brain education | Ilchi Lee

Connecting with Yourself to Fight Anxiety and Depression

Despite having every modern convenience at our disposal and many luxuries our ancestors could only dream of, many of us still struggle with anxiety and depression. You don’t need an official diagnosis to be suffering from these conditions. All you might know is that you’re feeling sad, anxious, and disconnected from others.

In his new book, Connect: How to Find Clarity and Expand Your Consciousness with Pineal Gland Meditation, best-selling author Ilchi Lee explores how re-establishing a connection with yourself can be a great way to deal with anxiety and depression.

Why Are We So Sad and Anxious?

It’s this disconnection many of us experience that can lead to feelings of loneliness and isolation, and those feelings can cause an underlying sadness.

“There are more than two billion Facebook users worldwide with approximately 300 friends per user, but loneliness has surfaced as a greater public health risk than smoking,” Lee wrote. “People may have a lot of social media friends, but they don’t have that many true friends to turn to in real life, to talk to and share their hearts with comfortably.”

It can seem strange to think of yourself as disconnected when all day long you may be in touch with people through texts, emails, and social media. But the majority of these interactions aren’t in-depth—they are superficial. And if you’ve lost your connection to yourself, you have lost your best friend. It can be like trying to find your way out of the wilderness without a compass—you have lost your guide in life so it can be hard to navigate your way.

“Once you understand that disconnection is the underlying cause of your problems, then the solution also becomes clearer. All you have to do is mend your broken connections,” Lee writes. “Recover your connection with your body, your connection with your true self, and your connection with people and the world.”

If disconnection is one of the reasons for your depression and anxiety, the solution might be learning how to feel at home with yourself again, just as you did when you were a child. You can do that by getting a clear sense of who you are and what you want out of life.

Channeling Your Inner Child

Do you remember what it felt like to be a young child? You didn’t care what anyone thought of you—you dressed how you wanted to dress, and you spent your free days doing what you loved. You gave little, if any, thought to how others perceived you. You just followed your bliss wherever it took you.

To get in touch with the younger you, you may want to try meditation. There are many different methods of meditation you can use—the key is to make sure you are quieting your mind of all the thoughts and emotions that swirl around constantly throughout the day. Our minds are busy places, and meditation can be just the break you need to stop that constant internal chatter for a while.

“Meditators try various methods to rid themselves of those thoughts,” Lee wrote. “Some meditate while staring at a point drawn on a wall or at a flickering candle flame, some continuously focus on a koan, some repeat a mantra or specific phrase, and some concentrate entirely on the breath coming and going from their bodies.”

While controlling your breathing and concentrating on your mind can help you focus while meditating, Lee recommends taking that practice to the next level with energy meditation. With this, you feel the energy around you, inside of you, and outside of you. Focus on the energy that permeates our world.

The best way to begin with this exercise is to start small. Concentrate on one area—the hands can be a great place to begin—and try to feel the energy there. As you get better at opening your mind to the energy you feel, you can expand to different areas of the body.

“If you just sit there with your eyes closed, distracting thoughts will arise in your mind as you revert to your thinking brain,” Lee wrote. “But if you focus your awareness on the feeling of energy and keep focusing on expanding that feeling, your tangled thoughts will fall away before you know it. You will be fully immersed in yourself.”

When you’re in your meditative state, things will become much clearer to you. Make sure you pay attention to what your body, mind, and soul are trying to tell you. The clarity and inner peace you’ll gain should help dispel some of the depression and anxiety you feel.

Remember, you’re a work in progress—and the battles you’re fighting right now are only temporary. Everything can, and will, get better if you take a step back and do some inner work.

By Loving Yourself You Open Up to Caring For the World

So much of what we see on television and movies, in magazines, and online is geared, whether intentionally or unintentionally, toward making us feel bad about ourselves. We think if we could only be skinnier, prettier, or richer, we would finally feel good about ourselves. But we won’t find the love we need if we keep looking for external validation. We need to look inward for that, according to bestselling author Ilchi Lee.

In his books, Earth Citizen and Earth Management: A Dialogue on Ancient Korean Wisdom and Its Lessons for a New Earth, Lee writes about how hope for the future of our planet and mankind is tied to learning to care both for ourselves and the world around us. Learning to love ourselves can be a hard lesson at any age.

Sometimes, creating feelings of self-approval can be as easy as turning on some inspiring music. Music has been important to mankind since the beginning of time, and it continues to be a universal way of expressing and exploring our feelings.

A K-pop group, BTS, also called the Bangtan Boys or, now, Behind the Scene, is one of the groups that is leading the charge for self-approval with songs that remind people to feel good about themselves. The South Korean boy band has seven members and has scored big with fans with hits like “Love Myself,” which carry messages many of us could benefit from.

