Korean Healing

Practitioners of Korean traditional medicine say the ultimate cause of disease is not so much the invasion of external elements but rather malfunctions in inherent bodily function. Since disease is considered to result from the weakening of vital energy, the emphasis is placed on boosting the body’s ability to defend against disease. Illness may be attributed to emotional states like joy or sorrow or to other internal causes such as overwork and fluctuations in the function of internal organs. Even diseases that appear to have external causes are ultimately seen as the products of internal factors. If one’s ability to fend off sickness is strong enough, then one will not get sick even if pathogens do enter the body. Thus, treatment focuses mainly on bolstering the body’s vital energy.

Literary Nonfiction. East Asia Studies. Asian American Studies. Practitioners of Korean traditional medicine say the ultimate cause of disease is not so much the invasion of external elements but rather malfunctions in inherent bodily function. Since disease is considered to result from the weakening of vital energy, the emphasis is placed on boosting the body's ability to defend against disease. Illness may be attributed to emotional states like joy or sorrow or to other internal causes such as overwork and fluctuations in the function of internal organs. Even diseases that appear to have external causes are ultimately seen as the products of internal factors. If one's ability to fend off sickness is strong enough, then one will not get sick even if pathogens do enter the body. Thus, treatment focuses mainly on bolstering the body's vital energy.

Through South Korean filmic and literary texts, this book explores affect and ethics in the healing of historical trauma, as alternatives to the measures of transitional justice in want of national unity. Historians and legal practitioners who deal with transitional justice agree that the relationship between historiography and justice seeking is contested: this book reckons with this question of how much truth-telling from a violent past will lead to healing, forgiving, forgetting and finally overcoming resentment. Nuanced interpretations of South Korean filmic and literary texts are featured, including Park Chan-wook’s Oldboy, Bong Joon-ho’s Mother and literary texts of Han Kang and Ch’oe Yun, whilst also engaging the ethical and political philosophy of Levinas, Hannah Arendt, and others. Also offered is new and extensive research into the hitherto hidden history of thousands of North Korean war orphans who were sent to Eastern European countries for care. Grappling with the evils of history, the films and novels examined herein find their ultimate themes in compassion, hospitality, humility and solidarity of the wounded. Healing Historical Trauma in South Korean Film and Literature will appeal to students and scholars of film, comparative literature, cultural studies and Korean studies more broadly.

Still today, in South Korea, many people pay for the services of mudang - the intermediaries of Korea's syncretic folk religion. The majority of mudang are called to the profession by gods; their clients are individuals or small groups and they focus on the use of spirit-power ('possession') for diagnosis and problem-solving. There is, however, a tiny minority of mudang who are born or adopted into the ritual life and who have no spirit-power. These ritualists perform in large family groups, conducting rituals for whole communities. They focus far more on the use of music, dance, and song to provide healing experiences. In this book, Simon Mills provides an in-depth analysis of the East Coast hereditary mudang institution and its rhythm-oriented music, focusing particularly on the Kim family of mudang - the government-appointed 'cultural assets' for the genre. It is the first English language book to study this tradition in any depth, using materials from fieldwork (1999-2000) alongside interviews with two key family members, Kim Junghee and Jo Jonghun. Throughout, Mills includes numerous quotes from the ritualists themselves to help reveal their characters, opinions and beliefs. He documents the family's history, the decline of the hereditary mudang institution and its kinship customs, and the family's changing relations towards 'outsiders'. Mills also details ritual procedures, musical structures, playing techniques, instruments, and learning methods both of the past and present; as non-ritual musicians become increasingly aware of the powerful ritual rhythms, the music is finding new life in non-ritual settings. Downloadable audio resources featuring Kim, Jo, and Mills accompanies the book, each track corresponding to the equivalent chapter in the text.

By following the procedures explained in this book, you can quickly cure most day-to-day illnesses easily, safely, painlessly, and inexpensively, yet there are no side effects. This is the most ideal do-it-yourself way of obtaining pain-free life. Examples: Stopping Nose Bleed Hemorrhoid Kidney Failure Seasickness Snoring Stiffened Fingers Tonsillitis Whiplash Injury Reviving Coma Cramped Hand Cramped Sole Heart Problems Menstrual Pain About the Author Dr. Choong-Youl Oh was born in Seoul, Korea and spent his childhood in Japan and China, as the family moved with his Presbyterian missionary father. After the Second World War, the family returned to Korea. Dr. Oh studied pharmacy at Seoul National University and earned a BSc in pharmacy (Pharmacist Licence). With that degree, he taught chemistry at high school level and at Yonsei University. He came to Indiana University for graduate studies and acquired a master's degree in education and a PhD in instructional media and technology. During his US studies, he taught at Virginia State College and Indiana University. After graduation, he taught at the University of Alberta (Canada). He has now retired after forty years of teaching and is Professor Emeritus from the University of Alberta.

Improve the overall health and balance in your life with Korean wellness practices and traditions of mind and spirit, nature, skincare, food as medicine and natural healing. Join holistic wellness and integrative nutrition expert Isa Kujaswski, MPH, RDN, to discover Korean wellbeing concepts and centuries-old healing traditions. Explore the mind and spirit practices of sohwakhaeng (small but certain happiness), Kuok Sundo breathing (a form of meditation) and worabel (Korean slang for work-life balance). Learn about 'hitting mung' to empty one's mind, and salim yok (forest bathing) where you immerse yourself in nature. Find the healing benefits in foods, including kimchi for digestive wellness and the use of medicinal ingredients such as ginseng, ginger and green tea. Take a closer look at Korean skincare, known around the world for resulting in glowing skin, and discover spa techniques such as seshin, a scrubbing ritual, that you can use at home to unwind and detoxify. Connecting nutrition, mental wellbeing and Korean healing concepts, this book shows how to find true wealth through vibrant health.

Here is a book that enables laypersons, researchers, scholars, and health care providers to work more closely together through an understanding of cultural differences and harmony."--BOOK JACKET.