Happy Lunar New Year

Last weekend I was invited to celebrate Lunar New Year (Sol Nal) with Pak Jin Kyu's older brother's family in Yongin (near Seoul). The train station was busy with people travelling to their hometowns for the holiday. Unlike Chuseok (like Thanksgiving) and thanks to Pak Jin Kyu, I had a reserved seat on the train so I didn't have to bargain for a seat.


After arriving at the family's home, we enjoyed a delicious meal of Kalbi (Marinated Beef Ribs), Salad, Chapchae (Glass Noodles with Vegetables), and other dishes. Then we played Yut Nori, a game that families traditionally play with each other at New Year's. We then made Mandu (dumplings) together.



The next morning, we wore Han Bok (traditional Korean clothing) and I watched the family participate in char'ye--a ceremony in which they commemorate their ancestors. Food was prepared for the ancestors and the family did bows in their honour. (You can see the altar in the picture below. The food is placed in a special order and cut so that it is easier for the ancestors to eat it.)

After that the children in the family did "Saebae" bowing to the adults and the adults gave them wishes for the year and envelopes with money.




Then, we enjoyed Mandu Dukgeuk (Dumpling Ricecake Soup) and many other delicious dishes.

Sol Nal (the first day of the Lunar Calendar year) is a special family holiday in Korea so I was thankful to have the opportunity to meet and celebrate with this family.

Sae Hae Bok Mani Padusayo! (Many New Year's Blessings to You!)

A Gift from Heaven

Today is the start of the Lunar New Year long holiday weekend in South Korea. It just so happens that today was also the biggest snowfall so far since I came to Korea.

It may seem strange for those of you in Canada and elsewhere who have maybe had enough of Winter, but this snow was like a gift for me. I bundled up and went for a walk to enjoy the snow and the beautiful scenery.

When I arrived at the Dangun statue at the Peace Park, the sky opened and became blue. I looked up and it seemed like Dangun, who normally has a pretty stern expression on his face, was smiling as he touched the clouds. I smiled too and was thankful for the snow and for the beautiful blue sky--a gift from heaven.

Remembering Shim Sung

Because of the diversity of faculty here at UBE, not all of the staff have had previous training in Brain Education. This past weekend one of the professors who specializes in Eastern Philosophy and Thought took the Shim Sung workshop, a core Brain Education program that is offered around the world. He walked into the cafeteria, his face glowing and wearing a big smile.

Seeing his face reminded me of my Shim Sung experience and the joy of being part of others'. It also made me think that despite our differences racially, culturally, and otherwise, that people around the world share a common desire to know themselves and their true purpose better.

Shim Sung literally means "Finding True Self". In Canada and the U.S., it is often called "Self-Discovery Workshop". The goal of this two-day experiential workshop is to connect with your true essence--who you really are, beyond all of the labels and limits that you or others may have created for yourself. Shim Sung helps you shed these layers and experience the sense of true power and love inside all of us.

It is a powerful experience, not to be forgotten, and I was thankful to be reminded of mine and to witness someone else's joy in growing.

To read more about Shim Sung, click on this link and scroll down the page:
http://http://www.dahnyoga.com/program/BEST5-Step2.asp

Brain Education in a New York City School

Click here to read about Brain Education founder Ilchi Lee's visit to a New York City School:
http://www.brainwavevibration.com/news/163/Brain-Wave-Vibration/Brain-Wave-Vibration-in-New-York-City-Elementary-School/

Brain Education News from New York!

Great news! New York City's Mayor Michael Bloomberg proclaimed January 8th as "IBREA Brain Education Day" in recognition of the contribution that Brain Education programs have made to the health and well-being of New Yorkers.

The proclamation coincided with a seminar held by IBREA (the International Brain Education Association) at the United Nations on "Brain Education and Global Mental Health". Speakers at the seminar included Dr. Norman Doidge, author of the book, "The Brain That Changes Itself". If you haven't read this book, it has excellent examples of neuroplasticity or our ability to change brain structures and functions even after brain damage or due to aging.

To read more about the proclamation and seminar:

http://http//www.brainwavevibration.com/news/162/IBREA/Mayor-Michael-R-Bloomberg-Declares-January-8th-“IBREA-Brain-Education-Day”-in-New-York-City/

IBREA has also recently opened a Brain Education Center near the United Nations headquarters. Check out their updated website...
http://ibreaus.org/

Hallyeo National Marine Park

One of my fellow colleagues and students, Park Jin-Kyu and I took a bus trip from Seoul to Tongyeong in the South of Korea. Because it's off-season, for about $30, our trip included breakfast and lunch on the bus (rice and kimchi), and a fish dinner at the sea port of Tongyeong.

The great think about South Korea is that you can easily travel from one end of the country to the other in a day. We left Seoul, which is in the North, at 8 in the morning and were back by 9 in the evening.

In Tongyeong, we took a cable car to the top of Mt. Mireuk and from there, saw amazing views of the Hallyeo National Marine Park. While at the top, we also saw and heard two blackbirds, which Park Jin-Kyu nim said was unusual by the sea and a sign of good fortune.

Alzheimer's: There is a Bridge

It's funny how things happen. I've been watching Korean movies with English subtitles on youtube to help me learn Korean. Recently, I watched a movie about a young couple where the wife was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. The family mourned the loss of the person they once knew but in the end, discovered that the way to connect with their wife, daughter, and sister was just to love her.

Like when you buy a new car and begin to see that car everywhere, my brain seems to be tuned to Alzheimer's. Yesterday, I read an article on the cbc.ca website about the expected increase in Alzheimer's around the world, particularly in Asia.

Today while working, I clicked on a link from the jazz station I was listening to on the internet, and read about a documentary called There is a Bridge. The documentary goes beyond statistics and science to demonstrate the way that deep emotional connections based on our common humanity can be made with those affected by Alzheimer's.

As the website says, "There is a Bridge...will change the way you imagine Alzheimer's--and quite possibly, how you see yourself".

Click here to watch the documentary trailer:

http://www.memorybridge.org/video1.php

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! Best wishes for a wonderful 2009!

At UBE, we started off the New Year with bowing at 4 in the morning (the energy is very strong and pure at this time of day so it is much easier to connect with yourself). At 4:30, we all ventured outside to join a few thousand Dahn Yoga Masters and Members for a ceremony. Everyone lit a candle to symbolize their vision for the year and chose a card with a character from the Chun Bu Kyung, an ancient text, to represent their fortune for the year. People gathered around bonfires to keep warm but Brain Wave Vibration helped with that too! Later, everyone went inside Kukhakwon where 5 floors of people watched demonstrations by YEHA (Young Earth Human Alliance) members and shared breakfast together--a rice cake soup traditionally eaten at New Year's (ddeok gook) and, of course, kimchi.