Spring comes silently. Between the cracks of asphalt, at the angle of bright light, and suddenly in the lighter air one day. But are our bodies and minds still lingering in winter? Accumulated tension, dulled senses, an inexplicable fatigue. If you hope for your inner self to renew as much as the number on the calendar in March, it might be worth taking a step to the tranquil Chungjeongsa at the foot of Namsan.
Eight Zen and meditation guides who majored in meditation coaching at Dongguk University will hold a Zen meditation class named 'Namsan-Breath, Rest' at Chungjeongsa in the heart of Seoul. This program, in collaboration with Monk Deok-woon of Chungjeongsa's 'Respect for Life and Love', guides you into inner tranquility through eight different paths — not just one way, but through singing bowls, yoga, picture books, communication, self-care, and recovery.
Chungjeongsa in March, Why This Space Now
26 Toegye-ro 34-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul, just a 3-minute walk from Exit 4 of Chungmuro Station. However, the moment you step beyond the gate of Chungjeongsa, the noise of the city fades, and your breath changes. In the first-floor Zen meditation room of this temple, where the pine wind of Namsan touches, a total of eight meditation programs will unfold over eight weeks. Each class operates in small groups of only 8 to 10 people, allowing for deep focus and safe inner exploration. In 90 minutes, that short yet sufficient time, your body and mind awaken slowly like the seasons.
Eight Meditations, Eight Guides — Full Program Schedule
📅 March 7 (Saturday)
① Singing Bowl Sound Meditation: Awakening — 1:00 PM ~ 2:30 PM | Guide: Jian Lee Juhyun
As the resonance of the singing bowl arises and fades, we leave the sensations that are happening right now as they are. The vibrations touching the body, subtle movements, the flow of the mind that can be calm or scattered — we stay together without trying to change anything. It is a time to quietly meet the already awakened mind between resonance and silence.
Juhyun Lee, a singing bowl meditation practitioner and mindfulness Zen meditation guide, has completed the master's program in meditation coaching at Dongguk University and operates a heart work studio as the representative of Seon: Collective.
② Healing Vini Yoga Therapy — 3:30 PM ~ 5:00 PM | Guide: Kang Bok-kyung (Annadaa)
Spring is a season of detoxification. It guides you through the experience of letting go of the toxins you have held and accumulated in your body and mind through 'dividing and repeating flow asana' in the present breath. It is a place where the functional anatomy of the body meets the mysterious physiology of yoga.
Bok-kyung Kang, the representative of Higher Self Garden and a master's graduate in integrated yoga studies from Dongguk University, is a Vini yoga instructor and prenatal and postnatal therapy yoga instructor, guiding healing through yoga, nature, and meditation.
📅 March 8 (Sunday)
③ Picture Book Mind Meditation for Holding Worries — 1:00 PM ~ 2:30 PM | Guide: Seomgyeol Lee Eun-young
This is not a time to eliminate worries, but a time to deal with them. Together with a picture book, we quietly take out the worries that have been lingering in our hearts and create our own 'worry box' where we can hold them for a moment. It is a humanities healing program based on picture books that helps calm a shaken heart and restore oneself.
Eun-young Lee, a picture book meditation psychologist and Zen meditation counselor, is active as a happiness delivery meditation instructor at the Seoul International Meditation Expo, helping emotional stability through pictures and stories.
④ Mindfulness Breathing Meditation for ADHD — 3:30 PM ~ 5:00 PM | Guide: Kim Do-yeon
Through 'Mindfulness Breathing Meditation', we become aware of the wandering mind, let go of negative judgments, and bring attention to the breath to maintain focus. This program enhances clear attention through breathing meditation, naturally alleviating ADHD symptoms by improving impulse control, emotional stability, self-understanding, and a sense of security.
Do-yeon Kim, a master's graduate in counseling psychology from Ewha Womans University and a doctoral candidate in meditation coaching at Dongguk University, is a level 1 youth counselor and SEE Learning Facilitator, guiding inner peace based on psychology and Zen studies.
📅 March 21 (Saturday)
⑤ Singing Bowl Meditation: Sensation of Recovery — 1:00 PM ~ 2:30 PM | Guide: Choi Seo-hong
This is a time to recover the dulled senses and tense mind in a busy daily life. By focusing on the sound of the singing bowl, we shift our attention from thoughts to sensations and experience the rest of being present in this moment. Recovery is not something to be created; it is a state that naturally emerges when the senses return.
