A Flame Within Stillness

How to Live Joyfully, Free from Worry and Anxiety

The Joy of Beginning in Stillness, Experiencing Intense Exhilaration, and Ending the Day in Peace

A Practice of Self-Cultivation: Relaxing the Body, Seeing Widely, and Gathering the Mind Around What Must Be Done Now

Heavy workloads, stress, financial problems, health, mood, and relationships.

There are days when life feels difficult because there is simply too much to do. There are also days when there is not much work, yet the mind is so busy that we still become exhausted.

Unfinished tasks continue to circle in the mind, while things that have not even happened yet become sources of worry. A single comment from another person may remain with us for a long time. When we live this way day after day, we gradually lose the space to actually feel the moment in which we are living.

According to modern theories of emotion, the root of all emotions is anxiety.

Anger, sadness, envy and jealousy, disgust, surprise, and contempt are also said to arise from fear.

Through many years of research and practice, I have worked to solve these problems. I researched and personally experimented with numerous methods of cultivation from both East and West, ancient and modern. After many trials and errors, I gradually developed a method of self-cultivation that I found most effective and practical in everyday life.

That is Scalar Nature Medicine and Scalar Do Hyun Gong.

Through many years of training, I would like to share the methods that helped me, not through difficult terminology, but through simple words and practices that people can actually follow.

They include becoming aware of tension in the body, observing oneself when being pulled along by thoughts, releasing attachment to outcomes, and gathering attention on one point while remaining in a relaxed state.

The entire process unfolds through eight stages:

Relaxation → Stillness → Desirelessness → Alignment with Nature → Curiosity and Excitement → Selection and Concentration → The Hunt → Rest and Reward

The purpose of this flow is not to pack even more into the day.

It is to forget the self that has been consumed by worry and anxiety, and to enjoy life with greater ease and spaciousness.

1. Relaxation

Regulating the Autonomic Nervous System Through Dantian Breathing

Place one hand on your chest and the other hand below your navel, and breathe deeply.

Inhale for a count of 10 and exhale for a count of 20.

Breathe slowly, quietly, and with great stillness.

Naturally, all awareness should become concentrated in the Dantian below the navel. When this happens, it becomes true Dantian breathing, and naturally develops into Dantian breathing meditation.

Through this, the autonomic nervous system is regulated, the body shifts toward parasympathetic dominance, and the entire system moves into a healing state.

Becoming Aware of Bodily Tension Through a Body Scan

The first step is to observe the body and release unnecessary tension.

For a moment, put your work aside and sit in a safe and comfortable place.

You may close your eyes, or keep them half-open and gently lower your gaze.

Now slowly move your attention from the top of your head to the tips of your toes.

This is one of the most effective relaxation methods.

Begin with the forehead and the space between the eyebrows.

Move to the area around the eyes, the cheeks, and the jaw.

Notice whether you are clenching your teeth, or whether there is tension in your tongue or lips.

Observe the neck and shoulders, then the arms and hands.

Continue to the chest and abdomen, the back and waist, the pelvis and thighs, the knees and calves, and finally the feet and toes.

At each area, pause briefly and ask:

“Is there tension here?”

Find the areas that are tense and relax them.

If your shoulders are raised, let them drop slightly.

If your hands are clenched into fists, loosen your fingers.

If a certain area does not relax easily, do not force it to change. Simply become aware of the sensation and move on to the next area.

You may return to it later, when it may release more easily.

Your entire body does not have to become completely relaxed before you move on to the next stage.

If you are even slightly less tense than you were a moment ago, begin from that change.

2. Stillness — Returning to No-Thought and No-Image, and Reconsidering the Size of Your Worries

The second stage is to withdraw attention from being carried away by thought and create space within the mind.

After feeling and following the breath and observing the body, begin to observe your thoughts and emotions.

Watch and illuminate them as a mother watches a child.

Give the emotion a name as well.

