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킴벌리(Kimberley)는 캐나다인으로서 2001년도에 9개월간 한국명상요가센터에서 요가지도를 받았습니다.
수련자 모두가 킴벌리의 밝은 미소와 따스하고 부드러운 눈빛, 천진한 표정과 고요한 마음을 사랑했습니다.

언어가 잘 통하지 않는데도 손짓, 발짓, 껴안고 웃음을 터뜨리는 것만으로도 서로 마음이 통했습니다. 요
가 수업중에도 Relax, Breath in, Breath out, Feel 등의 몇 마디 단어만으로도 명상의 맛을 전달할 수 있었습니다.



킴벌리는 자신의 명상체험, 최고의 경지를 'Sacred Silence(신성한 침묵)'이라고 표현했습니다.
그래서 명상요가 지도자들은 킴벌리가 선물한 꽃을 그렇게 부르기도 하였습니다.

이제 그 화분의 꽃은 시들었지만 킴벌리가 남긴 마음의 향기는 사라지지 않았습니다.

우리는 서로 마음과 마음으로 통해 언젠가 다시 만날 것을 믿습니다.

그때 킴벌리에게 더욱 성숙한 가르침을 전해줄 수 있기를 바랍니다.



킴벌리에게 오직 부탁하고 싶은 것은 킴벌리 자신이 곧 Sacred Silence 자체임을 잊지 않기를,

그리고 그 밝은 미소도 더불어 .....



Kimberley, a Canadian, learned yoga for 9 months at Korea Meditation Yoga Center (Hankook MyungSang Yoga Center) in 2001.
Every student loved her beautiful smile with a lovely eyes, her childlike face and her peaceful mind.

Even though we spoke different languages, we were able to communicate with each other by gestures and laughter.

During the class, the teachers could give her a taste of meditation through only some simple instructions ; Relax. Breath in. Breath out. Feel...

She expressed her meditation experience - the supreme state - as 'Sacred Silence'. So the flower that she gave us as a present called so.

The scent of her warm heart is still here although the flower has fallen.

We believe in our mind and hope to see each other through it someday in the future.

And then, we, the teachers of the Yoga Center, expect to give her more complete lessons.

Only one thing that we want her to keep in mind is ; "Kimberley, you are the 'Sacred Silence' itself."

and the beautiful smile...


* 킴벌리가 캐나다로 돌아갈 때 명상요가 지도자들 모두에게 남긴 글

감사합니다. 여러분의 가르침과 한없는 친절에 감사합니다.

감사하다는 말로는 부족합니다.

저는 제가 기대했었던 것보다 더욱 많이 배웠고

앞으로도 살아가는 동안 이 가르침으로부터 계속해서 배울 것입니다.

여러분들은 영원한 나의 선생님입니다.

우리의 철학과 신념은 똑같습니다. 나는 계속해서 배울 것이고

또한 그것을 다른 이들에게 전해줄 것입니다.

여러분들은 나의 가족과 같습니다.

나는 여러분들을 그리워할 것입니다.

감사합니다.


* 킴벌리가 캐나다에서 보낸 명상요가 체험수련기

한국에 온 지 4주째, 서울 중심가 사립학교에 영어교사로 와 있었다. 한국에 도착한 순간부터 요가수련을 할 수 있는
장소를 찾는 것을 염두에 두고 있었다. 왜 그랬는지는 모른다. 예전에 수련을 해 보았고 집에서 했을 때 좋았다.
하지만 그렇게 열성을 다하지는 않았는데….

나는 서울에서 요가가 인기 있는 줄 모르고 있어서 배울 곳을 찾기 힘들 거라고 생각했다.;그리고 다른 흥밋거리와 취미가 많았다.
그런데도 항상 머릿속에는 요가에 대한 생각이 있었고 뭘 바라는지도 모르면서 결국은 명상요가센터를 찾게 되었다.


