1.

The Song of Praising the Nature

The Universe contains my spirit, and My spirit contains the Universe. The Universe embraces the law of my spirit, and My spirit embraces the law of the Universe. Thus, My spirit and the Universe are One. A person owns the Universe, I will find all the mysteries of life within Myself. I will reach the strength of the Universe by accepting Its Soul, nergy, and !ivinity, and developing the "enter of the nergy. Thereby, I will be the true owner of your body and spirit. The #ature always remains pure, with no obstruction. $ealth and fame are mere moments of a dream. I collected the Universal spirit on my abdomen, filled Its energy in my head, and !ivine Universe brightened my spirit. After two decades% endless practice, My only wish is to benefit all sentient beings. I will let my great teacher%s lesson &nown all over the world. I will welcome all who wish to learn.

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2. Principal of Sundo
Awa&ened in the foundation of Universal Truth, I understand my body and spirit. $hen the Universe and I are One, I will benefit and save all sentient beings.

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3. The Song of Guidance to the Truth.

'epeating the (rincipal of Sundo guides one into the Truth because it contains the true meaning derived from the #ature. One can be lead to the Truth by the great #ature%s sound. !uring Sundo practice, one listens to the (rincipal of Sundo one after another. The operation of the "entral Universe. The "entral nergy maintains all phenomena of the present status in the

nergy, the union of )ang and )in, is the foundation of the Truth. nergy. "onstantly changing )ang and )in, ascending and nergy in the Universe. In a human body, the spleen and

"oncentrated nlightenment in "onfucianism, mbracing One in Taoism, and Middle $ay in *uddhism all refer to this "entral concentrating power of the "entral descending of water and fire, and the circulating energy and blood, all are due to the stomach constitue the earth and center, the understanding of which e+plains the basis of the practice. One%s life is sustained when )ang and )in are united, otherwise, the life ceases. The "entral nergy is the true character of )ang and )in, which harmoni,es nature between )ang and )in, and declines the power of changes or no changes. The -ife nergy comes from lower abdomen and flows to the liver, where it changes into the blood of energy that protects and nourishes one%s body. Therefore, the fifty earth . i.e., abdomen/ postures that draw the "entral nergy account for the basic training of Sundo. Since !ivinity from the 0eaven combined with 1irtue and five energies emerging from the arth creates the life of all sentient beings, this energy of 0eaven and arth is the utmost foundation of all living beings. A life, therefore, is the combination of three basic elements of Universal foundation, namely, Soul, nergy, and !ivinity. )ang.2eon/ derives from the 0eaven, and )in.2on/ derives from the arth. My life derives from 0uman 3oundation stored in the middle of )ang and )in. Thereby, the second stage of the Sundo concentrates on the )ang and )in .2eon and 2on/ abdomen practice. The energy that brings water and fire together is caused by the five operations from the 0eaven and si+ energies from the arth. This unification of water and fire create warmth in a body. As the three hundred si+ty five degrees of the 0eaven match the three hundred si+ty five 4oints in a body, I must diligently practice the Supreme nergy abdomen breathing and posture from Universal point of view, however difficult it may be. 3rom now on, I will learn and practice this 'ight $ay of Unification of *ody and Spirit, and the Supreme $ay of the arth. Awa&ened in the foundation of Universal Truth, I understand my body and spirit. $hen the Universe and I are One, I will benefit and save all sentient beings

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4. On the 33rd Anniversary At the !eginning of Ne" #entury

