Notes from Brain Education and Consciousness

I am learning and experiencing so much here in Korea and at UBE that I want to share about. What's exciting for me is seeing the connection between ideas I've read or heard about and things I've practised with greater ideas about education and the development of human potential. Here are some of the notes I've taken over the first few weeks of our Brain Education and Consciousness class:

- The philosophy behind Brain Education is "Learning by doing and learning by practising".

- Education is for physical, emotional and cognitive development and integrates our inner and outer consciousness.

- In the observable world, 1+1=2, but in the unobservable world 1+1=10 is possible.

- Instead of cause and effect being predetermined, we have a "database" of reactions to choose from.

- Traditional way of seeing the brain--as part of the body. New perspective--Brain as an instrument that we use.

- Two types of knowledge:
1. Intuition
2. Logic (must be evidence)

- Ego (our thoughts, emotions, ideas) is not really me. (These come and go and are just information).
- True self (our pure thoughts--no emotions).

- Meditation is a way of connecting with our inner consciousness.

- The kind of information we choose is very important. See the book, "Messages in Water" for the effects of words and thoughts.

- Modernism (division of mind/body) vs. postmodernism (mind/body complimentary)

- Recovery of our innate inability for health, emotional well-being, and peacefulness.

Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, I take the bus to Seoul for Korean language classes. UBE is located in the countryside about 15 minutes from Cheonan city.
This is what the scenery looks like while I am waiting for the bus...
And this is a side street in Seoul in Gangnam-Gu, the area where the Seoul Korean Language Academy is located...

Both have different kinds of energy. Seoul is very active and fast and, here at UBE, it's very quiet and easy to connect with nature. Experiencing both is good training for me. Every time I travel to Seoul, I am reminded that we cannot always choose our surroundings or the people around us, but we can choose how we want to react. By changing ourselves, I believe, we can have an impact on the world.

In my last blog, I talked about how the Canadians on the Korean Meditation Tour will join in the opening celebration of a new park here at Kookhakwon/UBE. I made an error in naming the park--it will be a Korean cultural and historical park.

Preparations are underway for the park. There is lots of construction, landscaping, and other work going on. I watched a group of men make these totem poles over a couple of days. The totems started out looking like this...
And now they look like this...

The totems say, "Honk Ik In Gahn, E-Wha Saegae" in traditional Korean letters, which translates to "Widely Benefiting Humanity, Everything-Harmonious World".
These statues represent figures significant to Korean history. Their faces look real to me. They are patiently standing (or sitting) in a parking lot waiting to be painted gold.

This is my favourite one...


And there will be statues representing different saints throughout the history of the world...


I think all of these figures have something to share. I wonder what they would tell us if they could? If we listened, each of us would probably hear a different kind of message. The message I received was to keep going and to share what I am learning with others.

Canada Comes to Korea!

From September 26th to October 7th, 25 members from Dahn Yoga Centres in Canada will visit Korea on a meditation tour. The tour will include visits to special places related to Dahn Yoga, Brain Education, and Korean history and culture and training with Masters in Dahn Mu Do (Energy Martial Arts) and Pyoong Ryu Do (Yullyo).

After arriving in Seoul, the Canadians will move to Chun Hwa won, the first mediation centre founded by Ilchi Lee, and Mt. Moak, the location of Ilchi Lee's enlightenment. They will visit a traditional Korean folk village and then fly to Je-ju island, designated by the government as an "Island of World Peace".

Jeju Island: An Island of World Peace

Back on the mainland, the Canadians will tour the University of Brain Education and Kookhakwon (the Insitute of Traditional Korean Studies). They will help to celebrate the opening of an International Peace Park here at Kookhakwon on October 3rd, "National Foundation Day", which marks the foundation of Korea by Dangun in 2333 B.C. and will take part in the Earth Human Festival, a celebration of humanity and the earth.

Earth Human Festival 2001

After this, Meditation Tour participants will move on to the North-eastern part of Korea and visit the reunification tower. On October 5th, they will do a demonstration and participate in the 2nd Il Chi Ki-Gong festival. The tour ends with two days in Seoul, visiting a traditional market, a Dahn Centre, and the royal palaces.

I am fortunate to be able to join the Canadian group for part of the tour so stay tuned for updates on their travels and experiences! And to all the Canadian members who are coming, Welcome to Korea and see you soon!

Why I Became Interested in the Brain Part 4: The United Nations and Brain Education

After last year's Olympiad, I returned to the U.S. to spend some time learning about the International Brain Education Association (IBREA). IBREA is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to promote excellence in brain education for the betterment of humanity. As part of this mission, IBREA represents KIBS (the Korea Insitute of Brain Science), an NGO (non-governmental organization) in consulative status with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), at the UN headquarters in New York.

As a representative of KIBS/IBREA, I attended United Nations Department of Public Information (DPI) weekly briefings and participated in non-governmental organization (NGO) conferences and committee meetings. As I sat and listened to discussions about the challenges facing the UN and the world, I felt hope in the contribution that Brain Education could make to each and every issue, including health, education, youth, aging, peace, and guardianship of the earth.

