The fourth Body & Mind Healing Talk, presented by the Baekcheon Cultural Foundation and Shanti Books, will be held online via Zoom from 8:30 to 10 p.m. on Thursday, October 22. Meditation teacher Jo Ho-gyun, head of the Korea Meditation Education Center, will lead a session on observing the mind, followed by a discussion in which participants can ask how to apply what they have learned to 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 how to approach illness, how to maintain peace of mind when the body is in pain, and how to change lifestyle and thought habits. The series aims to help participants cultivate their own vitality and inner strength. The organizers said the event is intended for people struggling with poor physical health or a loss of peace of mind, their families, and anyone interested in healing.
Recognizing the emotions layered onto suffering
The session begins with situations everyone encounters in daily life. When people are in pain, relationships go wrong, or things do not work out as hoped, they often suffer more from the anger, anxiety and sadness they attach to the situation than from the situation itself. Thoughts of blaming others or berating themselves can become habitual, and even in moments when everything feels peaceful, they may worry in advance that their happiness will be shattered.
Observing the mind begins by pausing this pattern. When swept up in thoughts and emotions, participants shift their attention to bodily sensations or their breathing to quiet their thoughts, then ask themselves a few questions: Whose thought or emotion is this? Can this thought give me what I want? Does this thought lead me to peace of mind? The organizers said these questions can bring the mind back to the here and now from the past or an imagined future, and help people notice and stop the mind’s tendency to amplify suffering by adding anxiety and irritation to unwanted circumstances, such as pain.
The method of observing the mind introduced in the talk has four steps: pause, ask, shift and entrust. The organizers described it as a meditation practice that helps people recognize 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 practice together. The organizers said they hope the process will help participants interrupt negative thought patterns and develop the perspective of an observer who is not swept away by emotions. They also hope it will help them reflect on their relationships by changing how they see others and the world.
A speaker with experience leading meditation programs for companies and public agencies
For about 25 years, Jo Ho-gyun has developed and taught meditation programs for companies and public agencies, including a meditation course for Samsung Group executives, a meditation program at Jeju Innerstay, and a self-reflection course on K-Entrepreneurship at the Korea SMEs and Startups Agency. He also runs a meditation teacher training program. After serving as head of Huracle Consulting and working with the Inuihyang Yoga Meditation Center, he now leads the Korea Meditation Education Center and serves as a board member of the Korea Hypnotherapy Association. He has been teaching meditation classes with the organizers for three years.
A brief pause for people with busy minds
With notifications and information pouring in all day, it can be hard for the modern mind to find quiet. For those who find the idea of sitting for a long time to empty their thoughts daunting, this approach—returning to bodily sensations and the breath, then asking a single question—may offer an accessible starting point. It may also be useful for people whose racing thoughts keep them from sleeping, those whose physical pain has left them emotionally exhausted, and the family members who support them. Because the talk is online, participants can join from home, making it easy for newcomers to give meditation a try.
Meditation takes many forms, from movement to sound, walking and questions. This talk offers a chance to try observing thoughts and take a step toward finding a practice that suits you.
Schedule and registration
Date and time: Thursday, October 22, 2026, 8:30–10 p.m.
Location: Online via Zoom
Admission: Free
Registration deadline: Tuesday, October 20
Register: Online registration form (https://forms.gle/i8V1UknsHjiusCMV6)
Details: The Zoom link will be sent to registrants by text message or KakaoTalk one day before the event. As the class is free, the organizers ask that you register only if you expect to attend.
Inquiries: Shanti Books (phone: 02-3143-6360; KakaoTalk ID: shantibooks; email: shantibooks@naver.com)