Kathryn Johnson
I started taking Dahn yoga in ’06 with the goal of increasing flexibility and relaxation. I was a woman in my early 60′s with a nagging thyroid issue. One blood test result was abnormal with the threat of a return to taking medication which I took years ago.
Within several months of starting yoga, I had a physical and to my delight, my blood work was normal. I attribute this to the fact that so much time is spent in class opening up our bodies to better circulation. This year a nagging ganglion cyst that had been present on the top of my foot for years seems to have disappeared. I much prefer taking yoga to having invasive medical procedures and taking medication. I’m seeing gradual improvement in my balance and need to keep working on that. There are many levels of yoga. The best result for me, even as a beginner, was seeing my overall health improve.
Last night after class, we were discussing feeling energy during Ji-Gam training. It got me thinking about the different kinds of energy I feel during the meditation. First it felt like a hard rubber ball, then more like dough. Sometimes it feels like taffy or I feel my fingers vibrating or it is electricity sparking between my hands. I even sometimes feel almost a humming in my arms. Lately, my hands have started to move completely on their own where I barely sense their presence. The different energy may be due to my concentration, mood or even how hard I had been training lately. It’s all good. I relax and let it flow however it wants to.
Su-Seung-hwa-gang means “Water Up, Fire Down”. This is the core principle for human health. When the body is in balance, the cool water energy travels upward toward the head along the back side of the body, while the hot fire energy flows down the front side of the body to the lower abdomen. This is the complete cycle of energy circulation. By repeating this circulation, life maintains its balance and continuity. 