Dahn yoga
Encyclopedia
Dahn yoga is a Korea
n "yoga
" system and business founded in 1985 by Ilchi Lee
. In Korean, dahn means "primal, vital energy," and hak means "study of a particular theory
or philosophy
." Dahn teachings are said to place equal emphasis on physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. News sources have described its exercises as "a blend of yoga, tai chi, and martial arts exercises." Dahn Yoga is taught through for-profit and non-profit studios as well as community centers.
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Dahn Yoga's training methods are intended to improve the practitioner's health through development of the energy system and enhancement of the mind-body connection. The practice draws upon traditional notions of ki, also known as chi or qi
. A typical class begins with what is called "Meridian Stretching" exercise, which is believed to stimulate the energy in the body. After these stretching exercises, practitioners normally follow a sequence of postures to accumulate and circulate energy in the body. Classes often include elements of meditation, as well.
An article by three physicians from Weill Cornell Medical College published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine reported the conclusions of a 3-month study of community-based mind-body training methods. The study surveyed 171 adults enrolled at various Dahn Yoga Centers in the New York City
area. All of the participants had taken ten or fewer classes at the beginning of the study. They scored poorer in measures of health-related quality of life than the general U.S. population and were significantly sedentary at the start of the study. The article concludes that participants reported "moderate improvements after 3 months of practice" with increased scores "in all [of the surveyed] domains of health-related quality of life, fewer depressive symptoms, less trait anxiety, and greater self-efficacy.". The design and objectivity of the study has been called into question by Dr. William Briggs, PhD, statistician and professor at Weill Cornell, who critiqued the study on his blog and described why he believes the positive results were likely due to regression to the mean.
. In 1991 the first U.S. Dahn Yoga Center was opened in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
. In 1997 the Sedona Ilchi Meditation Center (SIMC) was established, hosting specialized programs open to Dahn yoga members for a fee. Over the next ten years Dahn yoga focused on expanding its operations globally. In 2006 Dahn yoga introduced two new training methods. The first, DahnMuDo, also referred to as “The Art of Being Limitless,” is advertised as a non-combative martial art. The second, Jung Choong Breathing, is a form of internal alchemy using five simple postures focused on breathing and what is said to be proper positioning of the body
. It is claimed to help release stagnant energy and accumulate fresh energy in the lower abdomen
, also known in Korean as the Dan Jeon
(energy center) or the 2nd Chakra
in Sanskrit
yoga terminology.
.
In July 2010, the scientific journal Neuroscience Letters
published research on Brain Wave Vibration. The research was funded by the Ministry of Science and Technology of South Korea, and was a collaboration of several departments of Seoul National University
along with the university hospital and Ilchi Lee's Korea Institute of Brain Science. According to the study, those who practiced Brain Wave Vibration scored lower on a questionnaire measuring stress and higher on positive emotions. Scores relating to tendency to somatize emotions correlated with higher ratios of certain catecholamine
blood levels in the healthy control group but not in the Brain Wave Vibration group; those who engaged in Brain Wave Vibration for years were found to have higher dopamine
blood levels.
Ilchi Lee describes Brain Wave Vibration in his book, Brain Wave Vibration: Getting Back into the Rhythm of a Happy, Healthy Life, published by Ilchi Lee's publishing company Best Life Media.
According to Dahn Yoga's Web site, after more than 27 years of practice, Lee had developed a system of exercises, breathing, and stretches “to activate the natural healing rhythms of the brain and body.” Brain Education is described as consisting of five separate steps: brain sensitizing, brain versatilizing, brain refreshing, brain integrating, and brain mastering. Dr. Ben Goldacre
of the U.K. lambasted Ilchi Lee's brain education claims as pseudoscience in his Guardian column "Bad Science" in 2004.
" that uses coercive persuasion and thought reform
methods to create deeply devoted Dahn masters (teachers) who come to believe the path to personal health, enlightenment and world peace includes pressuring and persuading others to devote all their time, energy, and money to Dahn programs, events, and ceremonies, and to become loyal Dahn masters themselves.
