According to the Han-dahn Ko-gi and Ilchi Lee, records indicate that ancient ascetics developed their bodies and minds through the practice of three methods: Ji-gam, Jo-sik, and Geum-chok. Ji-gam trains the mind to calm the thoughts and emotions and Jo-sik trains the breath to regulate energy through breathing. Geum-chok is a practice for entering a deep spiritual world beyond the five senses.

The practice of Ji-gam, Jo-sik, and Geum-chok, related in the Sam-il-shin-go, one of the three great scriptures of the Korean people, in particular form the basis of Shin-seon-do practice. This Shin-seon-do practice spread to the various peoples of Asia, including China, and developed into a variety of Ki-gong methods. Its lineage was broken with the collapse of Dangun Chosun, however, and the spirit and philosophy it contained were also diluted and faded gradually with time; until today only its technical aspects were handed down in various forms.

Regardless of variations in time, geography, and culture, all civilizations have referred to the Earth as the ‘Mother Earth.’ Korean tradition refers to the Earth as ‘Mago’ by combining the roots of two terms. ‘Ma, Mater, Umma, Mom,’ the almost universal sound for Mother, is combined with ‘Go’, which signifies ancient or old in traditional Asian writing, to form the word ‘Mago’. Directly translated, ‘Mago’ thus means ‘Ancient Mother.’ This is not to be confused with an image of an old hag, or witch, a distinctly European invention dating back to Middle Ages. Mago is closer to the Hellenic-Roman concept of earth goddess, Gaiea.

Since the human soul is intimately connected to the Earth’s soul, we can truly feel the Earth in our hearts when we are able to commune with her on a spiritual plane. Only then will we be able to see the Earth with the Earth’s awareness, leading to a human culture of harmony and forgiveness. Indigenous Native Americans of Sedona also believed that the Earth had a soul, prophesying that the Earth will only be healed and humans only become complete when we can commune with her soul and seek to protect her body.

Mago is a concept far different, and far older, than the concept of god. Gods are invisible, but Mago is both visible and tangible. We can see, hear, and touch the Mother Earth, the ever-present root of all life on our planet. Until now, humanity has had an on-going and one-sided love affair with various gods, trusting in them to secure and bless our individual nations, peoples, religions, and families, praying endlessly to the divine deaf ear and taking advantage of non-existent pronouncements to justify whatever they wanted. Who could accuse them of being wrong? The gods were never held responsible, nor their messengers accountable. However, since she has both a body and a soul, the Earth can tell us immediately, in a palpable and tangible way, what is and what is not pleas ing to her. We cannot conveniently wish her existence away, as we have done with countless gods. Yet, it almost seems as if we are trying in earnest to destroy her and to destroy ourselves in the process. We seem to be attempting to uproot our own existence.

If any love has the forgiveness and patience to guide a wayward child, no, a juvenile delinquent, like humanity, it has to be the love of a Mother. If her love is acknowledged and accepted in its benevolent omnipresence and omniscience, then what other possible decision could we make except to respond in kind? In order for us to effect a shift in human consciousness to a level on which we can have a ‘heart-to-heart’ conversation with the Earth, and feel her love, we must reopen a channel of communication that we have always had, but have not always been aware of.  Ilchi Lee tells here that Let us reawaken our senses. Let us listen to our Mother. Let us feel her embrace.

Ilchi Lee says that when I think of the Earth, the picture that first comes to my mind is one taken by a satellite from outer space, a blue-green ball tantalizingly covered with wisps of white clouds. To communicate with the Earth’s heart, but not only know the Earth on a physical level, but also know her on a spiritual one. It is far more important to be able to feel the wholeness of the Earth than to know her geological history or the correct correlation of her limestone layers.

Have you ever said “Good Morning!” to a stand of particularly tall grass or a wild flower that opened its petals especially early one morning? Anyone who is a gardener has had experiences of talking with the plants under his or her care. When you have an experience of feeling the ‘heart’ of a plant, you no longer regard the plant as mere decoration, but as an entity of life. In point of fact, you have not actually spoken to the plant in the usual sense, but you have indeed felt and sensed the energy and soul of the life expressed through the shape and form of the plant. Likewise, in order to communicate with the earth, we must come to know Earth as a living entity, with a material body, life energy, and an eternal soul, as all forms of life.