5 0ow a Universal (erson Starts a #ew "entury.5 $e are facing a new century in the $estern calendar. This means we are starting another new thousand year period. The whole world seems busy with the plans, preparations, and celebrations. (eople have their own interpretations and opinions about what the world would turn out to be in the new century. 0owever, if we mindlessly follow the worldly trend, we would be loo&ing at an imaginary line floating on the air because time itself does not assert any dividing lines. $e must reali,e that all the divisions are created in our own minds. $hat we should do, instead, is to learn from our past, and to ma&e our new resolution in accordance with the light and to do away with dar&ness. It is the wisdom of a person who is ready for forthcoming positive changes. At this point, I would li&e to remind you of a few points we made the resolution of at the last year%s anniversary celebration. To list a few, they are the reconciliation and unification of all Sundo practitioners, the development of our young leaders, the inheritance of right Sundo tradition, and the education of Sundo and its spirit to the general public. To achieve these goals, we must wor& on two ma4or categories of education and public awareness. I believe you will sincerely cooperate for the cause. In fact, while we are endeavoring to meet our goal, our effort would bring reconciliation among people, result in prosperity both on the part of human beings and nature, and, eventually, reali,e the Truth of the Universe. 0owever, we must &eep in mind that our practice is different from other social movements where their members are actively running under their slogans. Instead, we should start by calming our minds and loo&ing straight and deeply at ourselves. 3irst, we will overcome the swamp of greed where one see&s only to obtain sensual satisfaction, but open our conscience and fully repent our past wrong doings. *y doing so, we will pierce through the tempting foggy emotions and reach the True selves that are One with the Universal Spirit. The True Self is so glorious and beautiful that it is beyond any human words% description. It can only be described as the Incarnation of "ompassion and -ove. If you want to be in love, fall in love with your True Self, the ultimate destination of our practice. $e will listen to our True Selves in our thoughts and deeds, then we will be able to help more people in a more fundamental way. )our love will be spread to others as 6uic&ly as fire. #ow, we are clear about what we want to do. I am sure everyone on earth tries his best in his own way to ma&e better of his life. )et, if one%s goal lied in the values that disappear momentarily, one%s life is as short as that of a morning dew dangling on a leaf that survives only a short moment. )et, if one leads a life reflecting the bright light from the dew, that life will shine for thousands of years to come in its spirit.

I hope this morning you will reconfirm your resolutions in the 'ight $ay. I wish all of you an eternal life through fulfilling the 'ight Mission.

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$. %hat is &ou' Sun()o*

7ou& Sun8!o is the 7orean traditional method of training the mind and body which has descended from the 7orean founding fathers about 9,:;; years ago. It is the secret of preserving one%s health, remaining free from disease, in good health, and in full vigor. Our good old ancestors, having learned this method, taught it to the general public. 7ou& Sun8!o flourished in the Three 7ingdoms ra .around A.!. <;; 8 A.!. :;;/. 0owever, 7ou& Sun8!o was forced to leave the public and go into the mountains due to political persecution during the "hosun !ynasty and =apanese ruling periods. Thus, 7ou& Sun8!o descended secretly in the mountains until Master "hungsan revealed again it to the public in >9?:. At the age of twelve, "hungsan met Master "hungwoon at the Tae 0ah& Mountain in a strange twist of fate and received lessons in 7ou& Sun8!o from the Master for more than @; years. Mastering 7ou& Sun8!o, he left the mountain in >9?: and started to spread it to the public. 0e wanted people all over the world, regardless of religion, race, and nationality, to be healthy and en4oy a better 6uality of life through the 7ou& Sun8!o practice. In April, >9:;, he opened the 7ou& Sun8!o Training "enter in Seoul, 7orea. Since then, a great number of people, including people of various nationalities as well as 7oreans, have practiced it, and have en4oyed a better life. The practice of 7ou& Sun8!o involves lower abdominal breathing along with special postures. The breathing practice improves and revitali,es the autonomic nervous system and self8healing and restoring forces of our body. 0ence, all diseases disappear spontaneously. "ontinuous lifetime training results in genuine health of both body and mind. The ma4or advantage of 7ou& Sun8!o over other practices is that it is the safest way. This is because 7ou& Sun8!o has a scientific training system. 7ou& Sun8!o has three practicing stagesA the "hung 2ah& !o stage, the Tong 7i *up stage, and the Sun !o *up stage. In the "hung 2ah& !o stage, we mainly focus on body training .of course we do the simultaneous training of body and mind/. In the Tong 7i *up stage, we concentrate on spiritual training. In the Sun !o *up stage, we practice to unify mind and body completely with the universe. $ithout having a complete and healthy body, it is hard to reach a high level of spiritual training. *ecause lifestyles today are very complicated and lead to the wea& body condition, it is not desirable to consider the body as the shadow of the mind and regard only the spiritual practice as of great importance. It thus may be harmful to train 4ust the mind or to suppress the body desire through fasting and penance. (ractices, which use the brief and simple methods of e+pelling the impure fumes .to+ins and wastes/ of the body and then directly enter the spiritual practice, are not appropriate to us today with our wea&ened body conditions from living in our complicated society.

Since we practice first the "hung 2ah& !o stage in 7ou& Sun8!o, which mainly focuses on body training, and then enter the Tong 7i *up stage, in which we train the spirit intensively, 7ou& Sun8 !o is the safest and most appropriate method for us today. Moreover, 7ou& Sun8!o has nothing to do with religion. It does not promote any religious position or faith. Therefore, regardless of religion or faith, anyone can practice 7ou& Sun8!o.