한편으로는 집에 있는 것이 편했지만 한편으로는 나와 같은 사람들을 찾을 필요가 있었다. 같은 언어를 말하고 건강, 행복,
몸과 마음 그리고 영혼을 믿는 사람들 말이다. 명상요가센터에서 무료로 첫 수업을 받아보고는 바로 여기라는 생각이 들었다.
마치 집과 같이 편했다.


이렇게 해서 9개월 동안 캐나다에서 배웠던 요가와 매우 다른 스타일의 요가를 수련하게 되었다.
(캐나다에서 나의 선생님은 거의 하타요가 - 몸과 지구력을 기르는 것-을 가르쳐주었다.) 물론 요가를 가르치는 데에는 많은 형태가 있다.
어떤 지도자는 육체적인 향상에 초점을 맞추고 어떤 이들은 마음수련에 중점을 둔다. 그리고 또 두 가지를 복합적으로 지도하기도 한다.
명상 (Myung Sang)은 이것들 모두와 달랐다. 그들은 몸과 마음이 둘일 수 없다(둘이어서는 안 된다)고 가르쳤다. 그 두 가지는 의심할
여지없이 연결되어야 하며 하나로 되어야 한다.


그것은 부드러운 요가였다. 수련 대부분이 앉아서, 그리고 바닥에 누워서 이루어졌다. 힘으로 버티기보다는 몸을 쭉쭉 늘려주는 스트레칭 위주였다.
긴장이 아닌 이완을 강조했다. 몸을 늘려주며 이완하면 더 나아지고 많이 배울 수 있다. 지도자들은 그것을 마치 철과 고무 밴드를 펴는 것에 비유하였다.
핵심은 이완하는 것이다. 고무 밴드처럼. 그렇다면 이완의 열쇠는 무엇인가?


호흡이다. 간단해 보이지만 놀랍도록 효과적인 방법이다. 성가신 마음의 불편함과 육체적인 틀을 벗도록 하는 것이다.
예전에 요가수련을 해본 적이 있다면 호흡을 강조하는 것, 그 중요성에 대해 잘 알 것이다. 하지만 그러한 수련에서의 호흡은 경직되고 정형화된 것이다.

이완되었을 때 호흡은 당신의 가장 깊은 곳으로부터 비롯된다. 아랫배, 단전. 가장 깊고 효과적으로 이루어져서 거의 인지되지 않는다.…
서서히, 잔잔하게, 평화롭게, 자연스럽게 된다. 9개월이 지난 후 나의 마음과 몸, 일상에 있어서의 효과는 확실하고 놀라울 정도였다.
내 목표는 그러한 호흡을 어떠한 자세에서도, 어떤 때에도, 어떤 장소에서도 유지할 수 있도록 하는 것이 되었다.


외국인으로서 나는 다소 의사소통이 염려스러웠다. 하지만 이내 걱정할 필요가 없음을 알았다. 내가 알고 있는 몇 개의
한국어 단어가 도움이 되었다; 신체명칭, 숫자, 몇몇 지시어, 하지만 그런 것들이 필요가 없었다. 몸동작을 항상 볼 수 있었고,
지도자들이 언제나 관심을 기울여주었다. 위 원장님, 부원장님을 비롯한 다른 지도자들은 지속적으로 가르치고, 이해하려 하고 항상 성의를 다했다.
그들은 각각의 수련자들의 장, 단점을 귀신같이 파악하였다. 다만 형이상학적이거나 명상수업에 관한 토론을 원할 때는 한국말을 할 수 있었으면
하는 생각이 간절했다. 왜냐하면 그것이 개인적으로 삶의 관심사였기 때문이다.

그래서 그러한 토론을 할 때 통역자를 통해서 가능했다. : 영어를 할 수 있는 멋진 동료 수련자들,
친구들이 자신의 시간을 기꺼이 할애해서 연결고리가 되어 주었다.