In order to achieve genuine peace by placing the Earth at the fulcrum of living values, we need not only understand the importance of the Earth, but also be able to communicate with her in a personal, intimate, and profound way. Even if we all intellectually understand that the Earth is the key to peace, it is for naught if this knowledge is not made tangible and applicable.

In order for information to enter the brain and then be expressed as action, that information must be processed and delivered to the furthest nerve endings and muscles. Similarly, establishment of the Earth as the center of our values must go beyond the intellectual plane and be ingrained into every cell of our bodies in order to be realized.

For this to happen, our hearts must be able to communicate with the heart of the Earth. Although many people realize the importance of the Earth, they only think of the Earth as a large material object, because they don’t know how to connect with her heart, thus leaving their hearts barren and lifeless. The moment that you can feel the heart of the Earth and consciously accept it as such, is a moment of enlightenment, for you will have allowed your awareness to meld with that of the Earth and see and feel her as she herself does.

Ilchi Lee tips on yoga exercises.

Look again. Do you see any borders disfiguring the striking jigsaw puzzle of the landmasses, black lines across the verdant land? Do you see any fences separating the blue seas from the emerald forests? Can you sense any discord or a cacophony of jarring colors in this canvas of life called ‘Earth?’ Do you now see the magical harmony created from the miracle of diversity and differences? Do you now realize that diversity and differences are to be celebrated rather than grudgingly acknowledged? Good, you have now glimpsed the life that is Earth!

Earth does not have borders, whether national, religious, or ethnic. Why should she try to keep the diversity of life, which is itself the essence of creation, separated and imprisoned, preventing her from fulfilling her divine right to blend and add another layer of life to the heavenly canvas? Then why are we humans trying to keep ourselves separate and divided? Why are we trying to prevent ourselves from fulfilling our own role as part of life? What’s so important about ethnicity, nationality, and the various religions that force us to overlook our inherent right to truly live in the deepest meaning of the word?

If we can all experience the reality of the Earth as we have just done together, we will realize that a simple shift of awareness is all that’s needed to solve the seemingly intractable problems facing us today. All we need to do is to allow our awareness to break through the prison bars of false and negative information. They are not real anyway.

When Earth becomes our collective source of life values, then we will realize that the boundaries that we have set for ourselves are unnecessary, that the endless competition driving our society is juvenile, and that our relentless anxiety arises from denial of our true life. When Earth becomes the center of our values, then politics, economics, and even religion will take their rightful place as tools, not masters, of our lives.

This shift of awareness is the most important key to the road to peace. Peace sought by a single nation or a religion will inevitably generate conflict. Only peace centered on and encompassing the whole Earth can lead us to the ‘promised land’ of ancient, wise lore.

Brain respiration guidelines by Ilchi Lee.

According to Ilchi Lee research with our minds, let us travel outward into the cosmos, until we are looking down at the Earth. Free your awareness from the time and space continuum and see the Earth in a state of absolute freedom. See the blue green sphere, magically suspended in inky, all-encompassing blackness, soft and bright in her soothing luminosity.

Do you see the assorted and indescribable colors weaving in and out of this earthly tapestry? Can you see the different colored petals of flowers as they sway in the wind, weaving and twirling, mixing with the wild grasses to go forth as a living breeze, only to fall onto the dark soil as an invisible mist of green life? Do you see the dynamic beauty of animals as they prowl, swallowed by the protective green gauze of the forests or the harsh yellow tint of the desert? Do you see any differences in human beings in terms of their skin color, body types, or any other criteria that you can think of?

Of course you do, for life is an expression of infinite creativity. No living thing is identical to any other living thing, even among the same species. And do you realize that this is a blessing, the greatest ever, and that ’sameness’ is unnatural and an affront to life? Life is not an imitation, but an unending process of original creation. Can you now feel an overwhelming burst of inspiration and gratitude for this infinite variety? For the love of the Creator, as life is bursting in full bloom in its blinding and brash beauty?