Seo-hong Choi, a meditation trainer for Nike and a master's graduate in meditation coaching from Dongguk University, operates a singing bowl training course as the representative of Seon: Collective.
⑥ Mindfulness Communication Meditation: Not Trying Too Hard — 3:30 PM ~ 5:00 PM | Guide: Jin Soo-myung
Newness comes with excitement and tension. This meditation, which practices mindfulness of daily emotions and communication habits, is a program that cultivates communication skills that do not hurt oneself or others and fosters a kind attitude towards both oneself and others.
Soo-myung Jin, a heart smiler and an Incheon citizen professor who has completed the doctoral program in meditation coaching at Dongguk University, is a co-author of the Mindfulness Communication CETA card, teaching conversation methods that apply mindfulness and self-care.
📅 March 22 (Sunday)
⑦ Self-Care Meditation: Wise Workplace Life — 1:00 PM ~ 2:30 PM | Guide: Hong Ji-soo
What kind of mindset do you have when you go to work every day? Stress from work, interpersonal relationships, and career management is unavoidable, but how you respond is a choice. This is a time to examine your 'personal difficulties' at work and share how to respond. If you have to go to work to sustain yourself, you can start 'wisely', if not 'joyfully'.
Ji-soo Hong, a self-care coach and the representative of 'MIND OFFICE for Self-Care', is a master's graduate in sociology from Chung-Ang University and a doctoral candidate in meditation coaching at Dongguk University. Based on her experience of starting self-care only after getting sick in her 11th year of working life, she researches and shares self-care based on social structure and scientific understanding.
⑧ RE:BONE Meditation: Lumbar — Relaxing the Back that Supports Emotions — 3:30 PM ~ 5:00 PM | Guide: Lee Ji-woo
This is a meditation class accompanied by slow and delicate movements based on Tai Chi. It is a time to calmly explore the tension and anxiety accumulated in daily life through the sensations of the back and to let go of the tension that supported the body and mind, returning to the original lightness.
Ji-woo Lee, a professor of compassion meditation and the planner of the meditation expo, has completed the doctoral program in meditation coaching at Dongguk University and holds a master's degree in meditation psychology from Dongguk University, with a background as a 16th dan in comprehensive martial arts (6th dan in Tai Chi, 4th dan in Judo, etc.).
Namsan-Breath, Rest | Overview of the Full Schedule
DateTimeProgramGuideParticipation Fee3.7 (Sat)1:00 PM ~ 2:30 PMSinging Bowl Sound Meditation: AwakeningJuhyun Lee40,000 KRW3.7 (Sat)3:30 PM ~ 5:00 PMHealing Vini YogaBok-kyung Kang40,000 KRW3.8 (Sun)1:00 PM ~ 2:30 PMPicture Book Mind Meditation for Holding WorriesEun-young Lee30,000 KRW3.8 (Sun)3:30 PM ~ 5:00 PMMindfulness Breathing Meditation for ADHDDo-yeon Kim40,000 KRW3.21 (Sat)1:00 PM ~ 2:30 PMSinging Bowl Meditation: Sensation of RecoverySeo-hong Choi40,000 KRW3.21 (Sat)3:30 PM ~ 5:00 PMMindfulness Communication Meditation: Not Trying Too HardSoo-myung Jin40,000 KRW3.22 (Sun)1:00 PM ~ 2:30 PMSelf-Care Meditation: Wise Workplace LifeJi-soo Hong40,000 KRW3.22 (Sun)3:30 PM ~ 5:00 PMRE:BONE Meditation: LumbarJi-woo Lee40,000 KRW
Location: First Floor Zen Meditation Room, Chungjeongsa, Namsan (26 Toegye-ro 34-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul / 3-minute walk from Exit 4 of Chungmuro Station)
Number of Participants: 8 per session (10 for Picture Book Mind Meditation)
Organized by: Guides from Dongguk University's Department of Seon Studies and Meditation Coaching / Monk Deok-woon of Chungjeongsa 'Respect for Life and Love'
It's Okay to Take a Breath
Perhaps what we need is not more information, but a practice of pausing for a moment. Namsan-Breath, Rest does not promise you grand changes. It simply says that in 90 minutes, amidst the tranquility of Chungjeongsa, you will regain your senses, catch your breath, and quietly meet the already awakened mind that is present there.
March is already here.