You may slowly repeat inwardly:

“No-thought, no-image,”
or simply,
“Stillness.”

Here, no-thought and no-image do not mean disciplining yourself so that no thoughts arise at all.

When a thought appears, notice it, and then return the attention that had been following it back to the breath.

When Worry Will Not Let Go: Reflect on the Finite Nature of Life

Sometimes when we sit quietly, worry becomes even clearer.

At such times, one reflection I use is to remember the fact that one day I will die.

I place the worry of the present moment within the wider view of the life I have left.

I ask myself:

“If I looked back on this from the final moment of my life, what meaning would this have now?”

“If the time remaining in my life is already limited, what do I want to give my heart to today?”

A worry that fills the entire field of vision may look different when it is placed within a wider perspective.

There are matters of pride or comparison that do not need to be held onto until the end.

There are also relationships that truly need care and problems that genuinely need to be solved.

This reflection is not used to dismiss all worries as trivial.

It is used to distinguish what can be released from what deserves to be treated as precious, through the recognition that life is finite.

For me, this process has helped create distance from worry.

At the end of the reflection, I return to the present moment:

“I have a limited amount of time given to me now. How do I want to use this time?”

3. Desirelessness — Keep the Goal, Release Attachment to the Result

The third stage is to distinguish the will needed for action from the attachment that causes suffering.

There are things we must do, and things we want to achieve.

Entering desirelessness does not mean giving them all up.

It means examining the mind that insists everything must happen exactly as I want, the impatience that says I must be ahead of others, and the attitude that judges my value based on a single result.

I organize my mind in this way:

“Let me put my energy into what I can do.”

“What I cannot decide now, I entrust to God. Free from the result, I will enjoy the process of moving forward itself.”

If, in the stage of stillness, I looked at worry from a wider perspective, then in the stage of desirelessness I choose what to let go of.

What I can change, I turn into action.

For what I cannot control, I create a space called surrender, letting go, and acceptance.

Then the mind becomes truly comfortable, and an immense sense of freedom appears.

4. Alignment with Nature — Returning to the Flow and Rhythm of the Body and the Surroundings

The fourth stage is to reconnect the self, which has been living only inside thought, with the body and environment of the present moment.

The environment has spatial, temporal, and energetic flows.

When we entrust the body to these flows, we can accomplish things most efficiently, naturally, and joyfully, with less effort.

In the ocean, a turtle riding the current can beat a swimmer and reach the destination first.

Feel your feet touching the floor.

Feel the chair supporting your body.

Notice the light by the window, the touch of the air, and the sounds around you.

Become aware that your breath is moving.

The phrase “alignment with nature” may sound large and distant.

In everyday life, it can begin simply by sensing the condition of your own body and the changes in your surroundings.

Ask yourself whether you are forcing a tired body forward.

Notice whether you continue to hurry when it is time to rest.

Rather than seeing yourself as a separate being who must endure everything alone, place yourself within the flow of this moment.

For me, this feeling becomes the foundation for calmly choosing the next action.

As this continues, the flow begins to reveal itself.

You begin to harmonize with your surroundings and hear the voice of what nature is asking of you.

5. Curiosity and Excitement — Creating a New Flame Within Stillness

The fifth stage is to awaken spontaneous interest within a relaxed mind.

After relaxing and becoming still, I look again at what I need to do today.

I begin to see:

What is more urgent?

What is more important?

Then I ask:

“How can I solve this?”

“What can I discover here?”

“What can I learn?”

“Which part could I begin with in a way that feels interesting?”

Curiosity opens attention toward what is not yet known.

Excitement becomes the desire to take a step forward.

There is no need to create great excitement or intense motivation.

If the task is something you do not want to do, you can simply find one starting point within it that feels slightly less burdensome.

For me, this stage is like lighting a small flame inside stillness.

While preserving spaciousness in both body and mind, I find a new reason to move.

