Meditation –Muk Yum默念
Excerpted from the book meditation by D.Segarra


Introduction
The majority of Korean martial arts have some form of meditation as part of their program. Sadly the practice of meditation in many schools has been reduced to simply sitting, closing ones eyes and waiting for the instructor to start class. Meditation has been and is a vital part of the Martial arts. The subject of Meditation can lead the uninitiated into deep and sometimes confusing waters.

What is meditation? 默念
Mediation is living in the moment. The experience of the limitless nature of the Mind and it’s oneness with the nature when it ceases to be dominated by it’s usual mental chatter. Mediation can come in the form of mental techniques and exercises like visualization, breathing, chanting, prayer etc, or just be the total mental absorption in the most simple and mundane task that it brings you to a level of mindfulness that quiets the mind and connects the mind with nature also known as the Tao/Do.
Regardless of the path The ‘goal’ of meditation is that present mindful connection with nature.

Moo Shim – (No Mind) 無心
One of the many benefits of Moo Sa Do Kwan™ & Martial Arts training is developing your present moment awareness. Practicing present moment awareness is learning to live in the moment or what is called in Moo Sa Do Kwan™– ‘Moo Shim’. Moo Shim literally translated means ‘No mind’ it is a state of mind where we do not attach our conscious mind to thoughts and are completely absorbed in the moment. Through intense training we can learn to enter the state of present moment awareness and attain centeredness amongst the chaos of conflict.  This is one of the ultimate personal goals of the martial artist. Attaining a moment of total awareness is attaining a moment of freedom and enlightenment. Learning to do this will not just make you a safer person but a more happier and peaceful one.

As the philosopher Eckhart Tolle wrote;
“To meet everything and everyone through stillness instead of mental noise is the greatest gift you can offer to the universe… REALIZE DEEPLY THAT THE PRESENT MOMENT is all you ever have. Make the Now the primary focus of your life. Whereas before you dwelt in time and paid brief visits to the Now, have your dwelling place in the Now and pay brief visits to past and future when required to deal with the practical aspects of your life. Always say "yes" to the present moment.”

Present moment awareness is bringing your attention fully to the moment, whether you are eating, drinking, taking out the garbage, or doing a martial arts technique, do each part of the process mindfully, fully concentrate in the moment.

Method one Ilban Hohep Beop (General Deep Breathing) 一番呼吸法
Basically a beginning student should start to learn to still his/her thoughts and center their breathing. During Muk Nyum (meditation) breathing should be done with the abdomen.
On the inhale the lower abdomen (Dan Jun) should balloon out with air, while taking care not to involve the chest during the inhale. On the exhale the abdomen returns to its normal state. You can practice just the breathing by lying down on the floor and placing a book on your abdomen. As you breath in the book should rise and as you breath out it should sink. Practice general deep breathing in a sitting position after you tried it lying down. Practicing lying down in the beginning can make you sleepy. Naturally your mind is going to wander and drift, as it does so come back to the breath. Every time you become distracted come back to the breath.

Muk Nyum Bop (meditation techniques) 묵념/默念法
Like the many paths up to the mountain summit, in Moo Sa Do Kwan™ we have many mediation techniques. There are seven categories representing the seven stars of Moo Sa Do Kwan™ with some example exercises:

1-Eyes- Vision related (candle, art, reading)
   a. Chug bop 燭法 (candle meditation)

2-Ears- Sound related (listening, music, natural sounds, listening to poetry/riddles)
   a.Cheog bop 聽法 Listening intently
   b.Gong ahn bop公案法 (hwa du話頭) Koan riddle

3-Nose- Breath related (breathing, incense, smells)
   a.Il ban ho hup bop一番呼吸法 Basic breathing technique
   b.Semi Ho Hup bup精美呼吸法 fine breathing technique
   c.Hoejon ho hup bup圓田呼吸法 circular breathing technique

4-Mouth- Breath/Sound (breathing, chanting, speaking)
   a.Chang bop 唱法 chanting
   b.Yuk ja gyol 六字決 Six healing sounds

5-Touch- Touch related (kinesthetic, beads, knots, hand postures)
   a.Suju bop数珠法 (counting beads) or Gyol Ma 結麼 Knotted rope
   b.In Sang 印相 Hand postures

6-Active-動Dong, Movement related (martial arts movements, moving ki gong, daily activities, tea ceremony, calligraphy, ritual) Dong meditations are also combinations of the above categories.
   a.Moo Do Sool (Martial arts techniques) 武道術
   b.Ki gong bop氣功法
   c.Seo Bop書法 Calligraphy/writing

7-Passive-靜Jeong, Stillness related (sitting meditation, non movement ki gong, thought, reading poetry, visualizing)
   a.Yeon Su bup/Gyong Jo Bup輕糟法 Light dregs method
   b.Mu ja gong bup無自空法 Non self method
   c.Kumgang Bop金剛法 Diamond method

Talking about mediation is like talking about how food tastes, it’s better to taste it than to talk about it. My teacher used to say:
Hear and forget,
See and remember,
Do and understand.

Now go meditate.

D.Segarra

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