In modern society, many people live so fast and hard that they need time to heal their mind. The word “healing” is somewhat famous recently. It is a time or a method to refresh one’s spirit while relaxing or doing leisure activities. Healing is related to meditation so the interests about meditation are also increasing in the trend. Steve Jobs, the last CEO of Apple, was also absorbed in meditation, saying “my passion and creativeness come from morning meditation”. Google, Yahoo, Nike, Samsung, and POSCO also offer meditation classes to their employees. There are many departments related to meditation in universities. Professor Jang Hyun-gap (Psychology, Yeungnam University) mentioned that meditation changes brain structure to release depression and anxieties, increases secretion of serotonin, prevents elders’ dementia, preserves mercy in mind and strong willpower, and cures diabetes, asthma, heart diseases, and immune disorders through strengthening immunity. He also insists that gamma waves increase during meditation, which enhances coordination and motivation of neurons and helps to concentrate strongly, and that meditation can cure chronic diseases by decreasing cortisol, a hormone related to stress.
The 2013 Meditation Healing Convention was held on Nov. 14-15. Kim Dae-seon, a trainer in Suseonjae Meditation School, introduced “breathing meditation”, insisting it can help by providing sufficient oxygen to stimulate blood, energy, and lymph flows and relax the mind through deep breathing with one’s nose and lower abdomen. After breathing meditation, participants also could meditate smelling the fragrance of tea. Korean ancestors considered drinking tea as same as Zen meditation, named as “da-sun ill-me (茶禪一味), which requires concentrating on a bitter taste and feeling the trickling down the throat. Moreover, there are a hypnotic and a mercy meditation, each of which helps to relax whole muscles of the body as well as mind and enter into meditation quickly. Prof. Jang said meditation is useful for people who have difficulties controlling their temper due to sudden changes, are under tremendous stress from work, or do not know what to do with their life. Monk Maga insists anyone can engage in meditation anywhere, anytime, without any cost. However, all meditation experts agree it takes time to receive positive effects from meditation.
Prof. Kim Jung-Ho (Psy- chology, Duksung Women’s University) said meditation is being awake to concentrate on breathing or actions but ignore distractions. Then, people can think clearly. Meditation is the same as not thinking, but it makes people arrange their mind and be awake very brightly. He also wanted to give advice to students “create a mindset in which you concentrate on just doing the homework not the result of it, and relax your brain with breath meditation, which can prevent you from being exhausted by assignments. That will help you do your homework well”.