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+. &ou' Sun()o,s Precepts

"hung Shim .'ight Mind/, "hung Sie .'ight 1iew/, "hung 2ah& .'ight Awa&ening/, "hung !o .'ight $ay/, "hung 0aeng .'ight "onduct/. 5$ith the genuine mind of the heavens ."hung Shim/, observing correctly all things in the universe ."hung Sie/, perceiving and ac6uiring accurately the real truth ."hung 2ah&/, up to the way to honestly live as obeying the laws of universe ."hung !o/, without standing against the laws of nature, act properly ."hung 0aeng/.5 The human mind is reasonable, but also self8interested and selfish. It is thus influenced by emotion and greed. *y bothering the human mind and bloc&ing the cosmic energy, emotion and greed obstruct the circulation of 7i .energy/ and blood in the human body. Only if we can transform our selfishness into the spirit of the universe, we are able to live in harmony with the laws of nature. To transform selfishness into the spirit of the universe the practitioner should &eep "hung Shim .right mind/ all the time. "hung Shim .right mind/ is the mind of man who dwells in the heavens. 5'ight mind5 is e+pressed in various ways by our old sages. In "hristianity it is e+pressed as love, in *uddhism as mercy, and in "onfucianism as perfect virtue. "hung Sie .'ight 1iew/ is to observe correctly all things in the universe, that is, to observe all things in the universe with the mind of the heavens. If you observe all things through this mind, you can see all things as the heavens will. Then, you will naturally see the things which are against the will of the heavens, such as 4ealousy, envy, and inordinate competition and struggle, and then all dispute and trouble among people will of their own disappear.

"hung 2ah& .'ight Awa&ening/ is to perceive and ac6uire accurately the real truth. That is, it is to see things in the way of their own intrinsic nature, their appearance, and their will. "hung !o .right way/ is to go the right way, that is, to honestly live as obeying the laws of the universe. The right way is the way that is right in all directions. It is hard for us to determine which is the right way, but loo& into your conscience and you will hear the voice of your conscience. That is the right way. "hung 0aeng .right behavior/ is to act properly without standing against the laws of nature. In other words, it is the virtuous conduct. The virtue is that we act and thin& as if in the other person%s place. $e have empathy. $ith virtuous conduct, life comes into bloom, and you understand mercy and behave as such.

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-. The .eaning of &ou' Sun()o

-iterally, 7ou& Sun8!o means the way .!o/ of nature that man and heaven .Sun/ communicate each other within the universe .7ou&/. In ancient 7orean, 7ou& Sun8!o is called 5(ar& !ol *up.5 5(ar&5 means sun, brightness, and heaven. Our ancestors were in awe of and respected (ar& as an entity with the tremendous power which shows all living things infinite favor. 5!ol5 is a verb that means %turn round and round% and 5come round,5 and represents the yin8 yang movement of 7i. It is the word e+pressing that all things return to the substance of the universeA they are created, become old, and seemingly disappear by changing form and circulating further within the universe. These are the laws of nature and the universe 8 the laws of creation and evolution. Therefore, (ar& !ol *up .7ou& Sun8!o/ can be defined as the practice of a method to respect (ar&, the source of being and life, and to receive its tremendous power into the mind and body. This is the method, with cultivation of the body and mind, to awa&en the law of creation and evolution and to properly participate in the law of the universe. 7ou& Sun8!o%s ob4ective, thus, is not only to preserve health, but also to cultivate the whole man with the absolute physical8 strength, the ultimatemental8power, and the supreme noble8mind.

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/. The .editation .usic of &ou' Sun()o

2uide for the listeners >. The first three minutes of dae&um solo performance of a 7orean traditional music with the sound of stream and birds% warblings behind are an introductory part. $here you are supposed to

rela+ yourself. !rawing a breath very calmly. @. *ah&.7orean percussion insteument made of ? wooden pieces/ is given 4ust one stro&e, which indicates the beginning of Sundo4u. #ow you may begin doing respiratory e+ercise, regulating the length of breath suitable for you. <. One period of Sundo4u is @; seconds long and this period of the same melody is repeated till the end of Sundo4u. B. The four repetitions of a period of Sundo4u form a small unit. The beginning of a small unit is signaled by one stro&e or two of a percussion instrument. C. 3ive small units constitute alarge unit. And Sundo4u is composed of five large units. *oth the five small units and the five large ones are symbolic of the five elements of Oriental cosmogony. ie., water, fire, wood, metal and earth, in due order. This represents the se6uence of the cosmic becoming. ?. ach of the five elements symboli,ed by the five large units is distinguished by its corresponding instrument, as follows. $aterAbu&, fireA4angu, woodAbah&, metalA4ong, earthA&yung :. The percussion instrument indicates the time to change the postures. !ouble stro&e alternates with single stro&e all though the small units. The postures of 4oonggi8dahnbob, and gun&on8 dahnbob should be altered at any stro&e. $hile double stro&e means the time to change the postures of won&i8dahnbob. D. In the last small unit, the percussion instrument is given three stro&es., which indicate the beginning of ,wasabob, the seating posture with crossed legs. Thereafter only the melodies of Sundo4u are continued without any stro&e of the instrument >;. All this e+planation will be illustrated by the following chart.