6. Concentration — Gathering the Mind Around One Goal While Remaining Relaxed and Still

The sixth stage is to turn that interest into concrete action.

Even if there are many things to do, choose only one thing to do right now.

At first, if possible, choose a small unit with a visible beginning and end.

Write one paragraph.

Finish one necessary phone call or message.

Read a few pages of material.

Write down the first step of a complicated problem.

During that time, reduce distractions such as phone notifications and social media as much as possible.

Give your attention to the chosen task, while also noticing whether tension is returning to the shoulders or jaw.

Keep the body relaxed.
Keep the mind still.
Keep attention on one thing.

When another thought appears, return.

When worry arises, feel the breath for a moment and begin again.

Recognizing that concentration has scattered is also part of the practice.

What matters is not driving yourself through impatience, but participating fully in what you are doing now.

7. The Hunt

A lion or cheetah detects its prey.

It approaches silently.

It waits for the right moment.

And when the moment to move arrives, it explodes into a full sprint, throwing its entire body forward.

This is an all-out race.

The whole body remains relaxed, while only the muscles that are necessary are activated at full capacity.

When we say that life is a game, this is the time when the real game begins.

I give myself completely to it.

In my own case, when I began working this way, tasks that once took three hours often took less than one hour, and the quality of the results improved dramatically.

8. Rest and Reward — Acknowledge Your Effort and Recover

This stage is about deliberately resting after concentration.

When the chosen period of work or small task is complete, stop for a moment.

Stretch the body.

Drink water or tea.

Take a short walk.

Listen to music you enjoy.

Give yourself a small reward that suits you.

Say to yourself:

“I made it this far.”

“I finally did it.”

“Some parts did not go perfectly, but now I will rest for a while.”

You do not have to achieve perfect results before earning the right to rest.

Recognize the time and effort you gave to concentration, and recover so that you can take the next action.

Only when rest is included can this process be repeated throughout daily life.

How to Bring This Practice Into Everyday Life

At first, learn the eight stages slowly.

Once they become familiar, you can apply them briefly according to the situation.

When irritation rises, first check the tension in your jaw and shoulders.

When worry fills your mind, return to the breath and, if necessary, look at that worry again from the wider perspective of your entire life.

When impatience appears, loosen your attachment to the result.

Then feel your surroundings and find something interesting within the one thing you need to do now.

Concentrate for a while.

When you finish, rest.

After practicing, you may reflect on just three things:

• Did I notice even a little tension in my body?

• When worry carried me away, did I return at least once?

• Did I choose one thing to do now, and did I also allow myself to rest?

There is no need to score how perfectly still your mind was that day.

Through repetition, you find the pace that suits you.

Cherishing the Time We Are Living Now

We often think that we can finally live comfortably once all our problems are solved.

But when one problem ends, another appears.

Life keeps moving.

When time is used efficiently, there is plenty of time.

Instead of being chased by time, we learn to direct time.

That is why, even while solving problems, I practice pausing to relax the body, widening the perspective from which I look at worry, and gathering my mind around what I can do now.

I find joy in the intense process of moving forward, and also in small moments of rest.

The first clue to a problem that would not solve itself.

A single sentence written in deep concentration.

A cup of tea after completing the work.

A short moment of rest while looking out the window.

I find joy there as well.

The fact that life is finite asks me how I want to use today.

Not every moment can be joyful.

Even so, we can notice when we are trapped in worry and learn how to move into the next moment with a little more spaciousness.

Relax the body and return to stillness.

Release attachment to results and surrender yourself to the flow and rhythm of nature.

Awaken curiosity and excitement, gather the mind around one thing, and then burn intensely.

Then rest, and care for the self that has worked so hard.

This is the daily practice of cultivation that I want to share.

Rather than knowing a great deal of theory, you can begin by practicing it even once in your life today.

It is more thrilling and vivid than a game.

There is no time for life to become boring, and no time to remain lost in sadness.