DC Metro Dahn Yoga Blog

Joanne Steller
Marketing Consultant

When I began my Dahn training at age 56, I could not have foreseen the incredible change for the better it has helped me create in all aspects of my life.  Even the basic yoga exercises were difficult for me at first.  I had little stamina and had even less discipline to stay active physically.  I came to realize that the stiffness and lack of flexibility I routinely experienced physically was an apt reflection of my state of mind as well.  The Dahn method of experiential learning helped me overcome the barriers I had been putting in my own path when trying new things I have never done before.  My thoughts like  “not at my age” or  “I’ll never be able to that,” have become “I can do it,” and “I’m going to keep doing it as long as I live.” Through regular class participation and by attending increasingly more advance workshops over the past three years, I have felt and seen many benefits.  I am stronger and in better physical condition today than I was in my 30s.  I have asthma but the bouts of respiratory difficulty, discomfort and illness have abated, even at the height of allergy season and without the daily medication that often felt worse than the disease.  One of the best health benefits of this training has been learning about the physical manifestations of stress.  In Dahn, we learn to relieve and release stress; one can literally feel stress melting away to calm relaxation through the yoga exercises, meditation, and healing activities that are part of the program’s Brain Education System Training (BEST).  The basic sensibility and profound impact of this learning on my own circumstances has inspired me to teach, and I am leading classes at the Dahn Center and in my community with increasing frequency.  My life vision too has a new, improved lens that has helped me see ways to create stronger, better relationships with my husband of 34 years, my two adult daughters, my extended family, friends, and colleagues.   Dahn training also has provided me with excellent tools for my professional life.  As I travel throughout North America as a marketing consultant in the performing arts, I find myself practicing and benefiting from Dahn principles in everything from the counsel and coaching I provide clients to the process of using America’s stress-filled air transportation system.  Of all the many self-help programs I have tried over the years, this is the only training that has inspired and taught me to keep going. I have, and that has made a huge difference in me and has awakened me to the difference I can make in the lives of others.   

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Suzi Katz  

In 1989 I fell while I had a 60 lb backpack on.  The accident ruptured one and herniated two discs in the lower lumbar region of my back.  It was excruciating pain, but I was determined to not undergo surgery, contrary to what the specialists wanted.  After many months, my acute pain became more chronic in nature-but I was very limited physically…Do you know what it is like to wake up in the morning with your lower back aching, extreme stiffness in your feet, and experiencing  dull pain radiating down my right leg?  That is how I felt everyday-I was able to walk but it seemed I was slowly deteriorating inside.  I learned to live with this pain, going through many sessions of physical therapy, MRI’s, Cat Scans, EMG’s and chiropractic spine manipulations. 

Prior to this, I led a very active life- I loved being outdoors-gardening, hiking, playing tennis & golf, played softball, took bike and  white water rafting trips, went fishing.  I also took aerobics, jazzercise, tap danced and was an avid jogger…..Under doctors orders, I had to stop all of these activities for fear I would be at risk in rupturing another disc. Walking at a slow pace was all I could really enjoy now. 

A few years ago, when I turned 50, I suddenly experienced a “new” type of pain in my lower back.  This pain prevented me from lying on my back.  If I did sleep flat, I would wake up with such sharp pains that I could hardly get out of bed.  My body literally felt like it was 100 years old….. After much testing it was determined that I now had degenerative disc disease.  

In my work I travel quite a bit. Since my professional life is very demanding and stressful, at every chance I could get, I would indulge myself and schedule a message (usually deep tissue or shiatsu) at the hotel spa.  But even that was not pleasurable anymore-lying on the message table put a tremendous strain on my back. 

In addition, I have a young son (5.5 yrs) who needs me very much.  He is the joy of my life-but I couldn’t lift him, or play with him as much as I wanted without having my back go out.   

I NEEDED TO FIND A WAY TO FEEL BETTER-I COULD NOT LET MY BODY CONTROL MY LIFE ANYMORE.  I NEEDED TO RELAX, LEARN TO STAY CALM ,STRETCH MY MUSCLES.  I WANTED TO HAVE A STATE OF WELL BEING AND HEALTH AGAIN…. 

POST DAHN YOGA 

It was meant to be-One day I was visiting a girlfriend, and I saw a Dahn Yoga flyer wedged in her screen door. They were offering an open house demonstration.  This intrigued me….I went with a friend, and joined that evening, with the thought that I would give it a try for 3 months.  I must admit I was a bit of a skeptic at first.  My back problems were not just a little muscle spasm; there was physical/ structural damage.  I figured yoga could increase my energy, and improve my flexibility to stretch my back muscles-but get me out of chronic pain?  No way- 

After 3 months I saw a gradual transformation.  I could for the first time in years lay flat on my back without much discomfort.  After 6 months, it felt normal.  I couldn’t believe how I was improving !!!!  I have been a member now for over 2.5 years.  Every week I see the positive effects…. Improving energy flow-ridding toxins, relieving stress, removing stagnant energy  and opening meridians. I am feeling better and better releasing more endorphins and stimulating my body’s healing process.  

