Taoism in Korea is not well known. Until recently, there had never been any official Taoist organizations.the heart of Korean Taoism is the actual practices that exist in the country s mountains, cities, and towns. Korean Taoist practices tend to focus on tancheon development and the process of internal alchemy. Korean daoism uses tancheon breathing, called tancheon ho-hup in Korean, as the primary tool for cultivating the breath. The tancheon is located below the bellybutton in the center of the abdomen. In Hindu yogic tradition, it corresponds to the second navel chakra. There are several tancheon development practices in South Korea. Some of these tancheon breath practices are also considered to be yogas. Sundo is the main form of Taoist yoga in South Korea today. Other Taoist yoga practices have evolved from it and are known by different names. Sundo focuses on tancheon cultivation. Although many people in South Korea practice Sundo, it is not well known outside the country. Originally only practiced in the mountains, it has, at various times in Korean history, been practiced in cities and towns. During the Confucian dominated Choson Dynasty (1392-1910), Sundo, along with Buddhist and Shamanistic practices, retreated to the mountains. It remained a practice only for mountain dwellers until the late 1960's when it began to reappear in cities and towns. The first Korean Taoist organization appeared in 1967 when the first SunDo Center was opened in South Korea. SunDo Self-Healing with Tancheon Breathwork by Gracia Del Rosario, PhD In the Taoist philosophy, to harmonize with the universe is the purpose of healing to re-build, balance, and harmonize the five elements of the human body. Traditional Asian Medicine (TAM) asserts that the natural condition of health is an intricate and graceful dance whereby Yin and Yang (blood and ki) and the organs complement, support and counterbalance one another. It is the disruption of this systemic equilibrium that jeopardizes the relationship between the body and its environment and causes disease. Taoists contend that the human body does not fight disease but rather tries to regain the Yin and Yang balance to counteract disease. The human body possesses a natural ability to maintain and regulate its functions of life in harmony. The Five Element System demonstrates the Five Activating Forces operating, not in a mechanical way, but with mutual interaction. SunDo-Taoist breathwork balances the energies of the Five Element System and restores the health of the internal organs. Pregadio, F. (2008) provides the Five Agents and their main correlations. All the five agents (see Table 1) and human elements are deemed interrelated and interdependent of each other. For instance, if the body is physically injured or afflicted with a debilitating disease, the mind, emotion, and spirit will simultaneously be affected or become unbalanced without the efficient functioning of the vital organs. Table 1. Five Agents and Natural Elements (to list a few) NATURE Wood Fire EARTH Metal Water VISCERA Liver Heart STOMACH Lung Kidney
RECEPTACLE Gall Bladder Small Intestine SPLEEN Large Intestine Urinary Bladder EMOTION Anger Joy CALM Sorrow Fear YIN-YANG Minor Yang Great Yang BALANCE Minor Yin Great Yin SEASON Spring Summer ALL SEASONS Autumn Winter DIRECTION East South CENTER West North COLOR Green Red YELLOW White Black In SunDo-Taoist practice, the Tancheon Breathing Meditation Self-Healing Wheel model shows the interrelationship of the five elements naturally embedded in the human being. Tancheon Breathing Meditation (see Fig. 8) is the practice that acts as the balancing agent, a fulcrum that enables the body to balance its structure when it is experiencing the various cycles of stress. In relation to the vital organs, the stomach and spleen act as the balancing agents for the other vital organs. As far as the stressors, they can be classified as: a) Survival Need Stressors (threat to basic human needs: food, shelter, clothing), i.e. lost of job can lead to homelessness starvation, and the like. b) Social Stressors (threat that has to do with love, relationships, and sense of belonging) i.e., divorce, separation, break-ups, family conflicts, conformity, etc. c) Health Stressors (threat that has to do with physical and mental functioning), i.e. physical injuries, debilitating illnesses, major health problems, such as cancer, heart disease, hypertension, and other health related risks. d) Environment Stressors (threats brought about by natural forces) i.e., pollution, natural disasters, traffic jams, accidents, and similar events. During the practice of Tancheon Breathing Meditation, Internal Alchemy (Qi circulation) is induced and this activity revitalizes the vital organs and unblocks Qi channels of the body (see Fig. 9). Occurring simultaneously, brain waves revert to alpha/theta state due to deeper relaxation thereby altering the person s perception of the stressor(s). Alignment of the three treasures takes place with the heightening of awareness, centering (focusing) of the mind, and grounding of the body s vital energy. The impact of stress is akin to the domino effect pattern. The stress brought about by one stressor is likely to impact all five human elements simultaneously as well as impact the normal flow of
Qi within the vital organs. As previously discussed, stressors come in different forms at various stages of life (temporary or long-term). People respond to stress differently, dependent factors, such as their perception of a threat and the intensiveness of a threat, their perception of their ability to handle the situation or event, and the effectiveness of their coping skills. The purpose of the self-healing wheel is to realize that human beings are equipped with a built-in tool in the body called the tancheon, which can be used to help manage stress through the practice of the Tancheon Breathing Meditation. This breathing can be performed in sitting, lying or standing postures, (Fig. 10) or even when walking. This type of meditation influences the alignment of the three energy centers (lower, middle, and upper tancheons) as well as to gain awareness, focus and grounding.
Fig. 8 Tancheon Breathing Meditation Self-Healing Wheel Model (by Gracia Del Rosario, PhD) Fig. 9. Effects of Tancheon Breathing Meditation (by Gracia Del Rosario, PhD)
Figure 10. Standing, Sitting, & Lying Down Postures Interestingly, breath and the act of breathing is life enhancing. Stress is all part of the human experience and its natural occurrence in daily living cannot be avoided. When our minds are busy, we often forget to take care of our bodies. We frequently forget how to breathe properly, or are not aware of the pattern of our breathing. Usually, when confronted with stressful situations our breathing becomes shorter, faster, rough, or uneven without awareness. Unfortunately, we may become distracted with daily living and not pay attention to the fact that breathing is life. Moreover, we forget to enjoy the air that we breathe. However, it seems that nature has provided the human body with innate tools to heal naturally. If we know how to breathe correctly with ease through our tancheon in the lower abdomen, mind, emotion, body, and spirit would naturally come to equilibrium. I believe the Tancheon Breathing Meditation is the balancing agent that can enable individuals to cope with the stress of life as well as to reap the benefits of vitality, and calmness. If one desires to learn and incorporate this art of self-healing in daily life, stress can be managed in a very positive and healthy way. Gracia Del Rosario is a PhD graduate of Namseoul University, Cheonan City, South Korea and a SunDo practioner who hopes to further understanding of Taoist practice, tancheon breathing and natural methods of self-healing through her articles and research. SunDo-Taoist Yoga & Breathing Meditation is located at 45 South Main Street, West Hartford CT. Visit them online at www.sundo.org for more information about upcoming training classes and the Taoist Healing Arts Fair being held on January 29, 2012 (see calendar listing p.?).