Curriculum

+ Itong (理通) Method:
A study framework that unifies metaphysical and physical principles into an integrated path of understanding.

+ Whole-Person Training:
All students engage in breath-centered physical and mental cultivation (Cheji & Cheneung) throughout the entire program.

+ Five Stages of Breath Practice:
Training is structured around the five stages of:
Right Mind (Jeongshim 正心), Right Vision (Jeongsi 正視), Right Awakening (Jeonggak 正覺), Right Path (Jeongdo 正道), and Right Action (Jeonghaeng 正行).

+ One-on-One Mentorship:
Each student is paired with a dedicated professor (maximum of 3 students per professor) for close academic and personal guidance.

+ Academic Advancement:
Students must maintain an average score of 70 or above per semester to advance to the next term.

+ Retaking Courses:
Courses may be retaken if needed (within 5 years), with 50% tuition applied for repeat enrollment.

Curriculum

01. Breath as the Starting Point of Study

From the first year, students begin by mastering the Nine Foundations of Breathing—the essential practices of breath cultivation.
Only after fully embodying this foundational training do they enter the next phase of study, where theory and knowledge are integrated upon a stable inner base.

This approach ensures that all learning arises from direct experience, establishing an unshakable ground for deeper understanding.

02. Inquiry-Centered Learning: Finding My True Purpose

True leadership begins not from the outside, but from the inner spark.

Upon admission, each student selects a central life inquiry—a question rooted in global issues, societal challenges, national concerns, or a fundamental truth about human existence.
This question becomes their personal hwadu—a focal point for deep reflection.

Through ongoing dialogue, discussion, and presentation, students cultivate a leadership rooted in self-awareness, insight, and responsibility.

03. Study of Integrative Understanding (Tongri, 通理)

Integrative Study Across Breathwork Science, Humanities, Social & Natural Sciences

Through the study of Itong (理通)—the integrative understanding of principles—we cultivate multidimensional, creative, and holistic thinking.

Students explore the principles of breath, the laws of the cosmos and nature, and their connection to diverse fields such as philosophy, thought systems, science, medicine, religion, and the arts.

This cross-disciplinary approach builds a profound ability to perceive and respond to the world with clarity and insight.

Purpose of the School of Soom

The School of Soom seeks to cultivate morally grounded, integrative leaders who embody the philosophical vision of
Unified Harmony(一和統一) and Hongik Ingan, Jaese Ihwa(弘益人間在世理化)—to benefit all humanity and bring wisdom to the world.

Rooted in the ideal of “Governing with the Way, Illuminating the World through Principle”(以道與治光明理世), our educational goal is to guide students in harmonizing the physical and metaphysical realms—studying both the visible (形而下學) and the invisible (形而上學) through the medium of breath.

Through this integrated learning, students grow into whole human beings—leaders who are deeply centered in both their inner lives and outer actions.

Study of Do(道) through Breath

Do(道) Learning is the Path of Cultivation. It is the Study of Integrative Principle—Tongri(通理).

At the School of Soom, this ancient wisdom of Do(道) is brought to life through the study and practice of breath.

To awaken through the breath.
To return to one’s center.
To integrate the lives of Heaven, Earth, and Humanity—This is the path of the true transformative leader, capable of guiding this era from spiritual blindness(心盲) to heart-centered clarity (心解).

The School of Soom begins at the source—the breath—the most essential act of being.
Through breath, we cultivate the body, mind, and spirit as one.

From this foundation, we nurture centered leaders who can bring harmony to self, society, and the cosmos.

The School of Soom is dedicated to a way of life where practice and learning, self-cultivation and cosmic vision, become one unified path toward wholeness.

Educational Method of the School

Five-Stage Breathwork Practice

Mind-body training grounded in the five core stages of breath cultivation:
Right Mind(Jeongshim 正心), Right Vision(Jeongsi 正視), Right Awakening(Jeonggak 正覺), Right Path(Jeongdo 正道), and Right Action(Jeonghaeng 正行).

Integrative Knowledge Structure

Students learn across disciplines—society, humanities, natural sciences, technology, and the arts—under the guidance of top experts.
The goal is to connect knowledge with lived insight and integrative understanding.

Question-Centered Hwadu Learning

A self-directed inquiry model where each student chooses a fundamental life question (hwadu) to explore deeply in relation to self and the world.

Three-Polarity Alignment Principle (Samgeuk Jeongnip)

Training that begins with calming the energy of the eol (soul),
followed by harmonizing the three polarities of body, mind, and spirit—
preparing the ground for breath cultivation and haenggong (energy movement practice).

