About a year and half ago I was diagnosed with chronic Lyme disease. At first I was very worried, I had no idea what to expect and to what degree I would be affected by the disease. Can the practice of Sin Moo Hapkido aid in the well being of a person? Can this practice aid in your efforts to heal? Is exercise, by itself enough for the whole being?
My experience is such that exercise alone will not heal the body. As a practitioner in the art of Sin Moo Hapkido we are told that there is definite link with the mind, body, and spirit and these three components are not separate from one another but one, and that each is complimentary to the other.
To be well one has to consider the whole person, which in the West is a different idea. Medicine in the West concentrates on symptom relief and often times, not the underlying cause. The practice of Sin Moo Hapkido can benefit in many ways towards total healing, not by itself, but as a supplement to a healthy lifestyle. Which includes proper diet, exercise, sleep, stress relief, and in my case various supplements to create an atmosphere within in my body to aid in healing. The body knows how to heal a cut, so why should this be any different then other illnesses?
In Sin Moo Hapkido one of the things that we do is a breathing technique called “Dan Jun” breathing. Dan Jun breathing has been used for hundreds, if not thousands, of years in various forms and under various names throughout Asia. The term Dan Jun refers to a Korean technique of breathing to increase health, control of the mind, body connection and to development power beyond that of the physical. Dan Jun breathing has been proven to increase health and vitality as well as decrease various physical ailments and long term symptoms. The act of deep concentrated breathing oxygenates the blood. This is not only good for overall health, but in the case of Lyme disease this can be very beneficial. The Lyme spirochete has a very strong aversion to oxygen as well as heat.
The physical aspect of this art has many benefits. For the person with Lyme our bodies are full of toxins. When the spirochete die off it causes endo-toxins to be released into the bloodstream which can make the person very ill. The physical practice elevates the body temperature causing you to sweat. The skin is like the third kidney which is especially good in the release of toxins from the body. Another health aspect is the effect that the practice has on the lymphatic system. Without adequate movement, the cells are left stewing in their own waste products and starving for nutrients, a situation which contributes to arthritis, cancer and other degenerative diseases as well as aging. Vigorous exercise such as Sin Moo Hapkido can increase lymph flow by 15 to 30 times, also acting as another detoxifier as well.
Another component of the practice is meditation. The benefits of a meditative state are numerous. Actual scientific study has shown to increase grey matter in the brain. The structural changes were found in areas of the brain that are important for sensory, cognitive and emotional processing. This is very beneficial when dealing with any form of chronic illness. The undue effects that stress cause on the body are immeasurable. The fight or flight system, that as human beings, used to serve us very well when confronted with an animal in the wilderness, can have an adverse reaction on the way the body heals itself. Today there are many researchers trying to see just how our thoughts, attitudes, beliefs, emotions and health affect each other. In fact, scientists have even developed a new branch of medicine to explore the link between emotions and the immune system. Then, as scientists are prone to do, they gave this new field a long name — psychoneuroimmunology — although in medicine’s love of acronyms, they frequently shorten it to PNI.
In closing, will the practice of “Sin Moo Hapkido” alone heal the body and mind of illness, no. Healing, in my experience, has been a journey of trial and error. Healing can take place, your body knows how to heal, but the necessary components need to be aligned. This is where the mind, body, spirit, connection comes into play. Healing is an entire life style change and the benefits of “Sin Moo Hapkido” have been very beneficial to me as a supplement to my overall well being.
To quote Deepak Chopra, “The physical world, including our bodies, is a response of the observer. We create our bodies as we create the experience of our world.”
The Martial Way 