the introduction

practice music >

practice music @

practice music <

.editation .usic 0102

3or the lower abdominal respiration The disciples of 57ou& sun do5, the 7orean traditional method of mental and physical discipline, have done their respiratory e+ercise to the tunes of 5Sundo4u5, sung by their master. This song has been orally transmitted from generation to generation among the masters and the disciples from the remote past. The Meditation Music in this album is a dae&um.a 7orean bamboo flute/rendition of Sundo4u, which is intended to provide help for the people all over the world interested in the improvement of mental health as well as those devoted to the respiratory training of any sort. Meditation Music EFEG is a dae&um solo performance and bac&ground music is added in Meditation Music EFEH. The verbal ordrers for the preparation e+ercise and the finishing one are recorded before and after Meditation Music EFEG.

the introduction

practice music

1. &ou' Sun()o,s !reathing

The purpose of 7ou& Sun8!o%s breathing is to consolidate the physical and physiological breathing with the mind and to lin& this process into the unified, transformative movement of yin and yang 8 the dynamic process of opposites from which all life springs. The One87i8 lement theory and the )in8)ang theory in oriental philosophy name the basic substance of the universe as 57i.5 There are three different &inds of 7iA "hun 7i .the energy of the heaven, of the stars/, "hi 7i .the energy of the earth/, and In 7i .the energy of self, of nature/. One 7i e+ists metaphysically in the polarity of yin and yang. It denies the dualistic thought that material and spirit are separated. It is opposed to the material concept found in western science, instead embracing the oriental concept with its belief in the duality and interdependence of the material and the spiritual world. All things in the universe are created by transformations in this one 7i. The appearance of the creation comes out in the form of five primary elementsA water, fire, wood, metal and earth. The human organism is also created by the yin8yang and five8 primary8elements movements of 7i. The five vital organs and si+ viscera are established and transformed by the 7i. The road of energy .7i/ movement in the human body is called 57yung .latitude/ 8 'ah& .longitude/.5 The point where 57yung5 and 5'ah&5 cross is named 50yul.5 *oth the yin8yang and the five primary elements are considered as the variations of one 7i. Thus, all things are created by the yin8yang and five8primary8elements movements of 7i. *y drawing the "hun 7i .which comes into one through the air/ and the "hi 7i .which is ac6uired through foods and water/ into the lower !anchun and then generating the yin8yang movement of these two 7is, 7ou& Sun8!o%s breathing creates the 5$on 7i,5 the basic energy, which is one of the most crucial form of energy for our overall health. $hen we have sufficient energy in the lower !anchun we generally feel balanced and centered. $hen we have insufficient energy we feel a

general physical wea&ness and imbalance. Man is a part of the 2reat Universe, but he is also an independent small cosmos with self8 consciousness because man has a spiritual function other than that of the universe. Therefore, it is important to consolidate the physiological energy of man into both the "hun 7i and the "hi 7i. The principle of 7ou& Sun8!o is to cultivate the body and mind, to awa&e the law of creation and evolution, and to properly participate in the law of the universe. Thus, 7ou& Sun8!o%s breathing methods have a powerful influence on the 6uantity and 6uality of physical, mental, and spiritual energies, and thus on the organism of the body, our health, and our life. Through 7ou& Sun8!o%s breathing practice, we not only &eep our lower !anchun filled with energy, but we also achieve absolute physical8 strength, the ultimate mental8power, and supreme noble8mind.

