ShinsungHwa: Visualizing Yogi Han Joo-hoon’s Spiritual Energy (2020)
What is ShinsungHwa?
ShinsungHwa is a unique form of spiritual art where drawings emerge through spontaneous, flowing movements. Artists tap into their subject’s energy and let Qi(氣) guide their hands, creating geometric patterns that serve as a universal language.
An Explanation of Yogi Han Joo-hoon’s ShinsungHwa
The oldest recorded yoga teachings come to us through Patanjali‘s Yoga Sutras. What’s fascinating is that Patanjali never mentioned physical postures or asanas. His focus was entirely on meditation and understanding the mind. Physical yoga came later with Hatha Yoga, which approached things differently—it viewed the body as a vehicle for transforming consciousness, starting with the physical and moving inward.
Hatha Yoga developed what we recognize today as physical practice, designed to help prana flow freely through the body. Alongside asanas, it includes pranayama—breath work. The ultimate aim is awakening kundalini energy, where energy centers called chakras along the spine gradually open, guiding practitioners toward cosmic consciousness. This is why yoga was never just exercise—it’s a practice that allows our true nature to emerge.
Yogi Han Joo-hoon started teaching yoga in Korea long before it gained popularity there. His background includes remarkable stories of childhood memories from past lives, where he practiced yoga movements without any instruction. The yoga from his previous lifetimes seemed to carry over into this one.
In his ShinsungHwa, you can observe his ‘path to the spiritual core’ rendered in two distinct layers, while ‘spiral energy’ radiates outward from his ‘spiritual core,’ extending well beyond the paper’s edges. Throughout his body, energy centers—chakras—appear as symbolic forms. The ‘symbol of light‘ at his head stands out prominently among other elements. Two distinct energy flows surround his body, each stemming from his ‘spiritual core’ and ‘path to the spiritual core,’ then connecting down to his feet and the material center below.
He now operates a yoga center on Jeju Island, where he continues guiding students. Yoga practitioners from around the world seek him out for his teachings.
