While staying in Italy, Ha Min-seo, the CEO of Villa Erbatium, learned how to create fragrances by studying under a 70-year-old artisan perfumer who had devoted her life to developing cosmetics and perfumes. Inspired by the Italian tradition of sharing high-value culture through “villas,” Ha returned to Korea and opened “Villa Erbatium,” suggesting a new alternative to Korea’s fragrance culture The store, which looks like an antique Italian salon, is permeated with a gentle, natural scent that automatically makes you feel good. The name Villa Erbatium (Erbatium meaning “herbs are budding”) perfectly suits the space, which fosters a culture of being emotionally connected to fragrances that promote rest and solace. Ha is an expert perfumer, certified international aroma therapist, and crafter of customized cosmetics who develops and creates various fragrances. Ha is also planning to start an aroma therapy class. “I’m planning to hold a seminar to help more people understand the pharmacological properties of natural fragrances,” said Ha. “Through the seminar, participants can gain a theoretical understanding of the efficacies of natural fragrances and experience firsthand the joy of blending natural fragrances and using them to make different products.”

Sojeonseolim, is a private library with 40,000 books that is housed in the basement of an artistic-looking building located at the center of Cheongdam-dong. The library is much like an unexplored land that stimulates the imagination of all who visit. If you walk down the white stairs and push the steel door open, you will find yourself in a secret world. Between rows of books packed together along the walls are comfortable chairs designed by international furniture brands, such as Fritz Hansen and Vitra. There are also different partitions throughout the library that create private, one-person reading nooks. If you walk past the center of the library, you will see a piano in the main hall and a collection of books in foreign languages. At the center of the library there is a wide desk where you can read as many books as you want. There are also “dice” chairs designed by Ar3 Design Studio especially for Sojeonseolim. Although the library is located in a basement, it is a large, open space with a ceiling that is 4.9 m high. Sojeonseolim is a membership-based library that opened in place of “WAP Art Space,” which had been operated by the WAP Foundation since 2016. The director of Sojeonseolim is Hwangbo Yumi, who received a doctorate degree from University Paris 10 and worked at the planning and PR team of the Korean National Ballet before managing the operation of Sojeonseolim. “At first, I worked to sort out the books that weren’t considered good books,” said Hwangbo. “It took a long time to curate the books because I worked carefully in each area, such as art, literature, and philosophy.” Sojeonseolim also serves as an art gallery by housing paintings and a collection of foreign art books and by running a monthly art tour for visitors who want to know more about the library’s artworks.

Located on the eastern foothills of Bukhansan Mountain, Hwagyesa Temple was founded by Seonsa (seon master) Sinwolin during the mid-Joseon dynasty. The temple was burned down during the reign of King Gwanghaegun, but the Hwagyesa Temple that remains standing today was rebuilt with the offerings provided by the kings of Joseon. Hwagyesa Temple is a great place to visit when you want to escape from your busy urban life but are having trouble getting away. Although the temple is located in the downtown area, it is surrounded by a lush forest, making it feel completely cut off from the hustle and bustle of the city. Hwagyesa Temple offers a templestay program in which visitors can leisurely rest at the temple for up to three nights. A Relaxation Templestay program, titled “Only Rest,” will also be in operation by December 25 of this year. The templestay programs include Buddhist activities, such as a temple tour, talking with a monk over tea, meditation, and 108 prostrations. Visitors can also engage in meditation and the 108 prostrations individually any time they want at any of the Buddhist shrines located throughout the temple grounds. Many templestay participants say that the most memorable activity at the temple is having tea with the head monk, who answers questions anonymously written down and submitted by the templestay participants. The templestay program often draw more attention from non-Buddhists than it does from Buddhists. Some people say that you seek a religion when you want to rely on something, but in Buddhism, when you spend time alone, you begin to realize that you can rely on yourself. Start your own journey to wellness by visiting a mountain temple and getting the chance to focus completely on yourself, if even for a short time.

There is one Buddhist structure that stands tall amidst Seoul’s many skyscrapers. This grand and imposing structure is the Jogye Order International Seon Center, which is sure to catch your eye even from far away. Located only a 10-minute walk from Omokgyo Station on Seoul Subway Line 5, the International Seon Center promulgates Korean Buddhism and traditional Korean culture. The center offers visitors the chance to experience Korean Buddhist culture through templestays, temple food cooking programs, and other programs designed for both Koreans and foreigners. Some of the most popular programs include the templestay and meditation class designed for foreigners. The center has an organizational system in place so that it can provide information in English at any time, allowing the staff members to kindly explain traditional Buddhist ascetic methods to foreign visitors. These programs and services allow non-Korean speakers to experience traditional Korean culture first hand. Ever since the Netflix documentary “Chef’s Table” aired featuring Buddhist nun Jeong Kwan there has been a growing interest internationally in Korean temple food. The experience of cooking temple food, not just tasting it, is becoming more and more popular among foreigners. In response, the International Seon Center opened a temple food experience hall and now operates an educational program, in which monks explain and demonstrate how to cook temple food and participants cook and taste their own food. This type of educational program helps non-natives gain a deeper understanding of the culture of a different country. The center hopes to contribute to people’s healthy lives by helping them enjoy healthy temple food at home.