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2. The Syste3 of &ou' Sun()o Practice

There are three stages in 7ou& Sun8!o practice. The first stage is "hung 2ah& !o, which is organi,ed into three levelsA "hoong87i !anbup, 7un82on !anbup, and $on87i !anbup. The second stage is Tong 7i *up, which is also organi,ed into three levelsA "hin87i !anbup, Sam80ap !anbup, and "ho8'i !anbup. The final stage is Sun !o *up, which is composed of Sam8"hung !anbup, Mu8"hin !anbup, and "hin82ong !anbup. In practising "hung 2ah& !o, we start with doing the method of circulating and distributing 7i .7i80yul Sunwhan )utong *up/ as a warm8up. 3ollowing the warm8up e+ercise, we do the main e+ercise. In the main e+ercise, we train with the !anchun breathing along with special postures and meditation .!anchun 0aengong/. There are C; postures in "hoong87i !anbup, @< postures in 7un82on !anbup, and <?; postures in $on87i !anbup. After the main e+ercise, we finish with a concluding e+ercise, which ma&es the 7i .energy/, conserved through the !anchun breathing, flow throughout our body, and 7i8Shin *up, which strengthens the inner organs of our body. (ractising "hung 7ah& !o increases %$on 7i% .the basic energy/, &eeps your !anchun filled with this energy, and circulates the energy into every 57yung8'ah&5. This process ma&es you feel fresh of mind and strong of body. The inharmony of both body and mind spontaneously disappear, you feel real health, and the gates of wisdom open allowing you to loo& at world affairs clearly and honestly. Also, you feel strength flowing to the hands and feet, you have the greater powers of endurance, and you sleep better. The hands and feet become warmer, and you feel warm energy circulating in the hands and feet. $hen you climb a mountain, you are not out of breath and you feel the continued growing of strength. )our s&in becomes more elastic and your weight returns to normal. )ou feel new strength, have a bright and peaceful mind, and become broad8minded and generous.

After finishing the "hung 7ah& !o stage, you begin the practice of Tong 7i *up. In this stage heaven and man are truly in harmony, and you will feel the real sense of the practice. After the Ton 7i *up stage, you begin the Sun !o *up stage, the last stage of 7ou& Sun8!o, which brings you into ultimate harmony with the universe. The road through the practice of 7ou& Sun8!o is endless. 7ou& Sun8 !o is a complete and perfect system and has the longest history of any other way. Its real effects are boundless and you can feel them only through the practice of 7ou& Sun8!o. ITableJ The System of 7ou& Sun8!o (ractice

%ar3(up 45ercise

The method of circulating and distributing 7i 3irst StageA "hung 2ah& !o "hoong87i !anbup 7un82on !anbup $on87i !anbup "hin87i !anbup Sam80ap !anbup "ho8'i !anbup Sam8"hung !anbup Mu8"hin !anbup "hin82ong !anbup the body The method of strengthening the inner organs C; postures @< postures <?; postures C postures

.ain 45ercise

Second StageA Tong 7i *up Third StageA Sun !o *up

#oncluding 45ercise &i Shin !up

The method of ma&ing the conserved 7i flow throughout

1. The Principle of !reathing

5Use nose for breathing, inhale and e+hale slowly and calmly, and ma&e movement 6uietly. *reath with postures, but breath gently.5 The meaning of 5use nose for breathing5 is to inhale and e+hale through the nose in a natural manner as in everyday life. 0owever, for those 4ust starting the breathing practice, those who are filled with to+ins, the mouth can be used in e+halation for two or three days. ven for those in the main practice, whose stomachs are enervated and filled with to+ins from the intemperate eating styles, and who have many thoughts and agonies due to the hardships of life, the mouth can be used in e+halation for several respirations before returning to normal breathing. In addition, sometimes the mouth can be used, if needed, in practicing an e+ternal e+ercise or in circulating 7i. The 5inhale and e+hale slowly and calmly5 means to breathe in tenderly, uniformly, deeply, and for a long duration during inhalation, and to breath out softly, gradually, and 6uietly during e+halation. The meaning of 5ma&e movements 6uietly5 is to move without distracting the concentration of the mind, to watch or sense the flow of 7i depending on the movement being

made. Ma&ing movements .0aeng 7ong/ helps to solve the discord among bones, s&in, and muscles, to refine the flow of 7i, and to lin& the practice to everyday life. The 5breath with posture, but breath gently5 means that all postures have to be done while breathing, that breathing should not be stopped abruptly and should be done without any sound. It is unnatural to breath cho&ingly, with shortness of breath, or alternating between discrete and continuous intervals. Some people move slowly li&e a tortoise, with the belief that fast movements of the body found in everyday life through, for e+ample, e+ercises and sports, disperse the energy .7i/ ac6uired from the breathing practice. Slow movements may help breathing practice or mind training with loading the consciousness, but as long as balance with centering around the !anchun is not lost, the appropriate e+ercises smooth the circulation of energy and blood, ma&e the spirit clear, and help to store &i. In the practice of "hin87i !anbup, of course, we should move more carefully than a tortoise and be prudent in our conduct. 0owever, in the "hung 2ah& !o stage, since the labor and sports in our life help us store &i, we need not worry about them. It is important to use the body impartially, caring about the balanced development of muscles and the smoothing circulation of energy and blood. Moreover, sages of old teach us to raise the spiritual force with minimal thoughts, to raise internal energy with minimal words, and to raise the physical energy with minimal food. Today especially we must &eep this teaching in mind and practice it diligently. Also, practitioners today need to e+ercise diligently and to control all desires, reminiscent of the spiritual life of our old ancestors.