Lee’s Take on the Importance of Loving Yourself

When you feel bad about yourself, you don’t feel love for yourself. That doesn’t only impact you, however. It can be hard to make connections with the people and places around you as well. You don’t feel as if you are worthy of the love of others—you can feel disengaged and isolated, so you push them away.

It’s hard to want to improve mankind and the world around you when you have so many feelings of negativity. That’s why it’s crucial to find a way to look inward, like what you see, and realize you can make a difference when you accept all that you are—and even all that you aren’t. Loving yourself opens you up to loving others, feeling empathy, and wanting to work toward the greater good. Instead of feeling isolated, you begin to feel as if you are a worthy and valued member of a team.

But the first step to loving yourself is getting to know yourself. That involves peeling back the superficial layers many of us use to describe ourselves and looking at our core beliefs and goals instead.

“When asked, ‘Who are you?’ people can’t answer, no matter how high their level of education or voluminous their knowledge. They’d be able to give their name. That name, though, is not who they are,” Lee said. “Knowing your true worth is different from knowledge. Once we’ve discovered our worth, we can love ourselves, we can heal ourselves, we can teach ourselves, and we can give ourselves enlightenment.”

Lee loves the message BTS is trying to put out for its audience—that they shouldn’t wander in search of love. Instead, they should look internally for that love. And once that love is unlocked, your heart and mind will be in synch so you’ll be able to use your brain to its fullest capacity.

Many people mistakenly think their brain isn’t worth much. They can feel inferior or even dumb because they didn’t do well in traditional school. But there are all different kinds of intelligence. And having emotional intelligence is every bit as important, if not more important, than the lessons you’ll learn about math and science in school.

“Did the Bangtan Boys have good grades? Did they graduate from good middle schools or high schools? No,” Lee said. “How did they become so famous, then? They discovered their self-worth and did what they really wanted to do. And the people around them helped, enabling them to do that. What I’m saying is that it wasn’t compulsory education.”

After you find a way to love yourself, Lee said, you also learn to heal yourself and teach yourself by using brain power. You begin to believe in yourself, knowing you can do things you once thought were impossible.

“It is ultimately the brain that discovers great dreams. It is also the brain that causes us to think, ‘This is it!’ of those great dreams. Your brain must awaken. Those whose brains are awake can find a great dream,” Lee said. “If your brain is not awake, though you have eyes, you cannot see, and though you have ears, you cannot hear. Your brain is locked, so your eyes and ears don’t open.”

By learning to love yourself, believing in yourself, caring about others, remembering you are part of the bigger picture, and unlocking the power of your brain, you can achieve great things—both for yourself and for the world.

Ilchi Lee Lectures on Brain Education and Global Management in Nagoya, Japan

Ilchi Lee spoke on the issues of global peace and Brain Education to a public lecture program in Nagoya, Japan, September 15, 2007.

This topic is one that the audience wanted to hear about and so it received their full attention.

To customize his lecture to the unique situation of each city’s audience, Ilchi lee began with a session explaining Brain Education and then listening to the sharing of members whose lives have changed as a result of Brain Education.

Ilchi Lee began by describing his meeting with United Nations Secretary-General Ban, Ki-moon, saying that the biggest problems facing the world today are global warming, war and hunger. he emphasized that the source of all these problems is in the human brain. He affirmed that brain and global management must be well performed in order to overcome these problems.

Ilchi Lee went on describe in detail the Three Principles of BOS, which comprise a method of managing the brain. This resulted in an enthusiastic response from the audience for this fun explanation that combines brain science and Brain Education.

As the participants experienced music and Ji-gam traning to open the heart, and the Jangsaeng Walking Method, they were able to understand with their bodies what utilizing the brain really means. These participants were invited to join in the 21-Day Miracle Creation Training. Their response was very positive.

The lecture gave Ilchi Lee and the audience to celebrate the new Japanese translation of Human Technology, publishing in May 2007.

City of Las Vegas Proclaims Ilchi Lee Day

Ilchi Lee was honored by the City of Las Vegas when Mayor Oscar B. Goodman declared September 6, 2007, as Ilchi Lee Day, recognizing his valuable contributions to Dahn Yoga and Brain Education.

By virtue of the authority given to the Mayor by the laws of the State of Nevada and by the Charter of the City of Las Vegas, he asked “all citizens to acknowledge and welcome Ilchi Lee, founder of Dahn Yoga and creator of Brain Education, as he visits our great city.”

Ilchi Lee Day Proclaimed by the City of Gaithersburg

August 20, 2007 was officially designated by the City of Gaithersburg, Maryland, as Ilchi Lee Day, in a proclamation issued by Mayor Sidney Katz and presented in a ceremony at the City Hall.

