ahn Yoga Results in Increased Strength and Flexibility

Dr. Warrington Parker of Torrance, California is a golfer who wanted to increase his flexibility while on the course. The exercise enthusiast was a regular jogger but felt he was lacking the muscle suppleness that would give him an edge on the links. "The guys on the golf course suggested I look into yoga as a means to gain that flexibility," said Warrington.

He was directed by a friend to a center that embraces a practice called Dahnhak, also known as Dahn Yoga. There he took a yoga class and also experienced something called an energy check, where the trained staff analyzed his body’s energy flow.

Dahnhak, a Korean practice that dates back thousands of years, is becoming a growing trend in the United States. Dahnhak (sometimes referred to as Dahn Hak) began as an ancient Korean training program to educate the population on how to develop both the mind and the body. "Dahn" means energy, vitality, and origin of life, and "Hak" means study, philosophy, and theory. The Dahnhak Practice has three components: physical exercise, accessing Ki-energy through visualization and imagery, and meditation. Today, there are nearly 150 Dahnhak centers, plus 35 other outreach locations such as hospitals, college campuses and city facilities where volunteers offer Dahnhak programs.

Warrington’s wife, Brenda, was skeptical. "What he described to me was like no yoga class I had ever experienced," said Brenda Parker, an elementary school principal. An avid exerciser, Brenda decided she wanted to check out Dahn Yoga and see for her self what her husband has stumbled into.

"I decided to go to a couple of classes and found that I really enjoyed them because they incorporated muscle strengthening, mediation, yoga and tai chi. I was using my own body to gain desired upper body strength," said Brenda.

Soon Brenda was the Dahn Yoga promoter in the family while her husband was processing the experience on an analytical basis. "Warrington looks at things more scientifically. I get a more intuitive, emotional sense of difference experiences," said Brenda. "I could see him supporting me in this quest to learn more about Dahnhak, albeit reluctantly," she recalls.

These days, Warrington is the one attending classes five days a week. With his doctorate in organizational psychology, he analyzed what he was experiencing, leading him to the conclusion that Dahnhak ‘quiets the mind, so you can hear the body.’ "My four adult children can’t believe how much calmer I am since I started practicing Dahnhak. I’ve become much more introspective and physically I’m feeling so much better. Our thoughts and ideas are what govern our behaviors, so if you want peace and harmony with your body, you need to work your body in exercise and meditation," noted Warrington.

"Dahnhak is a system of development that helps a person be a better person in society and has also been a powerful experience for us as a couple," said Warrington.

Additional information is available on the Internet at www.dahnyoga.com.