Jeju Folk Natural History Museum, Nature Inside Meditation·Yoga Program Established
‘Body through Yoga, Mind through Meditation’ 6th Operation… Transforming into a Healing Space to Escape Daily Life
Jeju Folk Natural History Museum is reborn as a healing space for the minds and bodies of residents, transcending the boundaries of the museum. The museum announced on the 14th that it will operate the course ‘Body through Yoga, Mind through Meditation’ every Tuesday at 7 PM from June 10 to July 1.
This program is a special project that combines Jeju's natural environment with the cultural space of the museum, providing a retreat for modern people tired of their busy daily lives. This program, accompanied by Jeju's night scenery, will take place in the museum's outdoor lawn.
Meditation Method Capturing Jeju's Wind
The main instructor of the course, Vidya, is a yoga meditation expert based in Jeju with over 10 years of experience. He studied traditional Hatha yoga and meditation in Rishikesh, India, and has developed yoga programs utilizing Jeju's unique natural environment upon returning home.
Vidya stated, “Yoga outdoors is a special moment to share breath with nature,” and added, “I hope this time allows participants to feel the wind of Jeju with their whole body, calm their breath, and experience the inner peace and balance that comes with deepening their breath.”
4-Week Course, Themed Programs
This course consists of a 4-week program, with different themes each week. The first week focuses on breathing with the theme ‘Taking a Breath’, the second week enhances flexibility through ‘Loosening the Body’, the third week centers on meditation-focused yoga for ‘Clearing the Mind’, and the fourth week emphasizes yoga nidra (yogic sleep) for ‘Filling Energy’.
Notably, this program features the integration of cultural elements from the museum. There will be time to relax while listening to the sounds of traditional Jeju instruments before and after yoga and meditation, as well as time to appreciate a small exhibition themed around Jeju's nature and culture.
Museum as a Cultural Space in Daily Life
Park Chan-sik, the director of the Folk Natural History Museum, stated, “Yoga and meditation are great means to regain one’s own peaceful time,” and expressed, “I hope many people will comfortably visit our museum through this program, enjoy the culture, and end their day on a pleasant note.”
According to museum officials, this course is part of the museum's ‘Cultural Space in Daily Life’ project, aiming to utilize the museum as an open space connected to the daily lives of citizens, rather than just a simple exhibition space. A similar program operated last year received high praise from participants, leading to its expansion into a regular program this year.
This course is designed with safe movements that anyone can easily follow, regardless of exercise experience, making it accessible to people of all ages. It is especially expected to be a great help to office workers, parents exhausted from childcare, and students suffering from academic stress.
Applications for the program can be made from 10 AM on the 15th through the education application page on the Jeju Folk Natural History Museum website, with a total of 40 participants being accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. The course fee is free, but participants must prepare their own basic supplies such as yoga mats and towels.
The Jeju Folk Natural History Museum added that if this program operates successfully, they are planning an expanded program themed ‘Meditation Journey with Jeju Nature’ for the fall.
Oh Ji-hyun, Editor of Healing News