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2. !reathing and life

In a physiological view, our life is very interesting. #o matter who we are, young or old, we all breath through our lungs using the diaphragm and chest muscles. 0owever, as babies and young children, we breath with a bulging belly. As we begin desiring possessions and indulging in deep thin&ing at puberty, our respirations start to rise to the chest. 0ence, we breath actively in our chest in youth. *ut our sedentary wor& environments and life styles, along with the ever8 increasing stress of our busy lives, leads us to shallow breathing, and thus, in middle age, we breath slightly using only our upper chest. In old age we breath with moving shoulders. As we further age, our breathing becomes rough and fast. $hen the number of breaths is e6ual to the number of beats of the heart, then we will die in less than a day. Therefore, our life can be said to follow the path of breath from the lower abdomen to the shoulders. There is also an energy path in our body which follows this path of breathing. In childhood, energy is concentrated in the feet. This is why children do not feel cold even though they are bare foot in the winter. If you cover their feet with a blan&et while they sleep, they will feel a great

weight on their feet and &ic& the blan&et away. As they grow, this energy rises to the &nees. Thus, they cannot stay still, wal&ing bac& and forth around a room without being able to remain still. In puberty, this energy flows into the lower belly above the bladder, boys and girls long for each other. As they leave youth and enter middle age, the respirations come up completely to the chest, and they plan their lives, wor& hard, and ma&e the best effort to accomplish their dreams, eating and drin&ing heavily. As they feel the twilight of their lives approaching, they try to finish their business. If old age slips up on them unawares, the energy decreases and comes up into the head. They will then have successive concerns to distract them with endless worries and thoughts resulting in chronic sleeplessness. Those who &eep well their health will have abundant wisdom and can become leaders of courageous young men, but those who behave unreasonably will meet a tedious and miserable end. In short, it can be said that the energy movement depending on the breathing 4ourney is the path of our lives. Thus, drawing down breathing from the shoulders to lower abdomen and energy from the head to the feet are li&ely to be our most urgent problems. Through the practice of mind cleansing using slow and deep breathing, both problems can be solved and we can enter the path to a purer more satisfying life. -et%s e+amine the relationship between breathing and the life span of some animals familiar to us. The turtle breathes two or three times a minute, and its average life span is @C; to <;; years. The elephant breathes five or si+ times a minute, and its average life span is >C; to @;; years. Man breathes @; or @C times a minute, and his average life span is :; to D; years. The dog breathes D; or 9; times a minute, and its average life span is >C to @; years. In the beginning, it is hard only breathe two or three times a minute li&e the turtle. In "hoong8 7i !anbup, the first practice program of 7ou& Sun8!o, we inhale and e+hale for C seconds respectively, li&e the elephant, and later if we become proficient, we increase respiration time to @; seconds li&e the turtle. $e can breathe as deeply as we want through the ma4or movement of the diaphragm, which is both an involuntary and a voluntary muscle. #ow, let%s e+amine how deep breathing changes the body. 3or the average adult, the width of movement of the diaphragm by one ordinary respiration is around @ cm and the 6uantity of air circulated is ;.C liters. -ower abdominal breathing, however, diaphragm move ? to D cm, and the amount of air inhaled is >.C to @ liters .because for every > cm lower on the diaphragm the air is ta&en in accounts for an e+tra ;.@C liters/. This increase in air inta&e supplies more o+ygen to the brain and to all other organs of the body, so that des&8wor&ers and students, who need mental concentration, can dramatically increase their productivity without feeling fatigue, if they practice the lower abdominal e+ercise. Also, since unnecessary fat in the body is burned away by the smooth supply of o+ygen, it helps cure the adult diseases of obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and liver disorder. *ecause the active movement of the diaphragm gives good stimulation to the stem of the autonomic nervous system, which is connected with the spline part of the diaphragm, it helps the recovery from all disease, by revitali,ing the natural healing force of the interbrain and the midbrain. 3urthermore, by the contraction and rela+ation of organs, following stable and deep breathing, the sympathetic and parasympathetic nerves are harmoni,ed, and thus the autonomic nervous system are strengthened and controlled.

