Body & Brain

In 1985 the first Dahn Yoga Center opened in downtown Seoul. By 1990, fifty locations were teaching Dahn Yoga in South Korea. In 1991, the first U.S. Dahn Yoga Center was opened in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In 1997 the Sedona Ilchi Meditation Center (SIMC) was established in Sedona, Arizona.

Lee cohosted a conference in Seoul, South Korea, on June 15, 2001, called the New Millennium World Peace Humanity Conference. A document outlining Lee's vision, titled the "Declaration of Humanity," was signed by attendees, including Maurice Strong and Seymour Topping.

The Dahn Yoga Foundation was created in 2006, offering classes at senior centers, community centers, churches, public parks, offices, schools and hospitals. Dahn Yoga Foundation volunteers participate in community service projects.

In 2015, Dahn Yoga changed its name to Body & Brain.

Controversy

There have been accusations that the organization operates a manipulative "cult" that uses coercive persuasion and thought reform methods to create deeply devoted Dahn masters (teachers) who persuade others to devote all their time, energy, and money to Body & Brain programs, events, and ceremonies, and to become loyal Dahn masters themselves.

On January 5, 2010, CNN broadcast a critical report about the organization with interviews of former Brain & Body members alleging severe physical, mental and financial abuse by Brain & Body personnel and staff, including one former member stating she was coerced into donating funds to the organization by taking out student loans totaling over US$40,000. Allegations were dismissed in the United States District Court for the District of Arizona August 25, 2010.

Rolling Stone Magazine published an article in March 2010 entitled "The Yoga Cult" alleging that "Dahn's calling itself 'yoga' is just a marketing ploy to enhance its appeal to Americans;" that instead it is a mind control cult designed to part people from their money. According to the article, the group brought in $30 million in the U.S. in 2009 and charges as much as $100,000 for a seminar.

An article in Forbes magazine in July 2009 contained similar allegations against Body & Brain. It reported allegations by former members that they were pressured to train to become paid "Dahn Masters," paying up to $10,000 each for workshops that lasted as long as three weeks. If students could not afford the training, the article states, they were encouraged to take out loans and carry credit card debt. Plaintiffs in a suit against the group claim that once they became "Dahn Masters" they were then given recruitment and revenue quotas that had them working up to 120 hours per week.

The "Brain Training Center", formerly "Dahn World", was reported on by Korean magazine Religion and Truth for deceptive advertising, targeting seniors over 60 with claims of reversing aging by 30 years. It operates a high-cost program called "Jangsaeng School (Kindergarten)," charging up to 5 million KRW, and promotes exaggerated claims such as drinking "Hwangjasu" water to regain youth. Investigations revealed that the products in question were manufactured in residential homes or warehouse-like facilities. Additionally, inventions developed by disciples were patented under Ilchi Lee and his family's company, allowing them to collect royalties.

Wrongful Death Suit

Among other media reports, a 2006 CBS news report and the Village Voice described a wrongful death lawsuit filed against Body & Brain's founder and related entities. According to the lawsuit, Julia Siverls, 41, died in 2003 from heat stroke and dehydration during a master training hike at the Ilchi Meditation Center in Sedona. The lawsuit also accuses the Lee of "breaking wage and immigration laws, evading taxes and sexually abusing female disciples." According to a document filed by the Southern District of New York of the United States District Court, the case was dismissed on August 1, 2008.