Michelle Bang on the Korean Art of Wellness and Self-Care
What can we take from the wisdom of our ancestors? Author Michelle Bang dives deep into the traditions of her native South Korea and discovers the secrets that have been passed down from generation to generation. Through her travels and interactions with the community, Michelle reconnects with the customs that have shaped her years, ultimately recording all that she’s seen and heard in a new book entitled “Sun and Ssukgat: The Korean Art of Self-Care, Wellness, and Longevity.”
Today, The Beat Asia talks to the author and entrepreneur about what she’s learned and how these ideas have helped shape her philosophy and overall lifestyle.
When did you realize that you wanted to prioritize wellbeing?
“I was in Hong Kong, and I had just launched my dream social impact startup, melding all the things I was really passionate about, which were sustainable fashion and social impact. It experienced tremendous growth, we were winning a lot of awards and major contracts. I was very passionate about what I was doing – so passionate that I wasn’t taking care of myself. I was working around the clock, had a team around different time zones, and was just too busy to sleep, too busy to eat. In the middle of all that success, I landed in the emergency room for the first time in my life. It was very much like a night and day experience, you know, me ‘before the hospital’ and me ‘after the hospital.’”
”After I came home from the hospital, I was very ill constantly. I couldn't sit down for a meal without pain. And it was really taking over my life. I realized that this had been brewing for a long time; my body was screaming that I needed to do something to make it better. Ultimately, that experience led me down this path.”
How did you learn about the techniques that you published in your book?
“By way of background, I'm a Korean-American, so I represent an East-West upbringing. I also grew up in a world of East-West medicine because while my father is a U.S.-based doctor, he trained at the top medical school in Korea, which is Seoul National University’s College of Medicine.”
”He exposed me very early on to the practical and holistic applications of medicine, which I ended up realizing is very much deeply embedded within Korean culture. Later, I married into a traditional Chinese family that embodied these traditions which have been passed down generationally.”
“After my experience at the hospital, I began to take some steps to formalize this knowledge. I underwent training for two certifications: one for functional foods and another for holistic preventative care.”
I heard that your travels also inspired you to learn more about the culture.
“That’s true. South Korea is expected to top the longevity rates in 2030, but Hong Kong has been at the top alongside China, Japan, Singapore, and Macau for some time. I really wanted to go and see for myself what the data was saying.”
“In Asia, I began walking on the beach every morning and started encountering a lot of individuals who were doing very interesting things like cold water swimming in the open ocean. Some grandmothers were doing different activities that we typically reserve for younger people in the US, such as walking in public parks, hiking, and doing chin-ups on monkey bars. A lot of these older individuals are really strong, oftentimes with wrinkle-free skin, and I just started approaching them really curious about what they were doing. I asked about what they were eating, what they were doing to stay so vibrant.”
What is the difference between the Eastern and Western approach to health?
“During my training for Eastern medicine, I learned about the idea that we're connected to the environment and the universe. Now, I believe in an integrative approach. It's the idea that everything is interconnected.”
“ In Korea, there is the concept of jung, and it's very much attached to their wellness, that wellness is cemented by community. Jung is a Korean word that translates to deep relationships, kindness, compassion, and community. And it’s apparent in Eastern medicine that this kind of interconnectedness is present even in one’s body; that your brain and emotions can manifest into the physical.”
“In Western medicine, we are often treated for very specific causes, but in Eastern medicine, we often look at the root cause. This could mean looking into your personal history or what you’ve eaten.”
What did you find most interesting about your discoveries?
“It’s interesting because new science is actually only now catching up with the old wisdom. So, for example, the microbiome is becoming a really important concept in the field of wellness. Even just recently, a study was published on the fact that we have a microbiome in our brains. And we didn't know that before, but all of this knowledge is supported by the traditions of Korean Buddhist nuns or haenyeo female freedivers.”
“For example, for the Buddhist nuns, they practice what is called ‘temple food.’ They saute their food, or blanche it in order to retain the color and nutrients of their food. They add fermented condiments, which up the nutrition and help maintain friendly bacteria. They live mindfully and are very conscious of the ingredients they use.”
Why is this project so important to you?
“I wanted to preserve this wisdom that I was starting to see fade away in the modern world. There’s social impact behind these messages because 70% of chronic illnesses are estimated by the World Health Organization to be preventable with lifestyle changes.”
“There is also plenty about our diet that people may not know about. In the US, we focus on three major crops: wheat, rice, and corn. But there's over 300,000 edible plants in the world, and so much of that is wasted.”
What does self-care mean to you?
“ So often in the modern world, we're equating self-care to external beauty. But it's really about all the tiny little things that you can do to take care of yourself and your body. Self-care is calling a friend, taking a walk outside, eating fruit.”
“ Looking away from my computer is self-care for me. I’ll take deep breaths to de-stress, oxygenate my body, and energize myself. There are many little examples like that, that I feel like I used to discount, but are actually easy to do and really important.”
Connect with Michelle and purchase her book here
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