I attribute all of this to the masters who take very good care of me-my healing sessions are vital to keep my energy level up and my dah-jah healthy. They provide gentle yet supportive encouragement.  Attending regular Yoga classes combined with healing sessions has been key.  The Masters are  great healers.  They have been a source of strength to me.  They have taught me to learn to accept my pain. They truly care about their members, being empathetic, and nurturing.  I am committed to Dahn Yoga.  It will continue to be an integral part of my life. THE BEST 5 PROGRAM HELPS ME LIVE A HEALTHY, AND HAPPY LIFE.    I admit it is hard to balance my work/personal family time to practice home exercises.  I need to improve on that…My job is very demanding.   But when I walk into the Dahn Yoga in Bethesda, it really is a happy (smile), healthy and peaceful place.  I look forward to   learning more about my inner self; improving my mind; achieving a healthy body and creating spiritual enlightenment.   

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Sara Arnold 

I started yoga classes at the Dahn Center in Gaithersburg in August, 2006.  I’ve practiced other yoga styles in other places and noticed the physical benefits, so I figured this would be the same.  I didn’t realize at the time that Dahn yoga not only benefits me physically, but mentally and spiritually as well.  Dahn hak is not just physical training, it involves all aspects of body, mind and spirit. 

The integration of these aspects of Dahn are most evident with Shim Sung training.  Shim Sung training is about who we really are, what we really want, and what our purpose I life really is.  So much of our time in our daily life is spent seeking the answers to these questions in the context of our preconceptions and the perceptions of others are not who we truly are, which is why we don’t find the answers to life’s most basic questions outside of ourselves.  We can only answer these questions when we find our true selves within ourselves.  That is what Shim Sung is all about. 

During the training, I discovered many preconceptions I had about myself and others.  I am a physician in the Navy and spent several months deployed in support of Operation Iraqi freedom and Operation Enduring freedom.  For several years I have been carrying around very painful memories from those deployments and other events in my life which would manifest as anger, frustration and depression.  I had to take medications to control my moods and go to anger and stress management sessions for a year.  This therapy only worked at the surface and did not treat the underlying problems, so I gave them up.  I wasn’t until I could go to Dahn Yoga healing, meditation, and Shim Sung training that I could learn to deal with my problems and become a happier, healthier person.

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Patty Krauss

Performing artist, Educator

 Dahn Yoga has helped me with my chronic fatigue and strength issues. Now I have more energy and a “toolbox” of healing methods to use in every situation. The Gaithersburg Dahn Yoga center is a wonderful, vital asset to the community. It is a place where people can come together to heal, laugh, grow be themselves and heal the community.

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Caroline Grabner
Retired Government (NIH) 

I signed on to Dahn Yoga October 3, 2003.  I had been having back problems, a lot of arthritis and could not lose weight.  At the Energy Checkup, I was told that one of the benefits of doing the Dahn Yoga would be to lose weight.  To me that was a bonus.  The first four months I went from 166 pounds to 140 without changing how I ate.  Each year brought better flexibility and superb health.  I would be asked what medications I was on and when I said none, there was disbelief.  People my age (63) take medicines.  I still was working full time for the National Institutes of Health, Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and working evenings at the Bethesda Center.  I also had taken BR Training in November 2004 and was asked if I could teach a children’s class at Gaithersburg.  I started a class in late August 2004 and did Saturday morning classes until November 2005.  I kept adding more and more training to my growth and taught classes on some evenings and some Saturday mornings.  I loved teaching as the energy was tremendous. 

My arthritis has disappeared and the two spondolothetesis I have no longer cause me pain.  My weight after retirement and Dahn Mu Do training for 10 days reached 125.  The Dahn Mu Do also corrected two skeletal problems I had, my left collarbone was higher than the right meaning I did not stand straight and I had a lot of imbalance in my pelvis area.  The first problem occurred at age 6 months, the second occurred due to many damages to my lower back (broken tailbone 13 times), smashed disc in lower back, etc.  Within the first four days of Dahn Mu Do training my skeleton was straight and still is.  My flexibility is very good for my age my health has been excellent. 

I did run into a health bump in February.  I was diagnosed with a breast cell tumor in the left arm pit that is cancerous.  The cancer triggered an autoimmune disease called “dermatomyocitis”.  I was losing muscle cells into the blood.  I started chemotherapy on April 17 this year and I have kept working at the Center.  I cannot teach at this time or do intense physical training, but I have kept up with home practice and take a class now and then and have amazed the physicians and oncologist with how I am taking the whole process. 

