“Chakra is the part where energy and vitality are concentrated”

‘Mind training’is the words often quoted in the media nowadays. Talking of mind training, yoga cannot be missed as it not only trains our mind but also our body. Talking of yoga, the word ‘chakra’ often appears during the conversation and the practice of yoga. Chakra means wheel in Sanskrit implying that we use chakra on a regular basis in order to keep balance of our body like those of cars.

Professor Heongdong Kim is famous for ‘seed therapy’which is received as a natural health therapy that can improve immunity and healing power in our body. Kim divides this ‘chakra’ as higher part of the abdomen, middle part of the abdomen and the lower part of the abdomen and explains that this part is where the energy and vitality gathered together and flow out. In India, however, chakra is divided into 7 locations and some energy healers divide it into 11 chakras up to 15 chakras.

“The first chakra in India, for example, is the perineal region, the second the lower abdomen and the third the navel. From the first to third chakras in South Korea is called lower abdomen collectively. Energy healers in India add tailbone chakra, upper navel chakra and so on. Regardless India and South Korea, chakra is known to help a flow of yin and yang in our body. Two interesting practices of this chakra energy flow in South Korea is that back in the days people got into rooms by bending the waist and secondly people used squat toilet which are related to strengthening lower abdomen” explains Kim.

Lower abdomen is seen as the source of vital energy and it make bones strong and pushes forward growth of body. Also good examples of abdomen exercises back in the days are Korean shuttlecock kicking in the air, Korean see-sawing jumping and swing.

“Massaging or stimulating lower abdomen is received as an effective exercise to keep our health from a long time ago because it helps to flow energy and vitality smooth. One simple daily abdomen exercise to suggest is to press the part or rub the part as often as possible.”