Jogyesa Temple was founded by Buddhist monks during the Japanese colonial period for the purposes of preserving the autonomy of Joseon Buddhism and recovering the nation’s independence. The temple is known as the first temple ever to be built within the four main gates of the capital city. Since its foundation, the temple has continued to remain open to all people?practicing Buddhists, citizens enjoying the temple’s landscapes throughout the four seasons and partaking in the temple’s Buddhist festivals, foreign tourists hoping to experience the Buddhist culture of Korea, and even people using the temple as a shortcut on their way to somewhere else. Thanks to Jogyesa Temple, the deep-rooted Buddhist culture of Korea has remained near to the nation’s citizens without the need for them to go to the deep mountains to visit a temple. Jogyesa Temple, a highly accessible temple, has prepared an accommodation facility right in front of the Daeungjeon Hall in the precincts of the temple and operates three different templestays?a relaxation stay, an experiential stay, and a one-day stay. The Relaxation Templestay has been particularly popular this year. During the Relaxation Templestay, you can experience different programs and then kick back and relax the rest of the time. The lengths of the stays range from one to three nights. Since the temple is easily reachable even if you don’t have a car, many templestay participants are local college students in their twenties. The Experiential Templestay offers programs that allow participants to experience the daily life of a Buddhist ascetic for one night and two days. The programs enable participants to taste Korean temple cuisine and perform seon meditation together with the Buddhist monks, allowing participants to experience a sense of sacredness that may be difficult for them to feel in their everyday lives. The Experiential Templestay is run once a month, on the last Saturday and Sunday of the month.

Chun Sia, CEO of Zentherapy Natural Healing Center and a singing bowl instructor, says that “deep relaxation” is one of the many merits of singing bowl meditation. According to Chun, “Singing bowl mediation allows you to “reach a deep state of relaxation in a short amount of time, experience a sense of freedom from distraction, and achieve the type of healing you need.” She also says, “Pausing and enjoying deep relaxation allows you to unlock the natural self-healing power of your own body.”Ever since the coronavirus pandemic began, more and more people have been suffering from emotional stress and anxiety disorders. Singing bowl therapy is a particularly useful way to relieve anxiety and depression. A singing bowl is a traditional Tibetan musical instrument. When struck or rubbed on its outer surface, the singing bowl rings and makes waves of sound. The rich vibrations and tremors can be felt by the hands and the entire body. Singing bowls help people living in busy modern times to quickly and easily immerse themselves in meditation and to enjoy a healing moment anytime, anywhere. In fact, some people are able to concentrate on the sounds and vibrations in just five minutes, completely freeing themselves from distracting thoughts, worries, and stress. If you are exhausted from your hectic urban life, try a one-day class filled with crystal singing bowls, Osho, and aroma singing bowl medication! Zentherapy Natural Healing Center also offers one-on-one medication sessions and a singing bowl instructor course. The center also operates the Zen Healing Shop, which sells singing bowls, meditation tools, and books.

Although apartments have long since been the representative residence style of Seoul, one of the types of residences that are the most familiar and comfortable to many Koreans is the hanok. Hanok villages have been designated throughout several places in Seoul in order to preserve the beauty and value of this type of traditional housing. One of these villages, Eunpyeong Hanok Village, is tranquilly nestled at the foot of Bukhansan Mountain, with the Seochon and Bukchon villages located nearby at Namsan Mountain. Eunpyeong Hanok Village was the last of the three villages to be officially designated a “hanok village” and was completed in 2017 as a “21st century Seoul-style hanok” residential complex. At Eunpyeong Hanok Village, the forms and identities of each hanok have been maintained, while incorporating modern updates to strengthen the older buildings’ insulation and security for convenient, modern living. Since the hanoks in the area are privately owned and are still inhabited by residents, visitors are not allowed inside. However, you will still be able to immerse yourself in the cozy and warm vibes of the hanok as you walk quietly through the neatly laid out alleyways. If you’re looking to learn more about hanok, head to the Eunpyeong History Hanok Museum near the hanok village. As you listen to the history and scientific principles behind the hanok buildings and enjoy the experience activities offered by the museum, you will soon understand why Koreans are so proud of their hanok. For an even more intimate hanok experience, stay overnight at one of the hanok guest houses in the neighborhood.

The Buddhist scripture Dhammapada says that the mind is so subtle that it is easily swayed and difficult to guard and suppress. However, if you sit at a temple, surrounded by an ethereal landscape in a remote mountain area as you listen to the tinkling of wind chimes, you may soon be able to ease your weary and tired mind. If you can’t escape to a remote temple in the mountains, a templestay at Bongeunsa Temple, a thousand-year-old temple located in the middle of Gangnam, is a great alternative. Bongeunsa Temple offers a one-night templestay program that lets you experience an ascetic lifestyle and gives you a chance to examine yourself, your relationships, and your direction of life, as you take a break from your daily routine. At the temple, you can take part in a Buddhist service, tour the temple, and perform seon meditation, a common ascetic method of Korean Buddhist meditation. The templestay also includes a tea ceremony that awakens your five senses as you hear the water boiling, smell the refreshing scent, appreciate the hue, and savor the taste of the tea, and feel the warmth of the cup in your hands. After completing all the scheduled activities, including the “joint effort” exercise and the “108 prostrations,” you will find yourself leaving with a clearer mind and body.