The purpose of the proclamation was to honor the accomplishments of Ilchi Lee in the field of Brain Education and its contribution to the general health and physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing of the people who practice it.

As stated in the proclamation document, Ilchi Lee was recognized for these reasons (partial list): his Brain Education System Training is the core curriculum of the Dahn Yoga Centers, which he founded; as a leading Brain Philosopher and Educator, he continues to contribute to the health and wellness of Gaithersburg and the District of Columbia community, as evidenced by member testimonials; Dahn Yoga Center members are aligned with the Mayor’s Office to make Gaithersburg a more fit city; members report improved health with practicing Brain Education; members participated in the Montgomery County Women’s Fair, presenting a well-received lecture on Human Technology for Holistic Health; Dahn Yoga Centers provided warm-up exercises for the participants of the MS Walk; members are offering free classes at their companies, churches, hospitals and community; and Ilchi Lee has devoted his life to the study of brain awareness and its potential to improve the human condition.

Ilchi Lee Day Proclaimed by City of Alexandria

The City of Alexandria, Virginia, honored Ilchi Lee by officially proclaiming August 20, 2007 as Ilchi Lee Day. Mayor William D. Euille on behalf of the City Council signed the official proclamation.

A partial list of his contributions were enumerated in the proclamation document: He developed Brain Education System Training, the core curriculum of the Dahn Yoga Centers, which he founded; as a leading Brain Philosopher and Educator, he has improved the health of citizens of Alexandria and Washington, DC, as evidenced by testimonials and 30% of members reporting health improvement results; Dahn Yoga Center members are aligned with the Mayor’s Office to make Alexandria a more fit city; more than 1,000 local members are sharing wellness techniques with their families, businesses and communities; Dahn Yoga Center’s Walking for Health in Alexandria was enthusiastically received; and CEOs have described success resulting from Brain Education and related workshops.

Ilchi Lee Speaks on Innovations in Education at Washington, DC

Ilchi Lee spoke on Innovations in Education, to an audience of 400 people, at the George Washington University Cafritz Conference Center Grand Ballroom, Washington, DC, August 20, 2007.

He discussed his conclusions after three decades of investigating ways to develop the potential of the human brain for the benefit of humanity.

After explaining the connection between our brain’s functioning and our health, Ilchi Lee introduced the five steps of the Brain Education (BE) program: sensitizing, versatilizing, refreshing, integrating and mastering. Putting words into action, he lead the participants through two BE sensitizing exercises — Jangsaeng Walking and Ji-Gam.

Jangsaeng (or longevity) Walking, is a walking meditation method he developed with Dr. Sung Lee of the Ilchi Center for Applied Neuroscience, Sedona, AZ. Ilchi Lee instructed the participants to tuck in their tailbone to keep the spine long and feel the soles of the feet to circulate energy to vital organs. By implementing the simple guidelines of Jangsaeng Walking, we can activate our brain, and regain and maintain our physical body’s health.

Ilchi Lee introduced a way to calm one’s brain by focusing on the ki or life energy in one’s hands in a sensitizing exercise called Ji-Gam. It is a moving-meditation exercise that in Korean means to stop thinking to calm the brain. He told the participants to sit up straight in their chairs and bring their palms to face each other in front of the chest. Without touching, attendees focused on their palms and slowly began to move them apart and back together to feel the ki sensation.

Ilchi Lee Announces the City of Phoenix’s Proclamation of Brain Education Week

Ilchi Lee, developer of Brain Education and president of International Brain Education Association, announced that Mayor Phil Gordon on behalf of the City of Phoenix signed a proclamation on August 16 declaring Brain Education Week in Phoenix to be September 5-11, 2007.

The starting day of the Brain Education Week coincided with Ilchi Lee’s Light of Tao workshop for Dahn Yoga Center members in the Phoenix region. As with this workshop and nearly all the programs Ilchi Lee presents, their content and methods are related to Brain Education.

The Phoenix proclamation for Brain Education Week was based on these declarations: Brain Education Week celebrates the promotion of the awareness of the brain and its potential to improve the human condition; Brain Education consists of training programs to improve physical condition, ability to create and manage emotions skills of cooperation, and creative power; Brain Education can help students reach their full learning potential through body and brain exercises; and the Third International Brain HSP Olympiad and Brain Education Conference took place in New York State in August 2007, with 700 adults and children participating.

Ilchi Lee Hosts the 3rd International Brain HSP Olympiad, Ellenville, NY

Ilchi Lee, along with Oscar Arias Sanchez, President of the Republic of Costa Rica and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, were Co-presidents of the 3rd International Brain HSP Olympiad and Brain Education Conference.

