I’ve been back to Korea dozens of times over the years and have pretty much checked off everything on my bucket list. However this fall, on my list for the first time was the Korean comprehensive health check-up. I was a bit nervous about it, but it ended up being one of the best things I’ve…
Korean Spas Guide: Pampering the Korean Way It’s not just you. Summer days do feel far away. If the cold season seems especially tough this year, do yourself a favor and take a Korean spa day. How are Korean spas different from American spas? Well, a meal at a conventional restaurant or at a Vegas…
Longevity and healthy aging are hot topics these days. The Wall Street Journal recently reported a spike in interest in ice baths while Harvard genetics professor David Sinclair offers a compelling argument for becoming healthier through actions such as calorie restriction, cold therapy, and of course exercise in his bestseller “Lifespan: Why We Age and…
Air Purifiers are the norm in most homes in Korea due to the wildly fluctuating air quality. Many Americans are following suit. As New York City and the entire Northeast US experienced the worst air pollution in recent memory this week due to Canadian wildfires, air purifiers have become as essential as they are in…
One of the interesting things about acupuncture is that it truly is ancient. It was developed from the start by rejecting superstition and pursuing rational thinking. The Yellow Emperor’s Inner Canon (黄帝内经, Huangdi Neijing, 황제내경), which was first compiled around 475-222 BC, listed on the UNESCO World Heritage, contains 800,000 Chinese characters and covers numerous details…
Noona’s Noonchi is a column for Best of Korea by Jeanie Chang, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. Dear Noona’s Noonchi, I just saw the movie, “Umma,” and it got me thinking about the relationship with my own mom. There’s a scene near the end of the movie that made me realize that perhaps my mom…
“Ki is the vital energy of life fundamental for circulation, metabolism, and changes in the body. This flow of this energy is crucial for sustaining life.” Traditional Korean Medicine (TKM) or Hanbang, is a fundamental component of Korean culture. Medicinal herbs and acupuncture have been used in Korea to treat and prevent sickness and injury…
Modern Grace is a monthly column for Best of Korea by Yoojin Grace Wuertz One of my earliest memories of Americans after moving to New Jersey as a six-year-old was hearing a particularly brash peer announce, “My parents will SUE YOU!” whenever she was displeased about something. Keep in mind this was a 1980s working-class…
We are grieving and feeling a tremendous amount of pain and fear. The escalating rhetoric and violence against Asians culminated in a mass shooting in Atlanta last week where eight people were killed, six of them Asian women, four of them Korean. They were murdered as they worked to support themselves and their families. In the…
“She says she remembers it was September when you came to her, because the cosmos flowers were blooming.” Cats are very good at making themselves comfortable. My pair curl up, on or in any space possible, whether it be a soft, fluffy pillow, or a pile of important paperwork. But they’re still suspicious about why I’ve…