People experience well-being at city park in Seoul
People participate in a yoga session during the Seoul Wellness Week event at Seoul Forest Park in northeastern Seoul, Saturday. Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Government
At Seoul Wellness Week in Seoul Forest Park, eastern Seoul, last week, people enjoyed yoga and meditation as part of a well-being exercise event.
The inaugural Seoul Wellness Week, hosted by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, is aimed at promoting physical and mental wellness. The event unfolded over Saturday and Sunday for seven hours from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day.
"I’ve been under a lot of stress and nervousness in my daily life recently. Participating in the meditation session using a singing bowl made me relax and take care of my body and mind," a participant surnamed Lee who joined the meditation session, said.
At the main stage on the lawn at Seoul Forest Park, accommodating up to 300 individuals, people gathered to meditate lying down or sitting. The soothing sound of the singing bowl allowed the participants to experience peace for an hour.
Byron de Marse, a renowned yoga coach, leads the empowerment yoga session during the Seoul Wellness Week event at Seoul Forest Park in Seongdong District, eastern Seoul, Saturday. Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Government
Led by the renowned yoga coach Christopher Byron Johnson, as know as Byron de Marse, the yoga sessions also took place over the two days at the main stage.
The first day's lesson focused on empowerment yoga, emphasizing how to cultivate and sustain one's own physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being. On the second day, a Hatha yoga session was held, utilizing physical techniques to preserve and channel vital force and energy.
“It felt different doing yoga at the park compared to doing it in the studio. Feeling the wind and sunlight was more peaceful,” said Rociana Andre, a yoga session participant from Chile.
Adjacent to the main stage, smaller-scale yoga classes were conducted, accommodating 50 people per session. This allowed participants to enjoy yoga in a more intimate setting.
Citizens get posture correction and consultation at the booth during the Seoul Wellness Week event at Seoul Forest Park in Seongdong District, eastern Seoul, Saturday. Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Government
In addition to the yoga and meditation programs, various booths were set up at the park, offering well-being experiences. These booths, managed by 50 different companies, were categorized into four themes: health and medical science, beauty and fashion, food, and mental health.
The aim was to provide participants with a well-being experience while also creating opportunities for participating companies to promote products.
Of particular interest was the medical-themed booth, which provided posture correction and consultations. After an individual consultation regarding their usual habits and posture, people could receive guidance on correction. A skeleton model was also used to explain incorrect posture and consequent pain.
At the end of each day's event, from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m., music performances were held on the main stage. On Saturday, Ha-reem, a Korean musician specializing in African-style music, performed with his band under the theme of a trip to Africa, with the music followed by the story.
On Sunday, a voice meditation session, in which people could meditate with background music and a guiding voice, was led by Kwak Jeong-eun, an influencer and entrepreneur, along with Querencia, a meditation music group.
"As interest in health and well-being has surged since the end of the pandemic, wellness tourism has become a global trend. We will actively strive to revitalize wellness tourism," said Kim Young-Hwan, the director general of the Tourism and Sports Bureau at the Seoul Metropolitan Government.