The international events took place at Best 5 Resort, Ellenville, NY, August 10-12, 2007. The 700 participants included renowned scientists, government officials, educators, parents and children from five countries — United States, Canada, South Korea, Japan and United Kingdom. The brain-focused, international Olympiad and Conference demonstrated and advanced the utilization of the human brain for the purposes of creativity, productivity and peace. The Olympiad and Conference main sponsors consisted of the International Brain Education Association (Sedona, AZ) and the Korea Institute of Brain Science (Seoul), both of which are headed by Ilchi Lee.

Ilchi Lee spoke at the Opening Ceremony of the Olympiad and Conference, gave the keynote address at the Conference, and made remarks at the Closing Ceremony of the Olympiad and Conference.

At the Opening Ceremony, Ilchi Lee declared the brain to be the final frontier of the 21st century. Human civilization has been the product of the infinite creativity of the human brain. But most people do not know how to use their brain’s full potential. We are facing a historical crisis in which most people have lost their humanity by not properly using their brain. Now more than ever, we need a new awareness of the brain. This Olympiad is held to widely communicate the value of the brain and the development of new approaches to Brain Education.

According to Ilchi Lee, focusing on the brain in education is the key to achieving real progress for humanity and the Earth. The ability of the brain to be highly creative is dormant in all of us. The focus needs to shift from what is in the brain to how it can be developed and utilized. Brain Education is an opportunity for humanity to step forward into a new era, where we are concerned with the integrative thinking of Brain Management and Earth Management. Each person’s brain has the power that created our impressive civilizaton. The brain is the human body’s only component where matter contains spirit. This Olympiad is opened to awaken the awareness of the infinite creative power of the brain for the benefit of all humanity.

In his Keynote Speech to the Brain Education Conference, Ilchi Lee focused on the unlimited potential of the human brain and how to use PDCA (Plan, Do, Check, Action) to make our dreams happen in reality. The huge problems facing us today include people losing their humanity and the Earth warming based in part on our civilization’s choices. The root of people enjoying health, happiness and peace lies in our global and local environment. But there are many signs that the Earth is become more ill. We must change our ways soon or the planet will not be able to recover and thus not sustain life. The environment will be saved only when all of civilization’s institutions commit to finding and implementing innovative solutions. The keys are to shift our perspective to Earth-centers and humanity-centered management and take action. In the end, the brain is responsible for all solutions and actions. Therefore, we need Brain Education.

To change the course for humanity and the Earth, we must think like management. We start by setting specific goals, including how many people should be involved and by when. Ilchi Lee envisions 100 million Earth Humans by 2010. Earth Humans have a strong Earth-centered and humanity-centered philosophy and passion for action taking. They would be the core thinkers and workers in spreading a movement worldwide that would change the agenda and reality of the quality of our lives and planet. Taking action means making plans and putting them into practice. This involves a mentality of being engaged in creation, and having the power to create. With our brains, we possess unlimited creative power. Each of us needs to grow it further inside of himself or herself. An excellent way to do this is to follow the PDCA process — taking action that get results. Plan, Do and Check are the build up, but Action is the key. Do and Action are different: Do is a test that one must Check; Action is only genuine when it produces positive results. We all must utilize our brains more fully, and develop our creative power until our results change the world for the better.

The 3rd International Brain HSP Olympiad had events that highlighted the infinite potential of the human brain as developed through Brain Education. (HSP stands for Health, Smile/happiness, and Peace; as well as for Heightened Sensory Perception). Competitions challenged motor skills, sensory systems and brain perception and speed.

The Brain Education Conference featured lectures by distinguished educators and scientists, as well as workshops for teachers and others to help children to learn to use their brains to their fullest potential. Lecture topics included brain education as a new frontier in learning, brain-body connections, brain-considerate classrooms, and the role of proper walking for healthy brain functioning. Workshops covered concentration and memory, creativity and imagination, stress management, and emotional control.

Ilchi Lee Quoted in Daily Freeman Newspaper on “the Era of the Brain”

Ilchi Lee described Brain Education in Dianne Wiebe’s “It’s All in the Mind,” in the Kingston, NY-based Daily Freeman Newspaper, August 13, 2007.

Here are excerpts from the article:

ELLENVILLE, NY – Hundreds of participants cheered the Friday opening of the third annual Brain Olympiad at the Fallsview Best 5 Resort and Spa in Ellenville.

The weekend Olympiad, coupled with a conference on brain education, is co-sponsored by the International Brain Education Association (IBREA) and the Korea Institute of Brain Science (KIBS).

“Many people say that the 21st century is the final frontier, the era of the brain,” said Ilchi Lee, founder of both organizations. “Brain education will become the key to the future of civilization, with the development and utilization of the dormant brain to full functioning.”

Through brain education, Ilchi Lee believes that disciples can develop innate human capacities and creativity to better use the brain to influence physical, emotional and social well-being, as well as academic excellence.