Moreover, deep breathing re6uires mental concentration on the lower !anchun. Only through mental concentration, can the energy and blood flow into a focal point, and the "hung .energy/ become filled. Indeed, if we integrate breathing with mental concentration, the brain, e+ited and distorted by everyday life, calms down, the interbrain and the midbrain, which are in charge of the natural healing force, are revitali,ed, and thus all diseases can be cured by an increase in the natural healing force. Thus, our inherent superhuman ability can be found. In addition, with the harmony of the autonomic nerve and the strengthening of abdominal pressure, the digestion8absorption function increases, and the discharging function becomes smoother. Also, because all to+ins in our body are pic&ed out and dissolved by the increase in the blood flow of the liver and &idneys, energy and blood are always &ept clean and physical function becomes strengthened, so that we can &eep the whole body healthy and strong. Also, if respiration time increases, breathing becomes deep and even. In turn, all mind fluctuations calm down, allowing us to act prudently and comfortably at all times, without ever e+hausting our energy reserves. The wisdom of reali,ation develops and naturally we become men of depth.

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1. The Principle of !reathing

5Use nose for breathing, inhale and e+hale slowly and calmly, and ma&e movement 6uietly. *reath with postures, but breath gently.5 The meaning of 5use nose for breathing5 is to inhale and e+hale through the nose in a natural manner as in everyday life. 0owever, for those 4ust starting the breathing practice, those who are filled with to+ins, the mouth can be used in e+halation for two or three days. ven for those in the main practice, whose stomachs are enervated and filled with to+ins from the intemperate eating styles, and who have many thoughts and agonies due to the hardships of life, the mouth can be used in e+halation for several respirations before returning to normal breathing. In addition, sometimes the mouth can be used, if needed, in practicing an e+ternal e+ercise or in circulating 7i. The 5inhale and e+hale slowly and calmly5 means to breathe in tenderly, uniformly, deeply, and for a long duration during inhalation, and to breath out softly, gradually, and 6uietly during e+halation. The meaning of 5ma&e movements 6uietly5 is to move without distracting the concentration of the mind, to watch or sense the flow of 7i depending on the movement being made. Ma&ing movements .0aeng 7ong/ helps to solve the discord among bones, s&in, and muscles, to refine the flow of 7i, and to lin& the practice to everyday life. The 5breath with posture, but breath gently5 means that all postures have to be done while breathing, that breathing should not be stopped abruptly and should be done without any sound. It is unnatural to breath cho&ingly, with shortness of breath, or alternating between discrete and continuous intervals.

Some people move slowly li&e a tortoise, with the belief that fast movements of the body found in everyday life through, for e+ample, e+ercises and sports, disperse the energy .7i/ ac6uired from the breathing practice. Slow movements may help breathing practice or mind training with loading the consciousness, but as long as balance with centering around the !anchun is not lost, the appropriate e+ercises smooth the circulation of energy and blood, ma&e the spirit clear, and help to store &i. In the practice of "hin87i !anbup, of course, we should move more carefully than a tortoise and be prudent in our conduct. 0owever, in the "hung 2ah& !o stage, since the labor and sports in our life help us store &i, we need not worry about them. It is important to use the body impartially, caring about the balanced development of muscles and the smoothing circulation of energy and blood. Moreover, sages of old teach us to raise the spiritual force with minimal thoughts, to raise internal energy with minimal words, and to raise the physical energy with minimal food. Today especially we must &eep this teaching in mind and practice it diligently. Also, practitioners today need to e+ercise diligently and to control all desires, reminiscent of the spiritual life of our old ancestors.