Among other media reports, a 2006 CBS
news report and the Village Voice described a wrongful death lawsuit filed against Dahn Yoga's founder and related entitites. According to the lawsuit, Julia Siverls, 41, died in 2003 from heat stroke and dehydration
during a master training hike at the Ilchi Meditation Center in Sedona. According to a document filed by the Southern District of New York of the United States District Court, the case was dismissed on August 1, 2008.
In 2002, a former Dahn employee filed a civil lawsuit in Alameda County, California, for Unfair Business Practices and Undue Influence against Seung Heun Lee, et al. The case was reportedly settled out of court with no admission of guilt.
A complaint was issued at the end of May 2009 in Arizona's U.S. Circuit Court against Dahn Yoga's founder and a number of affiliated businesses and non-profit organizations by 26 former members and masters. Charges range from undue influence, thought reform, and failure to pay proper wages, to RICO Law violations and sexual assault. Several popular media outlets reported on the plaintiffs' allegations, including Forbes
, Rolling Stone
, Glamour Magazine
, WE tv
, and CNN
; WBZ Channel 4 News in Boston interviewed two of the claimants on June 11, 2009.
On January 5, 2010, CNN
broadcasted a critical report about the organization with interviews of former Dahn Yoga members alleging severe physical, mental and financial abuse by Dahn Yoga personnel and staff, including one former member stating she was coerced into donating funds to the organization by taking out student loans totalling over $40,000 USD.
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
n "yoga
Yoga
Yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual discipline, originating in ancient India. The goal of yoga, or of the person practicing yoga, is the attainment of a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility while meditating on Supersoul...
" system and business founded in 1985 by Ilchi Lee
Ilchi Lee
Ilchi Lee is a South Korean author and the founder of a variety of mind-body training methods, including Dahnhak, Dahn yoga, Brain Respiration, Brain Education, and DahnMuDo...
. In Korean, dahn means "primal, vital energy," and hak means "study of a particular theory
Theory
The English word theory was derived from a technical term in Ancient Greek philosophy. The word theoria, , meant "a looking at, viewing, beholding", and referring to contemplation or speculation, as opposed to action...
or philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
." Dahn teachings are said to place equal emphasis on physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. News sources have described its exercises as "a blend of yoga, tai chi, and martial arts exercises." Dahn Yoga is taught through for-profit and non-profit studios as well as community centers.
Training methods
Qi
In traditional Chinese culture, qì is an active principle forming part of any living thing. Qi is frequently translated as life energy, lifeforce, or energy flow. Qi is the central underlying principle in traditional Chinese medicine and martial arts...
. A typical class begins with what is called "Meridian Stretching" exercise, which is believed to stimulate the energy in the body. After these stretching exercises, practitioners normally follow a sequence of postures to accumulate and circulate energy in the body. Classes often include elements of meditation, as well.
An article by three physicians from Weill Cornell Medical College published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine reported the conclusions of a 3-month study of community-based mind-body training methods. The study surveyed 171 adults enrolled at various Dahn Yoga Centers in the New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
area. All of the participants had taken ten or fewer classes at the beginning of the study. They scored poorer in measures of health-related quality of life than the general U.S. population and were significantly sedentary at the start of the study. The article concludes that participants reported "moderate improvements after 3 months of practice" with increased scores "in all [of the surveyed] domains of health-related quality of life, fewer depressive symptoms, less trait anxiety, and greater self-efficacy.". The design and objectivity of the study has been called into question by Dr. William Briggs, PhD, statistician and professor at Weill Cornell, who critiqued the study on his blog and described why he believes the positive results were likely due to regression to the mean.
History
In 1985 the first Dahn Yoga Center opened in downtown SeoulSeoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
. In 1991 the first U.S. Dahn Yoga Center was opened in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. In 1997 the Sedona Ilchi Meditation Center (SIMC) was established, hosting specialized programs open to Dahn yoga members for a fee. Over the next ten years Dahn yoga focused on expanding its operations globally. In 2006 Dahn yoga introduced two new training methods. The first, DahnMuDo, also referred to as “The Art of Being Limitless,” is advertised as a non-combative martial art. The second, Jung Choong Breathing, is a form of internal alchemy using five simple postures focused on breathing and what is said to be proper positioning of the body
Body
With regard to living things, a body is the physical body of an individual. "Body" often is used in connection with appearance, health issues and death...
