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Dahn Yoga Bowing Meditation
By Michela | March 19, 2009
As Ilchi Lee’s Human Technology book says:
“Bowing is one of the most humble and spiritual acts a human can perform. It is an action that simultaneously signifies acceptance and a deep understanding of and feeling toward its object. Through bowing, we accept, understand, and feel our soul. Moreover, through this action, we cast aside the narrow confines of the self and accept the energy of the universe.I call bow meditation “sincerity meditation,” because we awaken to the nature of sincerity in the process of bowing. This meditation involves motions through which we become one with the universe. We are connected with the energy of Heaven when we spread our arms. We are connected with the energy of the earth when we bend at the waist and lay our upper bodies on the floor.Choose the number of bows you wish to perform [or pick a certain length of time]. Bow meditation is also a good meridian exercise. During the meditation, your lower back will be strengthened and your Dahn-jon [second chakra, core] will become warm.
- Calm your mind and put your [feet together and your] palms together in front of your chest. Move your hands downward and outward, stretching out your arms and moving them in a circle until your hands are together above your head. As you move your hands upward, inhale and feel the energy of the earth and imagine your hands lifting this energy upward.
- With your palms together, arms extended straight above your head, feel energy connecting to your Baek-hwe (crown of the head) through your fingers.
- Keeping your palms together, slowly lower your hands in front of your chest, connecting the energy gathered by your hands in a straight line past your Baek-hwe to your chest.
- Still keeping your palms together, bend forward at the waist. Bend your upper body forward and downward as far as you can. The deeper you bow, the more humility will empty your mind.
- Kneel with the tops of your feet touching the floor and sit on your heels.
- Bending forward at the waist and neck, stretch out your arms completely so that the palms of your hands touch the floor. Turn your palms upward and lift your hands, exhaling. As you do this, lowering your upper body as far as you can, convey your gratitude to heaven and earth and feel your soul in your chest.
- Turn your hands so that your palms face downward again and raise your upper body. Kneel and bring your palms together in front of your chest, and then stand up.”
It’s a full-body workout. I’ve heard that most religions and spiritual practices perform some kind of bowing.While bow meditation is a main Dahn Yoga exercise, you will not experience it in the regular class at a Dahn Yoga Center. The centers usually offer special classes for bow meditation at separate times, and whether you can participate depends on your level of training. It is often a major part of the follow-up training to the Shim Sung workshop.It is especially effective if you do Brain Wave Vibration after bowing meditation, especially “Jung Choong” Brain Wave Vibration, where you tap your Dahn-jon with your fists to your own internal rhythm. Jung Choong Brain Wave Vibration also often involves shaking your head and chanting at the same time as you are tapping. Talk about making your brain flexible!