π INTRODUCTION
Many people dream of achieving success, recognition, and fame.
But what happens when you reach the top of your field and still feel empty inside?
Hang-woo L. once stood behind some of Korea’s biggest music stars during the golden age of Korean dance music.
As one of Korea’s first professional male backup dancers and choreographers, he performed alongside legendary artists including Insooni, Kim Wan-sun, Kim Gun-mo, Shin Seung-hun, Lee Seung-chul, and many others.
From the outside, his career appeared exciting and successful.
Yet behind the applause and television appearances, he struggled with disappointment, comparison, jealousy, and the lingering pain of dreams left unfinished.
Years later, after leaving the entertainment industry, he found himself exhausted both physically and emotionally.
Then a simple suggestion from his nephew led him to Master Woo Myung’s meditation method.
What began as a short break became a life-changing journey of self-discovery.
This meditation testimonial shares how a once-famous professional dancer found something greater than successβtrue happiness and inner freedom.
π¬ MEDITATION TESTIMONIAL: βTHE CHOICE OF A ONCE-FAMOUS PROFESSIONAL DANCERβ
By Hang-woo L. | Self-Employed Business Owner | Ansan, South Korea
πΊ Dance Was the First Thing That Made Me Feel Special
My journey with dance began unexpectedly during a university festival.
A friend and I saw a poster recruiting members for a dance club and decided to join.
At the time, I was shy and introverted.
I disliked standing in front of people.
No oneβincluding myselfβwould have guessed that I would become a professional dancer.
At first, dancing felt awkward.
But the more I practiced, the more I loved it.
Back then, I watched programs on AFKN, an American military television channel available in Korea.
I studied every movement.
I watched the movie Grease repeatedly.
I spent countless hours practicing.
Slowly, people began noticing.
Friends would say:
“You’re really good.”
The encouragement motivated me.
And before long, I actually became good.
At festivals and school events, people applauded my performances.
For the first time in my life, I felt recognized.
And I loved making people happy through dance.
π Becoming One of Korea’s First Professional Male Dancers
The 1980s were the height of the disco era.
Dance competitions were held throughout Korea.
Whenever I entered, I often won first place.
The prize money was significant.
Sometimes I even won televisions and stereo systems.
Then one day, an opportunity changed my life.
A manager working with singer Insooni contacted me and asked:
“Would you like to become a backup dancer?”
That single question opened the door to an entirely new career.
Soon I was working with many of Korea’s biggest artists.
Including:
- Insooni
- Kim Wan-sun
- Min Hae-kyung
- Kim Gun-mo
- Shin Seung-hun
- Lee Seung-chul
- Hyun Jin-young
I choreographed performances and led one of Korea’s most respected dance teams.
At one point, my team had nearly fifty dancers.
My schedule was packed.
Sometimes I appeared on multiple television programs in a single day.
To many people, I had achieved success.
π The Dream That Eventually Became Painful
Even though I loved dancing, the industry was difficult.
Working conditions were often poor.
Sometimes event organizers never paid us.
I constantly worried about paying my dancers.
I endured everything because of my passion.
But as time passed, the industry changed.
Competition increased.
New dance teams appeared.
Eventually, after more than ten years, I left professional dancing behind.
Later, I became self-employed and earned a stable living.
Yet something still bothered me.
Whenever I met younger dancers pursuing their dreams, painful feelings surfaced.
I felt as though I had failed to achieve the dream I truly wanted.
The emptiness remained.
To escape those feelings, I began drinking more frequently.
Over time, both my body and mind became exhausted.
π± The Meditation Journey I Never Expected
One day, my nephew looked at me and said:
“Uncle, you look exhausted. Why don’t you take some time to rest?”
Then he introduced me to this meditation.
Thinking it would simply be a short break, I packed some clothes and traveled to the main center in Nonsan.
When I arrived, they told me to sit quietly and meditate.
Honestly, my first reaction was:
“Oh no. I came to the wrong place.”
I thought I was coming to relax.
Instead, they wanted me to close my eyes and look back on my life.
But after a day, I decided:
“Since I’m already here, I should try it properly.”
That decision changed everything.
πͺ Seeing Myself Clearly for the First Time
As I followed the meditation method and reviewed my life, it felt like watching a movie.
By the third and fourth day, I experienced something shocking.
For the first time, I saw myself objectively.
I saw things I had never noticed before.
When someone was more successful than me, I felt jealous.
When someone seemed less successful, I looked down on them.
When dance styles evolved, I stubbornly insisted my way was the only correct way.
I believed I understood everything.
Yet in reality, I was trapped inside my own opinions and pride.
For the first time, I understood something important:
The biggest obstacle in my life had been myself.
That realization was painful.
But it was also liberating.
ποΈ Letting Go of the False Self
Once I saw my true condition, I wanted to change.
I began sincerely letting go of the thoughts and emotions that had controlled me for so many years.
Jealousy.
Pride.
Comparison.
Resentment.
Self-centeredness.
Layer by layer, they disappeared.
It felt like peeling an onion.
With each layer removed, I felt lighter.
Freer.
For the first time in my life, I experienced genuine rest.
Not a temporary vacation.
Not a brief distraction.
But deep inner peace.
πͺ My Body Changed Too
As my mind became lighter, my physical condition improved as well.
Before meditation, I regularly took medication for stress-related allergies.
Over time, I no longer needed it.
Both my body and mind felt healthier.
The changes surprised me.
I realized how deeply stress and emotional burdens had affected my life.
π Rediscovering Dance in a New Way
Today, every weekend, hundreds of people visit the Nonsan meditation center.
I volunteer by teaching dance.
And through that experience, I discovered something beautiful.
Dance is not about competition.
Dance is communication.
In the past, I danced because I wanted recognition.
I wanted success.
I wanted people to admire me.
Now, I dance simply to share joy.
When people dance together without comparing themselves to one another, the happiness is indescribable.
The experience feels completely different.
π Discovering True Happiness
Through meditation, I came to understand something simple yet profound:
Heaven and hell are created within the mind.
When we live trapped inside jealousy, pride, resentment, and self-centered thinking, life becomes painful.
But when we let go of those burdens and live with gratitude and love, life becomes peaceful.
The choice ultimately belongs to each person.
And for me, that choice changed everything.
π CONCLUSION
Hang-woo’s story demonstrates that external success alone cannot provide lasting happiness.
Although he achieved recognition and fame as one of Korea’s pioneering professional dancers, inner peace remained elusive.
Through meditation, he discovered the deeper causes of his suffering and gradually released the pride, comparison, jealousy, and disappointments that had accumulated throughout his life.
In doing so, he found something more valuable than applause or professional achievement:
True freedom.
True rest.
And true happiness.
Santa Clara Meditation
Helping people discover lasting happiness, inner peace, gratitude, and freedom through the meditation method of Master Woo Myung.