이렇게 나는 우정도 싹틔울 수 있었다. 한국사회에서는 외국인이라는 것을 인지하게 된다. 외국인으로서 그러기 쉬운 부분이다.
그렇지만 그런 모든 관념들이 이곳의 요가 ‘공동체’ 와는 상관없는 것이었다. 동료 수련자들의 이해와 선입견 없는 자세 덕분에 안심되고 편했다.
한국에서 만난 가장 좋은 친구들이 바로 이곳에서 만난 이들이다.


그래서 나는 1주일에 하루에서 닷새를 나갔다. (왔다갔다 각각 지하철로 45분이 걸렸기 때문에, 그것은 일종의 헌신 이었다.)
나는 이완하고 쉬기 위해 갔다. 건강을 위해 갔으며 우정을 위해 , 배움을 구하려고 그 곳에 갔다.

그리고 그곳에서 그 모든 것을 찾았다.


My Yoga Experience

It was my fourth week in Korea. I was an English teacher at a private school in the centre of Seoul.
From the moment I arrived in Korea it was on my mind: find somewhere to study yoga. I had no idea why.
I had done and liked yoga at home but not ambitiously; I knew yoga wasn’t going to be a popular Seoul pastime
and would be difficult to find; and I had many other interests and hobbies that I could’ve delved into.
However, I had yoga on the brain and went with it not really knowing what to expect. I’m glad I did.

Partly it was the comforting link to home, partly it was the need to find people like myself who spoke the same
language and believed in health, happiness, body, mind, and spirit. I went for my free trial class and knew as
soon as I walked into Myung Sang Yoga Centre that I was in the right place. It felt like home.

So, for the next nine months I proceeded to learn a style of yoga much different than I had known in Canada.
(At home, my instructor taught mostly “hatha” yoga – a style that emphasizes body, and endurance.)
There are, of course, many different ways to teach any type of yoga. Some instructors focus mainly on physical
development where others choose to focus on the mind. Others, still, may choose to combine both.
Myung Sang was none of these. They taught and guided that the body and the mind cannot (and should not) be separated.
They are undoubtedly connected and should be developed as one. (But, as many students do, you can always
choose to ignore whatever part you want to…)

It is gentle yoga. Most of the training is done sitting, kneeling, or lying on the floor and is more stretch-based than strength-based.
The emphasis is on relaxation, not tension. Relax into the stretch and you will progress further and learn more.
The instructors compared it to trying to stretch iron versus trying to stretch a rubber band. The key was to relax as a
rubber band. But what was the key to relaxing?

Breath. A simple but amazingly efficient way of focusing your mind away from the petty complaints of your physical shell.
If you’ve studied yoga before, you no doubt know the emphasis and importance of the breath but this was even more
explicit; more solid than listening to your inhale and exhale. This relaxation breath comes from your deepest core; your
lower belly; your tan tien. At its deepest and most helpful it is barely perceptible…slow, calm, peaceful, natural.
After 9 months, the effects on my mind, body and daily life are evident and astounding. My goal has become to maintain
that breath awareness in any pose, at any time, in any place.

As a foreigner, I was a bit concerned about communication. I soon found that there was no need to be concerned.
It helped that I knew some Korean vocabulary: body parts, numbers, a few commands, but it wasn’t necessary.
The physical poses are always demonstrated and the instructors always keep a close eye on you. Mr. Wee, Jin Song
and their instructors provide constant teaching, understanding and support and they have an amazing ability to perceive
the strengths and weaknesses of each student. The only time I truly wished I could speak Korean was for philosophical
discussions and meditation classes because this is my personal life interest. But even in these discussions I was able
to take part through my “translators”: wonderful fellow students and friends who could speak English and would selflessly
take the time to keep me in the loop.

This brings me to fellowship. It is easy to feel self-conscious as a foreigner in Korean society. It is an emotion we’re good at.
But any and all of these notions do not apply in this yoga “community”. The understanding and lack of judgment of my fellow
students was relieving and comforting. It was within this community that I met my best friends in Korea.