I thank my training for keeping me positive, active and energized.  I will share Dahn Yoga with the Cancer community any way possible to help others with the disease.  I have received an amazing amount of love and caring from staff and members of Dahn Yoga and look forward to many many more years of practice and getting back to participating fully after my treatment regimen finishes.  I thank Dahn Yoga for where I am in my life and where I will be going.  I would recommend this practice for every human who wishes to be joyful, peaceful and creative.

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Paul Nisson 

I have been a Dahn member for almost one year. When I started in July of 2006, my purpose was to improve my physical health and to become a more peaceful person. I had lived most of my life with a dark attitude towards life; I was often angry or sad. As I look back, my original expectations have been greatly exceeded. Not only is my physical health improved, for example, periodic severe lower back pain from an old injury is no longer an issue since I’ve strengthened my lower back, oblique and abdominal muscles with the Doen exercises.

In addition to these tangible physical health benefits, I’ve experienced psychological and spiritual benefits. By psychological benefits, I mean my emotional life is generally healthier, I’m angry less often and behave quite differently in situations that I have in the past. I tend to deal much better with the strong emotions of anger and have become more peaceful. The people I’m closest to have observed this change including my family members.  I credit this improvement to the general classes but also to the healing sessions attended with Master Brianna and to the Power Brain training I participated in.

The spiritual part is more difficult to describe, but I would say that for a number of years before I started the practice of Dahn training, I generally felt that my life did not have a lot of meaning and that I did not have a clear direction or purpose. I felt like I was going through the motions like a robot carrying out my responsibilities as a son, brother, then a husband and father. Although on paper I’ve accomplished a lot in my career as a scientist, research product developer, manager of people, and government civil servant, I always felt that something was missing. Now, after a year of Dahn practice, I do feel I have a clearer idea of what my purpose in life is; namely, to love myself, my family and others and to try to help them learn how to love themselves. The first step is taking care of one’s health and I’m happy to say that my immediate family is all involved in healthy activities. Therefore, the first part of my vision, to create a peaceful home is close to achievement. I’m also working on ways of helping my co-workers (by convincing the smokers to stop smoking and by teaching a yoga class twice a week for 30 minutes each).  Finally, I’ve extended my efforts to the greater community by organizing a Jazz Jam Session which brings people together to share their love of music both as players and listeners.

I don’t think I’d be as healthy, happy or peaceful if I hadn’t started this journey a year ago with the Dahn organization and to show my commitment, I’ve become a lifetime member so I can continue my overall growth for decades to come. Thank you Dahn!

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Valarie Walker 

What Has Dahn Healing Yoga Meant To Me

Dahn Healing Yoga is very helpful to me.  Since exercising with the Dahn Yoga Healers, I have grown in being aware of my body both physically and spiritually.

The techniques of tapping, vibrating, walking and stretching has improved my health immeasurably.

The philosophy of Health, Smile, Peace (HSP) gets me through many days.

The Centers are always showing us new and different ways to exercise and improve our health.

I always look forward to my classes, followed by my at home workouts

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When I started Dahn Yoga one of my biggest challenges was quieting my mind.  I know many new members share this struggle. I had spent so many years keeping my mind busy.  I was very skilled at doing many things at once with my mind going in all directions.   I allowed my busy mind to distract me from my own body and soul.  To break this habit, I started to actually schedule meditation time.  I sat up a quiet area in my house and scheduled time to sit in the quiet.  First I would focus on my breathing, but eventually, I started to clear my mind of all thoughts and just listen.  Some days I still find my mind racing around, but it is easier and easier to step back and quiet my mind.

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Bobbie McNairy
Retired Math teacher

Since becoming a member of the Dahn Yoga Center in Gaithersburg, MD, my balance, blood pressure and brain power have improved. Before joining, I experienced irregularity and at this point my digestive activities have improved.  My sleep pattern is better and I am at peace within.

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Bonnie Frederick
High school Teacher
Rockville, Maryland  20850 

To Whom It May Concern: 

Dahn Yoga is a quality resource for the community.  An organization with the motto of “Health, Smile, Peace,” it is of great benefit to its members and others.  I have been a member of the Dahn centers in Rockville and Gaithersburg for over two years.  In addition to physical improvements, I have seen growth in my mental well-being as well.  Dahn promotes the positive characteristics we encourage in our community:  compassion, empathy, responsibility, caring, self-confidence and a sense of well-being.  Having recently experienced a visit to the hospital, where machines and scientific technology were put to use to try to make me well, I couldn’t help feeling that something was missing.  The connection was not there—the people treating me had only just met me and almost instantly, it seemed, a combination of pills was determined to be the answer.  Maybe, but we could learn much from other “whole body” traditions that could be incorporated into how we look at the body and spirit.  The practice of Dahn Yoga has made me more open to other possibilities, more empathetic to others and helped me create a more positive outlook on life itself.  As I am a teacher, this benefit is passed on many times over as I interact with co-workers and students during the school year.  I am happy that I discovered Dahn Yoga and recommend it highly. 

Sincerely,

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