Mentorship & 1:1 Guided Study

Each student selects one guiding professor to accompany them throughout their journey—from admission to graduation—
offering personal guidance, mentorship, and practice-based support.

Curriculum Structure for Research Fellowship

The School of Soom’s Research Fellowship is a three-year, six-semester program. Each academic year consists of two main areas of study:

1/ Breathwork Science

2/ Humanities, Social Sciences, and Natural Sciences

Curriculum

Year 1

正心 (Jeong-sim) + 正視 (Jeong-si) Course

Breathwork Science/

Foundational Nine-Step Breathing Method, Danjeon Breathing, Jisik Breathing
Jung-ang-50-to-Danbeop Haeng-gong
Ki Circulation & Flow Methods, Kisin-Beop
Stage of Self-Recognition

Humanities, Social Sciences & Natural Sciences/

Historical and Societal Evolution of Humanity
Philosophical Inquiry into the Essence of Life
Integrated Study of Living Beings, the Human Body, and the Greater Cosmos

1

Year 2

正覺 (Jeong-gak) Course

Breathwork Science/

Josik Breathing
Geon-gon Danbeop Haeng-gong
Cultivation of Critical Insight & Social Responsibilit

Humanities, Social Sciences & Natural Sciences/

Yin-Yang and the Five Elements
Study of the I Ching (Classic of Changes) and Jeongyeok (Corrected Canon of Changes)
Dialogue Between Eastern and Western Thought

2

Year 3

正道(Jeong-gak) + 正行(Jeong-haeng) Course

Breathwork Science/

Jayeon Breathing, Hwaki Breathing
Wonki Danbeop Haeng-gong
Development of Global Leadership & Social Application Skills

Humanities, Social Sciences & Natural Sciences/

Physics, Quantum Mechanics, and Meridian Theory
Individual Concentration & Advanced Study

3

Yr 1

01

1st Semester

Foundational Training

Yr 1

02

2nd Semester

Study of the Essence of Life

Yr 2

03

3rd Semester

Embodied Learning

Yr 2

04

4th Semester

Holistic Education

Yr 3

05

5th Semester

Major Concentration

Yr 3

06

6th Semester

Self-Initiated Deep Research

Program for Senior Research Fellowship

The Senior Research Fellowship at the School of Soom is a 3-year residential program conducted at the Soom Campus.
It consists of: 1 year of internship, followed by 2 years of residency training.
Upon completion of the program, graduates who wish to continue may become eligible to sit for the certification exam to become an official Bakdol-beop instructor or lineage transmitter (Jeonsuja).

Intern

1-Year Course

A residential program at the Soom Campus where participants observe, learn, and internalize the Soom Incubating Program through direct experience and practice.

Resident

2-Year Course

Students engage in both external and internal training (Oegong & Naegong), while simultaneously deepening their study of the human body and the cosmos, as well as human psychology and the universal spirit.

Resident

practitioner

3-Year Course

For resident practitioners (Suhaengja, 修行者) who live and train at the Soom Campus, a dedicated course of study is offered in place of the standard 3-year undergraduate program.

Upon completing this residential track, practitioners become eligible to enter the School of Soom’s Research Fellowship program.

Students must achieve an average score of 70 or above in each semester’s academic evaluation in order to advance to the next term.

If a student does not meet the minimum score requirement, they must retake the semester and undergo reevaluation.
A maximum of four semester retakes is permitted over the course of the 3-year program.
If the student fails to meet the academic standard after four retakes, further enrollment will not be possible.

During a retake period, 50% of the original tuition will be applied.

To ensure that students fully embody and internalize the foundation of human development—the breath—
the entire curriculum is integrated with continuous breath-centered training and practice.

Over the course of the 3-year undergraduate program, students engage in a progressive breathwork journey through five core stages:

Right Mind (Jeongshim 正心)
Right Vision (Jeongsi 正視)
Right Awakening (Jeonggak 正覺)
Right Path (Jeongdo 正道)
Right Action (Jeonghaeng 正行)

These five levels form the backbone of the School of Soom’s breath cultivation system, uniting physical, mental, and spiritual development.

Upon admission, each student at the School of Soom has the opportunity to select a guiding professor.

This mentor serves not only as an academic advisor, but also as a spiritual companion (doban)—providing guidance throughout the entire journey, from enrollment to graduation.

Each guiding professor may mentor up to three students, ensuring a close and personalized relationship that supports deep learning and steady growth.

Students must achieve an average score of 70 or above in each semester’s academic evaluation in order to advance to the next term.

During a retake period, 50% of the original tuition will be applied.