory will come out. And new movements you’ve never done before will all come out, too. Your body will become balanced, side to side, front to back. The condition of your brain will be expressed, unaltered. The loneliness and sadness of your soul, its joy and enlightenment, all manifest. The more time goes by, the more the practice changes every time you do it. Continue it until your soul is completely free.

Even if people listen to the same music, the movements of each person’s neural network are all different, depending on the information he or she has. So the movements of each person are all different. It’s like how a cow drinking water produces milk, while a viper drinking the same water produces poison.

Vibrate Your Brain Waves

When you vibrate and shake, imagine the wave energy of the music entering your brain cells, causing them all to vibrate, the cells of your whole body absorbing the music. The energy spreads throughout your body through your cerebral nerves. Your brain cells move, and then your neural networks move.

When we do this, our energy completely changes—another kind of energy is created, a form we don’t normally use. Those changes yield more changes. They don’t stop but keep changing and flowing.

To keep our souls clear, unconfined by emotional energy, we need to keep moving, never stopping. Stand still and die, or move and live. If we stop, we’ll rot; if we move, we’ll be renewed. Our souls will be purified and refreshed every day, free of struggle and suffering.

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Discover How Understanding Oneness Leads to Life Mastery

By awakening to the concept of oneness, we can transcend life’s challenges, master our lives, and realize our ultimate freedom.

Human life is short compared with the mountains, the oceans, and the wind. What meaning is there, then, in being born a human? It’s important to really understand that. We will be greatly successful if we know the value of humanity that transcends life and death.

Where is the answer to life’s meaning? It’s in the Chun Bu Kyung. In one line of this 81-character ancient Asian text, it says, “In Joong Chun Ji Il (人中天地一)” or, “Heaven and earth are one in humanity.” All of heaven and earth are inside us. It also says that humanity is in heaven and in earth. All is one. Just like the Chun Bu Kyung, everything in the universe starts from One (il, 一) and ends with One.

If we look at this phrase more closely, we can become aware that our greatest goal in receiving the body of a human is not to eat, wear clothes, and go to the bathroom. The reason we came to this planet was to awaken to the One.

The One, because it is one, can become heaven, become earth, and become human. We are One, so we have the ability to think: “I can be healthy, I can be sick, and I can die. I am free in life and death, and free in health and sickness.” Who we are, the One, encompasses all of these. So, we don’t need to worry about them. They are part of who we are, a part of the flow of life. And because we are a part of everything, and everything is a part of us, we can freely choose and create anything.

Once we have this awakening, whether we realize it when we’re young or when we’re older, we are truly fortunate. Then we truly use our brains as their masters. We can do as we’ve chosen instead of as determined by our environment or as we’re told.

Realizing this, what comes next?

To be masters of our brains and our environment, we need ceaseless choice and training. Then, we will be able to go where we want and do what we want. Learning concepts and knowing who we ultimately are comes first; it gives us a map. Then we need to learn techniques. The way to increase quality of life involves techniques.

But techniques (like Brain Education) are not enough. Even when we use them, our ego can be riddled with negative emotion. When we get into those feelings, everything weakens. We forget that we are masters of our lives and why we are here. Especially if we lose hope. People that lose hope can lose the will to choose and act, to even try the techniques.

In order to keep those negative emotions at bay, we can remember that they are simply energy. And, we can change our energy anytime. We need to set the energy of joy, love, and gratitude living deep in our hearts free.

If we act with joy and hope, we can push through even when obstacles come without devolving into negative emotions. We are our own hope, and the hope of the world, when we live each day with gratitude and love.

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