As we become adults
The greatest gift you can give yourself is
Sometimes it's about being completely alone.

Actor Kim Ji-ho's first prose collection
Broadcaster Choi Hwa-jung highly recommends!
On the mat, I discovered strengths I didn't even know I had.
About the body and mind muscles that have been strengthened through yoga and meditation for 10 years.

“As I continued to practice yoga, I realized that it was an act of controlling the mind.
“I felt less swayed by the light breezes of emotion.”

10 years of yoga and meditation

The sight of Kim Ji-ho doing yoga alone on a mat with a clean face and no makeup is similar to the moment I first met her on TV 30 years ago.
With a refreshing smile like summer and a lively boy-like appearance that is different from existing actors.


Kim Ji-ho, who seemed like she would always be elegant living as a top actor, is always easygoing and easygoing.
I always walk long distances or take the bus, and I always carry a yoga mat with me wherever I go.
It's already been 10 years since I started practicing yoga and meditation.
Even when my heart is agitated or anxious, or at any moment of choice, I quietly get on the mat alone and catch my breath.
The busy daily life and complicated thoughts can be easily shaken off by moving your body and focusing.
I began to document the joy of yoga and meditation, as well as the changes in myself, and wanted to share this fulfillment with others, living up to my recent nickname, “Yoga Evangelist.”
Above all, I published my first collection of essays because I wanted to share with many people the process of finding the strength to turn my gaze inward and focus on myself even in the midst of suffering and despair.

The lessons I learned through my body on the mat filled my lack of confidence.
It allowed me to let go of the useless, vain things that I had been holding onto.
It changed me from being rigid to being able to have soft and comfortable relationships.
My perspective on the world has changed.
And just by noticing the unpleasant feelings that were fading away as I stayed within myself, my life began to change for sure.

--- p.12 From the "Prologue"

All good things that can only be obtained through repeated training are hard.
So, no matter the reason, people always say, 'Just do it.'
Through repetition of such training, I seem to be able to focus on myself more easily and become more mature.
I now know that even if you don't feel passionate at first, if you keep repeating it, a different feeling and passion will eventually emerge.

--- p.24 From “All good things have a difficult beginning”

Even if you can't do it, if you stand on your head for about 3 minutes and come down, the thumping sound in your head will suddenly disappear.
I can defy the gravity that pulls me down every day and shake off the dusty thoughts and stagnant flow.

--- p.42 From “Letting Go of Doubt and Standing Upside Down”

When you do something because someone else forces you to do it or because it looks good to others, you end up complaining and getting tired easily.
But when I have the passion and goal within me, I can willingly endure pain and suffering.
Training to bring the gaze directed outward inward.
Become stronger through changes that gradually change you, make you stronger, and make you healthier.

--- p.56 From "30 Minutes of 'Idleness' Listening to Me"

When I went to the yoga studio, the people in the front row, their bellies sticking to their backs and showing off their radiant muscles, looked like shining stars.
Seeing these beautiful women in their 40s doing yoga in bra tops and leggings made me envious, and it made me realize how lazy I've been, and it also gave me a new goal.
'Let's try on clothes like those.
Let's take care of the stomach a little.
I'll try putting the belly skin on my back too.'
--- p.74 From “No matter your age or body type”

On Earth, I am Kim Ji-ho, but when I meditate, I feel like I am a lightning rod, a momentary conductor that draws in the energy of the universe.
The purpose of yoga and meditation is to strengthen muscles and make movements more flexible, but also to create a state where you can flow naturally without stiffness or blockage.
On days when I suddenly become able to do things I couldn't do before, on days when I calmly feel the energy through meditation, that resonance creates waves in my body like this.

--- p.91 From “Eliminate thoughts and meditate!”

After meditating for 20 minutes and returning to Earth, the problems that were huge and difficult 20 minutes ago have become small.
If I look again after keeping a suitable distance, I see myself wandering around in it.
And then something else changes in my mind.
At some point, I felt like I wanted to get along with everything that came my way.
Whether good or bad, emotional turmoil has largely disappeared.

--- p.94 From “Keeping Your Eyes Away”

Doing yoga has brought about small but big changes.
The first thing is to have the courage to do what I like.
After trying it, I realized that it wasn't a big deal and I started to worry less about buying it.
"So what if it's a hassle? If you don't do it and run away, you'll only be left with regret and longing."
Today, I received an offer to appear as a guest on a program, and I answered coolly, “I’ll do it, I’ll try!”
Although I have worries and anxieties creeping in after answering, I try to get along with the things that come my way.

--- p.100 From “Taking Action Without Fear”

It's the same at work.
As soon as I started acting, I gained a lot of popularity right away.
As an actor, I was so unprepared in so many ways that I think it was difficult for me to even stand still on my own two legs.
At that time, I was only obsessed with standing tall without falling.
Will it shake?
Will it fall?
Will someone laugh?
Should I grumble that I can't do it?
Even before I started, I was always scared and terrified, so I was busy running away.
As I practiced yoga and turned my gaze from outward to inward, I thought a lot about myself back then.

--- p.116 From “Standing on One Foot Like a Deep-Rooted Tree”

I now know that what feels as natural as breathing to some may feel like a suffocating control to others.
Because I lived my entire life within the framework of other people's gaze, I was not free from the framework of self-censorship.

--- p.166 From “Don’t be swayed by the evaluation of others”

When you are greedy, your body becomes weak.
The more you focus on your breathing, the more your body will relax and you will be able to use your strength more smoothly.
Life seems to be the same.
The more you want to do well, the more strength you need and the more rigid you become.
In a hurry, mistakes are made.
If you become too anxious to make up for your mistakes, you may find it difficult to bring out your best.
It means to let go of strength.
It means to relax your body, mind, and thoughts.
Ultimately, I think that is the positive state that I want to reach through this practice.

--- p.171 From “The Art of Letting Go”

I used to be hesitant around strangers and people from different fields, but now I am curious and open-minded.
It's only at this age that I feel like I'm finally expanding more.
My boundaries may have become much more blurred.
I am gradually saying goodbye to the boundaries I have awkwardly created on my own.

--- p.231 From “Time to Expand Myself”

It's okay to live there, finding your center in one way or another.
Because it is the law of nature that if you gain, you lose, and if you lose, you gain.
If I hold on to everything, I can't grasp new things, so I practice letting go of the rest and keeping only the things I truly pursue.
As I live my life encouraging and supporting myself, I quietly meet and accept the changes in myself.

--- p.252 From “Accepting ‘Change’”