. It is claimed to help release stagnant energy and accumulate fresh energy in the lower abdomen
Abdomen
In vertebrates such as mammals the abdomen constitutes the part of the body between the thorax and pelvis. The region enclosed by the abdomen is termed the abdominal cavity...
, also known in Korean as the Dan Jeon
Dantian
Dantian, dan t'ian, dan tien or tan t'ien is loosely translated as "elixir field". It is described as an important focal point for internal meditative techniques.There are various points of dantian...
(energy center) or the 2nd Chakra
Chakra
Chakra is a concept originating in Hindu texts, featured in tantric and yogic traditions of Hinduism and Buddhism. Its name derives from the Sanskrit word for "wheel" or "turning" .Chakra is a concept referring to wheel-like vortices...
in Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
yoga terminology.
Dahn Principles
According to the Dahn Yoga Web site, accessed 2010, there are three key Dahn Principles that help students learn: Shim Ki Hyul Jung, which means “from mind to matter”; Seo Sung Hwa Gang, which means “water up, fire down”; and Jung Choong Ki Jang Shin Myung, which means “from health to happiness to peace.”Brain Wave Vibration
Brain Wave Vibration is promoted as a mental and physical health enhancement technique developed by Ilchi Lee. According to Lee, brain waves are a type of vibration that has a significant effect on a person’s health and outlook on life. A promotional video for the technique claims that brain waves “fluctuate with the perceptions of our minds and dictate reactions within our bodies.” A form of moving meditation (head-shaking), the technique is reported by Dahn sources to train practitioners to let their bodies and brains work together harmoniously to improve health and keep the mind still. Ilchi Lee has instructed Dahn teachers that Brain Wave Vibration is holy scripture. Neurosurgeon Dr. Sanjay Gupta reported during a CNN interview, when asked about testimonials that Brain Wave Vibration can help heal certain serious physical ailments (e.g. lazy eye, chronic pain, Multiple Sclerosis), that the notion of vibrating the brain or other parts of the body to turn parts of the brain on and off is not grounded in science and testimonials probably result from the placebo effectPlacebo effect
Placebo effect may refer to:* Placebo effect, the tendency of any medication or treatment, even an inert or ineffective one, to exhibit results simply because the recipient believes that it will work...
.
In July 2010, the scientific journal Neuroscience Letters
Neuroscience Letters
Neuroscience Letters is a rapid-publication weekly scientific journal for short articles covering all aspects of neuroscience....
published research on Brain Wave Vibration. The research was funded by the Ministry of Science and Technology of South Korea, and was a collaboration of several departments of Seoul National University
Seoul National University
Seoul National University , colloquially known in Korean as Seoul-dae , is a national research university in Seoul, Korea, ranked 24th in the world in publications in an analysis of data from the Science Citation Index, 7th in Asia and 42nd in the world by the 2011 QS World University Rankings...
along with the university hospital and Ilchi Lee's Korea Institute of Brain Science. According to the study, those who practiced Brain Wave Vibration scored lower on a questionnaire measuring stress and higher on positive emotions. Scores relating to tendency to somatize emotions correlated with higher ratios of certain catecholamine
Catecholamine
Catecholamines are molecules that have a catechol nucleus consisting of benzene with two hydroxyl side groups and a side-chain amine. They include dopamine, as well as the "fight-or-flight" hormones adrenaline and noradrenaline released by the adrenal medulla of the adrenal glands in response to...
blood levels in the healthy control group but not in the Brain Wave Vibration group; those who engaged in Brain Wave Vibration for years were found to have higher dopamine
Dopamine
Dopamine is a catecholamine neurotransmitter present in a wide variety of animals, including both vertebrates and invertebrates. In the brain, this substituted phenethylamine functions as a neurotransmitter, activating the five known types of dopamine receptors—D1, D2, D3, D4, and D5—and their...
blood levels.