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2. !reathing and life

In a physiological view, our life is very interesting. #o matter who we are, young or old, we all breath through our lungs using the diaphragm and chest muscles. 0owever, as babies and young children, we breath with a bulging belly. As we begin desiring possessions and indulging in deep thin&ing at puberty, our respirations start to rise to the chest. 0ence, we breath actively in our chest in youth. *ut our sedentary wor& environments and life styles, along with the ever8 increasing stress of our busy lives, leads us to shallow breathing, and thus, in middle age, we breath slightly using only our upper chest. In old age we breath with moving shoulders. As we further age, our breathing becomes rough and fast. $hen the number of breaths is e6ual to the number of beats of the heart, then we will die in less than a day. Therefore, our life can be said to follow the path of breath from the lower abdomen to the shoulders. There is also an energy path in our body which follows this path of breathing. In childhood, energy is concentrated in the feet. This is why children do not feel cold even though they are bare foot in the winter. If you cover their feet with a blan&et while they sleep, they will feel a great weight on their feet and &ic& the blan&et away. As they grow, this energy rises to the &nees. Thus, they cannot stay still, wal&ing bac& and forth around a room without being able to remain still. In puberty, this energy flows into the lower belly above the bladder, boys and girls long for each other. As they leave youth and enter middle age, the respirations come up completely to the chest, and they plan their lives, wor& hard, and ma&e the best effort to accomplish their dreams, eating and drin&ing heavily. As they feel the twilight of their lives approaching, they try to finish

their business. If old age slips up on them unawares, the energy decreases and comes up into the head. They will then have successive concerns to distract them with endless worries and thoughts resulting in chronic sleeplessness. Those who &eep well their health will have abundant wisdom and can become leaders of courageous young men, but those who behave unreasonably will meet a tedious and miserable end. In short, it can be said that the energy movement depending on the breathing 4ourney is the path of our lives. Thus, drawing down breathing from the shoulders to lower abdomen and energy from the head to the feet are li&ely to be our most urgent problems. Through the practice of mind cleansing using slow and deep breathing, both problems can be solved and we can enter the path to a purer more satisfying life. -et%s e+amine the relationship between breathing and the life span of some animals familiar to us. The turtle breathes two or three times a minute, and its average life span is @C; to <;; years. The elephant breathes five or si+ times a minute, and its average life span is >C; to @;; years. Man breathes @; or @C times a minute, and his average life span is :; to D; years. The dog breathes D; or 9; times a minute, and its average life span is >C to @; years. In the beginning, it is hard only breathe two or three times a minute li&e the turtle. In "hoong8 7i !anbup, the first practice program of 7ou& Sun8!o, we inhale and e+hale for C seconds respectively, li&e the elephant, and later if we become proficient, we increase respiration time to @; seconds li&e the turtle. $e can breathe as deeply as we want through the ma4or movement of the diaphragm, which is both an involuntary and a voluntary muscle. #ow, let%s e+amine how deep breathing changes the body. 3or the average adult, the width of movement of the diaphragm by one ordinary respiration is around @ cm and the 6uantity of air circulated is ;.C liters. -ower abdominal breathing, however, diaphragm move ? to D cm, and the amount of air inhaled is >.C to @ liters .because for every > cm lower on the diaphragm the air is ta&en in accounts for an e+tra ;.@C liters/. This increase in air inta&e supplies more o+ygen to the brain and to all other organs of the body, so that des&8wor&ers and students, who need mental concentration, can dramatically increase their productivity without feeling fatigue, if they practice the lower abdominal e+ercise. Also, since unnecessary fat in the body is burned away by the smooth supply of o+ygen, it helps cure the adult diseases of obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and liver disorder. *ecause the active movement of the diaphragm gives good stimulation to the stem of the autonomic nervous system, which is connected with the spline part of the diaphragm, it helps the recovery from all disease, by revitali,ing the natural healing force of the interbrain and the midbrain. 3urthermore, by the contraction and rela+ation of organs, following stable and deep breathing, the sympathetic and parasympathetic nerves are harmoni,ed, and thus the autonomic nervous system are strengthened and controlled. Moreover, deep breathing re6uires mental concentration on the lower !anchun. Only through mental concentration, can the energy and blood flow into a focal point, and the "hung .energy/ become filled. Indeed, if we integrate breathing with mental concentration, the brain, e+ited and distorted by everyday life, calms down, the interbrain and the midbrain, which are in charge of the natural healing force, are revitali,ed, and thus all diseases can be cured by an increase in the natural healing force. Thus, our inherent superhuman ability can be found.

In addition, with the harmony of the autonomic nerve and the strengthening of abdominal pressure, the digestion8absorption function increases, and the discharging function becomes smoother. Also, because all to+ins in our body are pic&ed out and dissolved by the increase in the blood flow of the liver and &idneys, energy and blood are always &ept clean and physical function becomes strengthened, so that we can &eep the whole body healthy and strong. Also, if respiration time increases, breathing becomes deep and even. In turn, all mind fluctuations calm down, allowing us to act prudently and comfortably at all times, without ever e+hausting our energy reserves. The wisdom of reali,ation develops and naturally we become men of depth.