The Book of Korean Self-Care: K-beauty, healing foods, traditional medicine, mindfulness, and much more

by Isa Kujawski

Improve the overall health and balance in your life with Korean wellness practices and traditions of mind and spirit, nature, skincare, food as medicine, and natural healing.

Join holistic wellness and integrative nutrition expert Isa Kujaswski, MPH, RDN, to discover Korean wellbeing concepts and centuries-old healing traditions. Explore the mind and spirit practices of sohwakhaeng (small but certain happiness), Kuok Sundo breathing (a form of meditation), and worabel (Korean slang for work-life balance). Learn about "hitting mung" to empty one’s mind, and salim yok (forest bathing) where you immerse yourself in nature. Find the healing benefits in foods, including kimchi for digestive wellness and the use of medicinal ingredients such as ginseng, ginger, and green tea. Take a closer look at Korean skincare, known around the world for resulting in glowing skin, and discover spa techniques such as seshin , a scrubbing ritual, that you can use at home to unwind and detoxify. Connecting nutrition, mental wellbeing, and Korean healing concepts, this book shows how to find true wealth through vibrant health.

Genres: Nonfiction

144 pages, Hardcover

Published January 10, 2023

Reviews

[Kira · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was really hyped about this book - it looks beautiful! I must agree with many comments though that it lacks depth and it’s a very short introduction to each of the concepts introduced.
You can read it in 1 day practically.
There is a lot of “dead space” on the pages that could have been filled with more information and detail. I was expecting an actual “how-to” about each of the meditation instead of just what they are.
I loved that book incorporates actual Korean language which helps if you learn it.

[Courtney Te Moana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This little book introduces a variety of different ideas on how you can look after yourself, but all a very brief. It was a nice read to find out about lots of different things you could go away and research further what you connect with.

[Fay · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good introduction to Korean wellness, including food and mindfulness. However, it is very brief and does not go into any depth, meaning I didn't learn anything new apart from mung meditation.

[Francine Chu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy to read; a nice basic intro to hitting the mung, sasang types and honjok

[Angeli · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book to be a nice, but very basic intro to korean self-care concepts. It is a light read that could be taken in doses or even read in one sitting.

I like that it has a relatively wide range of topics. There was also some useful information to contextualize the practices and some tips and recommendations to put the concepts into practice. I also did learn a few "new" things as I read. The photos and overall aesthetic of the book were quite pleasing too.

That said, I think this book may be more of a gateway to learning about korean self-care rather than an actual reference. Admittedly, a lot of the topics already seemed too familiar, so the discussions could have used a bit more depth so as to offer something more substantial to newbies, or else something a bit more engaging to enthusiasts. Also in some cases, I wished there were also more useful (and better positioned) photos to support the text.

Generally, I wouldn't use this as essential reading for the topic. But it is a pleassnt enough read if it happens to be accessible.