I also had the opportunity to take the Brain Education Teaching Workshop (BETW) in Brooklyn, New York, where I joined teachers, social workers, occupational therapists, and parents from schools in the New York area. Over two days, we experienced the 15-week Brain Education for Enhanced Learning (BE for EL) curriculum, which includes exercises and activities focused on the brain itself, resulting in physical, emotional, and cognitive benefits for students. For more information about the program, see http://www.powerbrainedu.com/.

After returning to Canada, I started teaching the BE for EL program at the Burlington and Mississauga Dahn Centres. I was joined by my colleague, MaryAnn, who helped to teach the class after we both graduated from the BE Leadership course. Through the course, we became certified to teach all 30 weeks of the BE for EL curriculum and the BE for Successful Aging program for older adults (or anyone interested in aging successfully :).


I learned a lot from teaching the children's program and watched as the students grew in their confidence, in their ability to concentrate and to regulate their emotions, and in their concern for each other and for the earth. None of this was something we taught them--the program had brought out the natural abilities and qualities they already had inside. At the end when the students shared what they had learned, I was amazed by their wisdom and by the understanding they had of themselves. As a teacher, this was exactly the kind of program I had been looking for and it gave me a lot of hope for the future of education.

In April of this year, we held a BETW in the GTA area and trained 25 teachers and BE instructors. Since then, Brain Education has also been introduced to educators in Ottawa and Calgary and to schools in the Montreal area. There are plans to hold another BETW in the GTA this year.

(On September 30th from 7:40-9 pm the Burlington Dahn Yoga Centre will be hosting a special Introduction to Brain Education Workshop for Teachers. Please visit or call the centre to reserve a spot: 905-681-7215).

So, this is the long answer to why I became interested in the brain. Through this journey, I've learned to trust my own brain and that everyone has the ability to develop their brain's potential and have a positive impact on others. This has given me hope for the future of education, humanity and the earth and is what brought me here to UBE to learn and experience more about the potential of the brain and about the current and future implications of brain education.
I believe that as individuals, families, organizations, and nations look for ways to solve their most serious challenges, effective self-management, organizational-management, and earth-management through using the brain well will be the key to our successful future.

Adventures in Korean Cuisine

As I'm starting to learn, there are a whole variety of foods eaten in Korea. Before this weekend, my culinary adventures were confined to the cafeteria, Dunkin Donuts, McDonalds, Kyochon Chicken (Korean chicken chain) and a Vietnamese Pho Soup restaurant in Seoul. Thanks to some kind people here at UBE and Kukhakwan, I am getting out to explore some other kinds of food.



The restaurants here usually have a specialty. Yesterday, a group of us had lunch at a restaurant that serves pork legs (jokbal) and cold noodles (nangmyeung, which are usually eaten in summer). You wrap the pork in lettuce leaves and hot sauce. It actually is like summer here--usually at least 30 degrees during the day and around 18 at night. Korea has not escaped the effects of global warming--there is very little spring or fall and the summers and winters are getting longer.

I'm not sure why this picture uploaded on its side but it is a picture of a traditional meal we enjoyed with rice, soup, and many sidedishes. The dishes include smoked fish, noodles, roots and stems from plants, chives, and other vegetables. Many of the sidedishes are seasoned with sesame seeds and soy sauce or with hot peppers or hot pepper paste.

This is a picture of some hot peppers drying in a garden close to UBE.

And a Kimchi update...I do not eat Kimchi every day any more. I was being very adventurous when I first arrived, trying everything. I've since learned that even some Koreans don't eat Kimchi or RICE everyday! I've cut back on the spicy foods a bit and my stomach has thanked me for it.

Shee-won-hah-dah!

This is the exercise or training room at UBE. At the beginning of each week in the morning the staff exercises or trains together. Today, we did Dahnjon tapping (lower abdomen tapping, which stimulates circulation), stretching, and Jung Choong breathing. At the end, we did laughing exercise with the group and with a partner and told our partner one positive thing we noticed about them (for example, "Your smile is beautiful").

What a great way to start the day and week!

아이 시원하다! (Ah-ee-shee-won-hah-dah), which means "Oh, feels so good!"

For information about the benefits of laughing and walking, see this video: http://www.ilchi.com/brain-education/jangsaeng-walking/video%3a-laugh-and-walk/

When All You Have is Hope

Before coming to Korea, I picked up this book at the Toronto Airport called When All You Have is Hope by Frank O'Dea, one of the co-founders of Second Cup.

As a young man, Frank O'Dea was sexually assaulted by several people in positions of authority. By 13, he was addicted to alcohol and by 23, was living on the streets in Toronto. One day, he heard a radio ad about a program that could help alcoholics and he decided to get help.

From that point on, his life changed. He went on to become the co-founder of Second Cup and other successful businesses and founded several non-profit organizations including Street Kids International, War Child (Canada), and the Canadian Landmine Foundation.

Frank O'Dea was invested as an Officer of the Order of Canada by the Governor General for his work inspiring others to overcome addiction, and his contribution to the business and not-for-profit world. He now serves on the boards of private companies, public companies, and not-for profit organizations.

Frank O'Dea's message is about hope, vision, and action. He shares about his journey and his spiritual development along the way. He talks about what he feels is lacking in Canadian leadership and the need for Canada as a nation and its leaders (that means all of us, I believe) to develop vision, core values, and the ability to keep promises.

Here's an interview with Frank O'Dea on the Hour:
http://www.cbc.ca/thehour/videos.html?id=734851759