Pose And Everything Will Come Eventually
By Han Sang-hee
Staff Reporter
Many may consider yoga a diet routine, just one of the numerous ways to lose weight and tone their bodies to gain the so-called ``S'' line everybody aims for.
For Ven. Hyun Chun, 50, however, it's more than about just getting the perfect body.
``Yoga is part of meditation. It is based on Indian tradition and should be done free of any religion as a universal practice,'' he told The Korea Times during an interview last week at his yoga center.
Ven. Hyun Chun is the head of the Iyengar Yoga Center and has been practicing yoga for more than 20 years.
Iyengar Yoga was created by B.K.S. Iyengar and is a form of yoga practiced all over the world. Known as the modern form of ancient yoga, it is famous for using various props, such as belts, wooden blocks and even sand bags as aides in performing the poses, or ``asanas.''
``The yoga boom flourished in the 2000s, mainly by top Hollywood stars and celebrities. But the boom started to dwindle, probably because it was boring and difficult,'' he said.
B.K.S. Iyengar invented special yoga to change the perspective about it from difficult to easy and effective by adding tools to support those who are not flexible and needed some help to reach the perfect pose. It not only works as a fitness work out, but also as a means to heal those who have back, joint, knee and other physical problems.
``Nobody is perfect. Sometimes, using a prop can be much more effective than just trying to complete the pose by yourself,'' he said.
Ven. Hyun Chun started yoga during his university years, as he found his body weakening from sitting in chairs for too long. His training became more serious when he became a monk and had to spend a lot of time meditating.
``I locked myself in a cell for three years for meditation at Baekdam Temple. I meditated, ate supper and practiced yoga three hours per day without stepping out from my small cell, and when I came out three years later, I was perfectly healthy.''
In 1993, he traveled to India to learn proper yoga asanas and that was when he learned about Iyengar Yoga.
After practicing under the Iyengar institute for more than three years, he returned to Korea and traveled around the nation to teach Buddhists. After opening the Iyengar Yoga Center in Gangnam, he has been busy teaching, appearing on various television shows and writing and translating books about yoga.
The most important process of Iyengar Yoga is the posture, or the structural alignment of the physical body.
``If you get the right alignments, everything else will follow eventually _ your breathing, mind and spirit. The problem with yoga masters these days is they try to do everything, from the posture, meditating to breathing, but for beginners this may come as a burden,'' he advised.
Although religion is not the main priority when learning yoga, Ven. Hyun Chun still mentioned that it would be helpful to learn a little about Buddhism and the origin of yoga for better understanding and also for fun.
``Many start yoga in curiosity or with a certain objective to tone their bodies, but they easily get bored. This is because they don't know the meaning of what they are doing. Every twist, every move has a meaning, and when you know the meaning, it becomes an interesting and healthy meditation and a workout at the same time,'' he said.
Perhaps because of the characteristic of Koreans being interested in the new and latest trends, there are various types of yoga people can learn, including Bikram Yoga, also known as Hot Yoga, which is popular these days. But, the monk stressed, it is important to figure out which type of yoga is right for you.
``You have to know your body type and then decide to try out positions. In the case of Bikram yoga, it's not recommended for those who are already skinny or are weak. It can be dangerous when you just follow a trend, especially in yoga,'' he said.
When asked what yoga meant to him, Ven. Hyun Chun poured green tea into his small cup and smiled.
``For me, yoga is a part of meditation. A tool that helps me reach that certain point in Zen Buddhism. But for people like yourself, it can be a friend. A friend that can help you regain your strength, tone your body and also become healthy,'' he said.
The yoga center offers various classes from intermediate classes for children and beginners, to fitness class for those who have had experience with breathing classes, which mainly focus on how to breathe and meditate. There is also a medical class for those who are looking into healing. Ven. Hyun Chun recommended this class for people with joint and back problems, and also other minor injuries or emotional problems, as the routines help people relax and also regain their strength. The center also offers Saturday classes and classes during lunch hours for businessmen and women. For more information, visit www.iyengar.co.kr or call (02) 599-8150.