So…I attended class at Myung Sang anywhere from 1 to 5 days a week (with a 45 minute subway ride each way…that’s devotion…).
I went for relaxation. I went for health. I went for fellowship. I went for learning. I found all of it.

The indication to the expansion of yoga is health.


It is clear conscious and brilliant countenance.


It is a beautiful voice....


It is the fragrant incense of human compassion.


It is the ruler of ambition....




What is Yoga?

Yoga commenced 5-6 thousand years ago in ancient India. The fruits of wisdom accomplished by the members yogis

during the past era of generations is truly an amazement.

Yoga lets you experience the tranquillity of the heart, and gives rest and safety to the mind and body in the process
of flexibly relaxing tense muscles.

Yoga is the very best science, prevention, and cure for healing, developing, and appeasing the body, mind, and soul that is
often led astray by stress and weaknesses that is created by modern society.



Who can practice Yoga?

Anyone can enjoy Yoga.

There is no need of special equipment or specific clothing. All that is needed is the hope of life's happiness.

Many people practice Yoga because of health, indecision, or to seek the true path of life.

For all different kinds of reasons, Yoga can be the solution to all your intension and even more.

It you truly want to know about Yoga, it is necessary that you practice and attend to it.

At first it may seem like just an exercise to flex and relax your body.

But with steadiness and persistence, you will find yourself experiencing changes in your mind and body.



How to practice Yoga

◇ Asana

This is the physical exercise. The tightened bones and muscles are equally loosened as it becomes strong and soft.
The internal intestines, glands, and nervous tissues of the body, are also affected to maintain vital health conditions.

It also straightly obtains the distorted and refracted form and damaged inner parts of the body through deep movements and laxity.

When emotional and physical stress is relieved, the unlimited power of life naturally causes recovery which allows the
body to become healthy on its own intentions.


◇ Respiration Rules

The mind is maintained in a clear and affirming state of mind by inhaling vigor into the body, allowing adjustment,
control, tranquility, and deep concentration.


◇ Meditation

The inner self is discovered and rooted as the origin by contemplating the inner world with an alert mind.



A guide to Meditation Yoga

◇ Where are you going?

Happiness comes from within. But people conclude happiness and joy as something that is from the exterior of life.

But if you examine yourself closely, you will find that happiness is from within and not from objects or subjects.

You say, "I am filled with joy when I listen to music," or "I feel alive when I buy something really expensive and
high quality." but isn't that joy you experience at the monent truly from within?

Think of all the happiness you've achieved through life. Where do you thing that happiness is from?

You are satisfied when your stomach is full from hunger.

When you meet and hold the hands of a missed friend, you feel joy and happiness.

Artists are well pleased at a completed masterpiece.

Examine closely these moments.

In any way, it is yourself who feels the joy and gladness and your inner self cannot deny such expressions of happiness.

However, the moment of blessing cannot last because the true happiness and satisfaction of the heart is unknown.

The outer self sometimes cannot even enjoy these short blessings, leaving themselves in the shadow's darkness.

Meditation is the way to personally experience the blessings and to find true happiness.

But the problem lies in the fact that not many people try to seek their inner being.

Many people concentrate only on events and progressions of the outer world. We need to direct our perspectives to our inner beings.

All activities and events performed in the day are of a profound purpose.

Yet we all say we are tired in the evening.

Only when we reside in our inner being while in our time of rest, we begin to recharge the lost energy back into our body whether we realize it or not.

This again teaches that the source of true energy is your inner being.

You can enjoy eternal happiness by being in connection with the source of energy and by remaining within your inner spirit through meditation.

Through meditation, your inner being begins to self-discipline in yoga.

Many people perceive yoga as a kind of physical exercise.

But the true meaning of yoga is the medition, respiration, achieving vital health and peace of heart through Asana,
and ultimately enjoying eternal happiness by realizing the true origin of energy.


Experience is more important than a thousand elucidations.
Come, seek and discover ways to health, peace of mind,
and your inner self.



* 작성일 : 2002-03-31
* 작성자 : 본원 킴벌리 회원님