The fourth talk in the Body & Mind Healing Talk series, organised jointly by the Baekcheon Cultural Foundation and Shanti Books, will take place online via Zoom (ZOOM) from 8.30pm to 10pm on Thursday 22 October. Meditation teacher Jo Ho-gyun, director of the Korea Meditation Education Institute, will speak on observing the mind. Participants will then have the chance to ask questions about how to apply what they have learnt in their own lives. Admission is free.
Free classes on caring for body and mind
Body & Mind Healing Talk is a series of classes exploring the relationship between body and mind. Topics include the mindset with which we approach illness, how to maintain peace of mind when the body is unwell, and how to change our habits of living and thinking. The series aims to help people develop their own vitality and inner strength. The organisers said the event was intended for people struggling with poor physical health or a loss of peace of mind, their families, and anyone interested in healing.
Noticing the emotions we add to our suffering
The talk begins with familiar moments from everyday life. When we are ill, relationships go awry or things do not go as planned, we often suffer more from the anger, anxiety and sadness we attach to events than from the events themselves. Thoughts of blaming others or berating ourselves can become habitual, and even when everything is going well, we may worry in advance that our happiness will be lost.
Observing the mind begins by pausing this process. When swept up in thoughts and emotions, we turn our attention to bodily sensations or the breath and quiet our thoughts, before asking ourselves a few questions: Whose thought or feeling is this? Can this thought give me what I want? Does it lead my mind towards peace? The organisers said these questions can bring the mind back to the here and now from the past or an imagined future, and help us pause and observe the way the mind magnifies suffering by adding anxiety and irritation to unwanted circumstances, such as pain.
The method of observing the mind introduced in the talk consists of four steps: pause, ask, shift and entrust. The organisers describe it as a form of meditation that helps people recognise that suffering stems from their own thoughts rather than external circumstances, and gradually break the chain of those thoughts. After learning the principles, participants will have time to practise together. The organisers said they hoped the process would help participants interrupt negative thought patterns and develop the perspective of an observer, rather than being swept along by their emotions. They also hope it will help people see others and the world differently, and reflect on their relationships.
A speaker with a record of leading meditation programmes for businesses and public bodies
Over the past 25 years or so, director Jo Ho-gyun has developed and taught meditation programmes for businesses and public bodies, including a programme for Samsung Group executives, a Jeju Inner Stay meditation course, and a K-Entrepreneurship reflection course at the Korea SMEs and Startups Agency. He also runs a meditation instructor training course. After serving as head of Huracle Consulting and at Inuihyang Yoga Meditation Centre, he is now director of the Korea Meditation Education Institute and a board member of the Korea Hypnotherapy Association. He has been teaching meditation classes with the organisers for three years.
A brief pause for people with busy minds
With notifications and information pouring in throughout the day, it can be hard for the modern mind to find quiet. For anyone who finds it daunting to sit still for a long time and try to empty their thoughts, this approach—returning to bodily sensations and the breath, then asking a single question—could offer an accessible starting point. It may also be useful for people who struggle to sleep because their thoughts keep spiralling, those whose minds are worn down by physical pain, and the family members who care for them. As the talk is online, participants can join from home, making it easy for newcomers to try meditation.
Meditation takes many forms, from movement-based practices to using sound, walking or questions. This talk offers a chance to try observing thoughts and to take a first step towards finding a form of meditation that suits you.
Event details and registration
Date and time: Thursday 22 October 2026, 8.30pm–10pm
Venue: Online via Zoom (ZOOM)
Admission: Free
Registration deadline: Tuesday 20 October
Registration: Online form (https://forms.gle/i8V1UknsHjiusCMV6)
Further information: Applicants will receive the Zoom link by text message or KakaoTalk the day before the event. As the class is free, the organisers ask people to register only if they are able to attend.
Enquiries: Shanti Books (tel. 02-3143-6360; KakaoTalk ID shantibooks; email shantibooks@naver.com)