A group of people gathered in front of an ancient palace in Seoul for a special trip last Tuesday. They were there for a healing trip.

- I was worried about getting a job. It was hard for me to travel far, but I heard about this healing trip in the city. I came to relax. I was under so much stress that I wanted to go on a slow and relaxing trip.
- I was exhausted from so much work at work. This day trip is a rest for me. I didn’t come here expecting something profound, but simply a chance to relieve stress.

Going on a trip can be a transforming experience in itself. It can delight you senses by offering you a chance to indulge in spectacular scenery or tasty local cuisine. But these people chose a travel program with a specific theme of healing. What is healing and why do Koreans seek healing in their lives? Here’s psychological healer Kang Min-cheol to answer that question.

Healing takes place in our minds. It means relaxing, detoxing, and recharging. It has to do with our state of mind. We need to find out how we’re really feeling and how to eat well, rest well, and live well.

Healing applies to both our body and mind. We can heal by first revealing our pains or shames buried deep in our hearts. Confession and forgiving release us from the shackles of pain. In this competitive society we tend to hide our shortcomings and wounds in ourselves lest we should appear weak to the others. But healing requires us to open up and release ourselves from the oppressing force of our mistakes and wrongdoings. Nowadays the word “healing” is applied to just about every aspect of our lives – healing camp, healing play, healing books, healing café, healing trekking, healing music. Healing has become the trendiest keyword for our lives today.

That was a scene from a musical titled “Healing Heart,” which ran from March 13 through May 31. The musical play was about bullying and suicide prevention. Despite the seriousness of the social issues portrayed here, the musical moved the hearts of the audiences with a solid plot and comical elements interspersed throughout the story. It inspired people instead of moralizing them. Here’s the production company chief Lee Bo-kyung.

Healing Heart deals with suicide. There are so many people today who choose to kill themselves. When we looked at why they committed suicides, we realized that they were all infected with the trauma-induced suicide virus. That’s why we planned the Healing Heart musical. Our play features a cast of people who have reasons to kill themselves, but they eventually find reasons to live over the course of the play. I hope people who see the musical would take a moment to look around them and find reasons to heal themselves.

All the characters in the musical want to kill themselves for various reasons. One man in his 30s despairs at no job prospect, a twenty-something woman struggles under heavy debt, a wannabe star can’t catch a break, and a teenager is driven to suicide by school violence and bullying. The circumstances of these people are grim and the story could have gotten too hopeless. But the musical features a witty character who gives them hope.

I admit that the subject matter was too serious for the public. So I decided to include comical elements. The play features a funny angel to add a humane and comical aspect. This angel is sent down to earth, because there isn’t enough room up in heaven to accommodate all the souls of people who committed suicide. The angel tells the people contemplating suicide to save others from killing themselves if he or she wants to die, but they end up finding their own reasons to live while trying to save others.

The characters try to save a person at the top of the suicide list so that they can get a chance to commit suicide first. But during the process they realize that they have a lot to live for.

While trying to convince a despondent person to live, the characters find hope and the will to live. In the end every character in the musical is motivated to live a full life.

As the musical shows the way from despair to hope, people experience emotional and psychological healing together with the cast. The audience leaves the theater feeling so much better and grateful.

- Since I’m a mother, I empathized with the bullied student. Her family didn’t know that she was being bullied. She wanted to tell them, but her family, wrapped up in their own problems, failed to listen.
- I’m a middle school student and my mom tells me a lot about suicide and the pain it causes.
- I can’t find a job and life is hard for me. I came to see the musical so I can be healed in some way. The musical inspired me and now I’m going to forge ahead with my life.
- I’m a college senior and under a lot of stress. But after watching the musical, I realized that my problems are nothing compared to others. The play gave me something to think over.

The healing trip takes place at an ancient palace in Seoul. Here’s the psychological therapist Kang Min-cheol again.

Other travel programs take you to a place where you can enjoy the scenery and experience local cultures. This healing trip combines the merits of travel with the benefits of therapeutic healing. There is a therapist instead of a tour guide to help people find various cures for their ills. This healing trip allows people to experience emotional and psychological well-being through a natural process.

All the participants of this healing trip program wish for some relaxation and a quiet time to heal their hearts. There are many different programs available for people seeking emotional and psychological healing. Here’s Mr. Yoon Deok-hyun of Nomad Travel Agency to explain more.

Healing trip incorporates meditation, yoga, and psychological counseling, among other things. Taking a trip is relaxing and comforting in itself. But most people cannot detach themselves completely from their everyday lives even while traveling. Our healing trip aims to encourage people to leave their burdens behind and explore their inner selves. We even offer an orientation session before the trip to teach people about meditation. Our program encourages people to share their feelings with others and to heal themselves through walking and meditation.

People taking this trip are not there for sightseeing or taking pictures. The main activities involve meditation, sharing innermost thoughts, and enjoying nature. The purpose of this program is to accurately diagnose one’s state of mind and find a way to heal one’s emotional wounds. Under the guidance of the healer-slash-tour guide, people take a deep breath in the serenity of an ancient palace. When they find calm, they have the luxury of taking in their surroundings.

The wind is no different from that felt everyday and the birds chirp the same way as they’ve always done. But somehow everything feels different today. People close their eyes and open their arms before sharpening their senses to appreciate nature. Soon they realize that they can feel nature with their entire being.

- The wind blowing between my fingers is refreshing.
- I feel the wind embracing me. It feels cool, moist, and soft.
- It feels so nice and comfortable that I want to lie down. I feel my mind and body calming down. It feels really nice.

They feel comforted when nature envelopes them with its tenderness. Their heavy hearts feel lightened and their heads cluttered with worries seem to clear up.

- I wanted to have some time to think by myself, but I realized through this program that it was better for me to focus away from myself. If I had gone on an ordinary trip, I would have been too busy taking pictures and seeing the sights to really appreciate the winds, the birds, and nature. But here I was able to hear my own breathing and the rustling of the leaves, which calmed me down better than any traveling or rest.
- I meditated with the healer guide, and I was able to achieve peace of mind. It felt really nice. My head seemed to clear up, free of inconsequential thoughts.

Well-being used to mean eating well and living well. But the time has come for Koreans to feel psychological well-being. Healing of a soul involves more than just physical well-being, but feeling comforted and understood. A person hardened by life’s hardship needs to be healed psychologically and emotionally. Today’s people feel exhausted and hurt, which is why there are so many healing programs becoming available to make people healthier in both mind and body. Taking part in these healing processes may very well lead you to the path of happiness.