With the advances in communications technology and widespread travel, the Earth has indeed become smaller, more familiar, and more intimate. This is all the more amazing because we didn’t even know that the Earth was round or orbited around the sun until a few hundred years ago. However, with advances in science, we have acquired more and more knowledge about the Earth. We have all seen pictures of the Earth taken from outer space, and we are able to point out approximately where we live and were born on this cosmic sphere of beautiful colors, suspended in the magical darkness of the universe.

As children, we are taught that the Earth revolves around the sun as the third planet of the solar system, knowledge that Galileo had to risk his life to defend. As transportation has developed, we have further realized that what we hold to be true and inviolate in one part of the world is not necessarily true in another part. Humans have created a world of omnipresent relativity in everything from social values to cultural rituals. Studies in geology and biology have awakened us to the incredible history and living processes of Earth, from erupting volcanoes and sliding plates, to the mind numbing variety of life that she nurtures, creates, and destroys… only to create again with a love and patience that only a mother could have. But have we ever seen the Earth from the Earth’s point of view? Have we felt the Earth as she herself must feel?

Ilchi Lee articles on human brain.

Brain Education (BE) for Successful Aging is a program that gives adults the tools they need to take an active role in generating and maintaining mental, physical, and emotional well-being. Using the latest findings in neuroscience and gerokinesiology, BE for Successful Aging drawers upon exercises and actrinities that foster a sense of harmony between the brain and the body.

Based upon the five steps of Brain Education System Training (sensitizing, versatilizing, refreshing, integrating, and mastering), participants begin with a series of exercises that are designed to awaken the body brain, to make the brain more flexible and adaptable, and to free it from negative emotional memories and habits. By progressing through each step, participants systematically learn how to integrate various brain functions, enhance executive control, and tap into their unlimited potential.

The goal of this Ilchi Lee program is to help participants realize that the power of the brain is not dependent upon age, but in the choices made in each moment. There is a tremendous level of power that exists within the brain that can be developed through the awareness of choice. This awareness allows one to gain true ownership of the brain, resulting in a more fulfilling life. Through Brain Education for Successful Aging, one is able to enjoy the benefits of a youthful mind and body alon with the maturity and wisdom that comes with age and experience.

Brain respiration education by Ilchi Lee.

On the other hand, the evening is also a wonderful time to walk and to reflect on the content of your day. Use an evening walk as a chance to release any emotions and tensions that have built up during the day. One study showed that people who walk after dinner are less likely to develop digestive problems like irritable bowel syndrome, so the evening may also be the best time to walk for physical health.

For beginners, I recommend trying different times during the day to sec what works best for you. See how you feel mentally, physically, and emotionally with different walking schedules. Eventually, however, you should decide upon to a definite schedule for walking so it becomes an automatic part of your daily routine.

The body can only be healthy through good habits. Having expensive exercise equipment or taking various health supplements doesn’t mean you will be healthy. The phrase “use it or lose it” applies to the body. The most important habit for health is to exercise regularly. The easiest and simplest way to do this is to increase the amount of steps we take in our daily life.

Never give in to your desire to get on the elevator right in front of you; use the stairs. When you see the elevator, think, “I’m not going to lose my exercise time!” to keep your resolution. And when you see the stairs, say, “Hey, nice to see you. You are the ultimate free gym!” Walk joyfully with the Jangsaeng method.

Do this regularly and your mind will change for the better, right along with your body.

In Korea, we have a saying: “Healthy legs, long life.” The legs may in fact be the source of strength and vitality in the body. The vitality of the body depends on the amount of muscle mass, and approximately thirty percent of the body’s muscle mass is concentrated in the legs. Athletes have over forty percent muscle mass in the legs. The more muscle mass you have, the more energy you have. By contrast, the less muscle mass you have, the less energy you will have.

When the legs get weak, you feel that moving the body itself is difficult and cumbersome. This creates a vicious cycle of inactivity leading to more inactivity. If you sit around because you feel weak, your muscle mass lessens and you become more weak. The aging process of the legs rapidly progresses due to prolonged lack of exercise, and eventually it becomes difficult to even sit down and stand up, which is the picture of old age that we all dread.

To be alive is to move. Be appreciative about the tact that you have two legs that can sustain the body, that you can go anywhere on them, and move your legs in earnest. The more you move them, the stronger the muscles will get.

Body exercises guidelines by Ilchi Lee