Body and Brain Yoga at Riverwalk

iche

BodynBrain Yoga Riverwalk is located in the Riverwalk complex in Lawrence.

Although it serves the community by offering daily yoga and Tai Chi classes, free workshops on gut health and successful aging and free family classes, it is also interested in spreading “Brain Education” in the local and surrounding schools.

The staff at BodynBrain Riverwalk have taught Brain Education at the Arlington School Lawrence and the Lawrence YMCA.

YOGABrain Education is used in over 400 schools in New York. It was also introduced to the United Nations by founder Ilchi Lee where it was brought to the small country of El Salvador.

Have you heard of El Salvador?

It’s a small Central American nation that has suffered from civil war, natural disasters, and more recently, overwhelming gang and drug violence. In 2016, El Salvador had the highest murder rate per-capita of any country in the world.

Things have been so bad that even school children encounter gangs, drugs, and death on a daily basis, and teachers risk their lives just coming to the schools to teach.

In such an environment, is it any wonder that many people, young and old, have lost hope?

7 years ago, the IBREA Foundation began a program to teach Brain Body & Brain Yoga and were founded and created by Ilchi Lee.

With the support of many courageous and dedicated school teachers and administrators, the Brain Education program produced incredible changes in the public schools. Mentally and physically-related absenteeism dropped dramatically, and students and teachers saw improvement in measures of physical health, stress management, focus and achievement. The results were so good that, after starting with just one school, the program has been expanded to over 1,200 schools, or roughly 25% of all public schools in the country.

Ilchi Lee receiving the presidential award on behalf of the IBREA Foundation.
Ilchi Lee receiving the presidential award on behalf of the IBREA Foundation.

As a result of these amazing changes and the overwhelming gratitude from students and teachers, the government of El Salvador decided to honor Ilchi Lee and IBREA with a huge award! Education- a variation on the yoga, tai chi, meditation and self-management exercises that we practice in Body & Brain centers- in some of the most violent schools in El Salvador.

IBREA and Brain Education, like Ilchi Lee is always looking for ways to help people feel hope, because he believes that hope empowers the brain. One example of his unique and creative efforts to instill hope is the “Pool for Peace” that he initiated with a donation. In a country where many schools look like prisons, with armored security checkpoints and bars on all the windows, and where even the most basic playground equipment would be extremely rare, the Pool for Peace is a shining example of joy and optimism.

Ilchi2It has changed the culture of not only one school, but a whole community. It was reported that, in order to construct the Pool for Peace, students’ parents and relatives who were members of rival gangs set aside their differences and worked together for the good of the schoolchildren.

Not only did Ilchi Lee and IBREA receive the presidential award, but they had a chance to discuss how Brain Education might benefit other schools and communities in El Salvador and around the world. After many years of hard work in and out of the public eye, this was a great moment for all of us who utilize Brain Education techniques to see that they truly are changing the world for the better!

Body & Brain is proud to support IBREA Foundation and our founder, Ilchi Lee.

They are doing great work all over the world and especially in El Salvador.
We’re also proud of the Body & Brain instructors and members who are doing volunteer outreach work all over the country, sharing the same kind of practices that have made such a positive impact in El Salvador with people from coast to coast, and beyond. If you are inspired by this good news, please share it! As you know, “Good News Makes a Good Brain!”

Visit Body and Brain Yoga on-line atbodynbrain.com/riverwalk.

Visit Ilchi.com for more details about Ilchi Lee, IBREA, and Brain Education in El Salvador. ◊