Ilchi Lee describes Brain Wave Vibration in his book, Brain Wave Vibration: Getting Back into the Rhythm of a Happy, Healthy Life, published by Ilchi Lee's publishing company Best Life Media.
Brain Education
The tradenames Brain Education, and Brain Education Systems Training (or BEST), refer to a set of exercises developed and promoted by Ilchi Lee subsequent to his "Brain Respiration" and "Dahnhak." Brain Education is considered a part of Dahn Yoga.According to Dahn Yoga's Web site, after more than 27 years of practice, Lee had developed a system of exercises, breathing, and stretches “to activate the natural healing rhythms of the brain and body.” Brain Education is described as consisting of five separate steps: brain sensitizing, brain versatilizing, brain refreshing, brain integrating, and brain mastering. Dr. Ben Goldacre
Ben Goldacre
Ben Michael Goldacre born 1974 is a British science writer, doctor and psychiatrist. He is the author of The Guardian newspaper's weekly Bad Science column and a book of the same title, published by Fourth Estate in September 2008....
of the U.K. lambasted Ilchi Lee's brain education claims as pseudoscience in his Guardian column "Bad Science" in 2004.
Controversy
Significant criticism of Dahn Yoga reported in the media describes accusations that the organization operates a manipulative "cultCult
The word cult in current popular usage usually refers to a group whose beliefs or practices are considered abnormal or bizarre. The word originally denoted a system of ritual practices...
" that uses coercive persuasion and thought reform
Thought reform
Thought reform can refer to:* Brainwashing, efforts aimed at instilling certain beliefs in people against their will.* Coercive persuasion comprises social influences capable of producing substantial behavior and attitude change through the use of coercive tactics and persuasion, via interpersonal...
methods to create deeply devoted Dahn masters (teachers) who come to believe the path to personal health, enlightenment and world peace includes pressuring and persuading others to devote all their time, energy, and money to Dahn programs, events, and ceremonies, and to become loyal Dahn masters themselves.
Among other media reports, a 2006 CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
news report and the Village Voice described a wrongful death lawsuit filed against Dahn Yoga's founder and related entitites. According to the lawsuit, Julia Siverls, 41, died in 2003 from heat stroke and dehydration
Dehydration
In physiology and medicine, dehydration is defined as the excessive loss of body fluid. It is literally the removal of water from an object; however, in physiological terms, it entails a deficiency of fluid within an organism...
during a master training hike at the Ilchi Meditation Center in Sedona. According to a document filed by the Southern District of New York of the United States District Court, the case was dismissed on August 1, 2008.
In 2002, a former Dahn employee filed a civil lawsuit in Alameda County, California, for Unfair Business Practices and Undue Influence against Seung Heun Lee, et al. The case was reportedly settled out of court with no admission of guilt.
A complaint was issued at the end of May 2009 in Arizona's U.S. Circuit Court against Dahn Yoga's founder and a number of affiliated businesses and non-profit organizations by 26 former members and masters. Charges range from undue influence, thought reform, and failure to pay proper wages, to RICO Law violations and sexual assault. Several popular media outlets reported on the plaintiffs' allegations, including Forbes
Forbes
Forbes is an American publishing and media company. Its flagship publication, the Forbes magazine, is published biweekly. Its primary competitors in the national business magazine category are Fortune, which is also published biweekly, and Business Week...
, Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
, Glamour Magazine
Glamour magazine
Glamour magazine means:* Glamour magazine, a U.S. publication aimed at a predominantly female readership* a girlie magazine aimed at a male readership featuring photographs of women...
, WE tv
WE TV
We TV is the third TV channel from Malayalam Communications Ltd, in Kerala and based at Trivandrum. The other two channels of this company are Kairali TV and People TV. WE TV is mainly aimed at the youth and was officially launched on April 14, 2007. Mr...
, and CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
; WBZ Channel 4 News in Boston interviewed two of the claimants on June 11, 2009.
On January 5, 2010, CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
broadcasted a critical report about the organization with interviews of former Dahn Yoga members alleging severe physical, mental and financial abuse by Dahn Yoga personnel and staff, including one former member stating she was coerced into donating funds to the organization by taking out student loans totalling over $40,000 USD.