Since 2001, Myra House has been a cross-cultural learning as well as a biologically healing place for residents and guests to share ethnic foods, perform music events, and host yoga and Zen practices. The house was remodeled according to ecological principles – interconnected living and gardening spaces, humans and live stock (rabbits, chickens, cats and dog), residents and retreatants, falling water ponds and fruit/vegetable gardens. The house has incorporated organic gardening with composting to create healthful soil for growing vegetables at outdoor greenhouse and lands. For sustainability, the building only uses energy efficient lighting bulbs and 18 photowatt-100 photovoltaic panels which converts solar electric power at a rate of 1.8 kilowatt per hour (yearly average). A solar hot water heating tank preheats water for baths, showers and dishwashing. The Myra House experience enabled Sung to write and publish The Sextet Love Story: A Perfect Love Story in An Imperfect Society (originally published in Korean and later translated into English).

The Myra House family and Sung work together at Ecoterra Health Market to promote personal and social health girded by a fundamental belief that people deserve good food and natural medicines at an affordable price. Ecoterra has become a popular public space where locals meet and chat about everything from health and natural cooking to holistic parenting, green living and spiritual lifestyle.

Sung’s alternative education program, the Acology Institute (AI), also integrates the study of culture, science and religion. The Acology Institute stands for A (Agapic love-centered) + Eco (oikos-ecologically-grounded) + logie (integrative study). In this light, AI is a conceptually new educational model and a catalyst for restoring ecological integrity in inner/inter/intra-relationships among person(s) to person(s) and nature to God in both the local and global contexts. Participants seek to be leaders with a cross-cultural approach. Their goals are set on environmental stewardship for the well-being of present and future generations. The AI program is an intellectual and ecologically oriented academic avenue for the values characterizing Myra House and Ecoterra.

Sung is currently working on a new book titled From the Depth of Heart To the Ends of Earth: Journey Towards Integrative Wholeness for the Displaced.

Acology Institute: www.acologyinstitute.org

During this time, Myra experienced the limitations of conventional prescription medicine for both her clients and herself.  She concluded that personalized holistic medicine could help her community by offering a complementary and healthy alternative.  Myra has a vision to use her integrated knowledge to care for individuals in order to strengthen their vitality and holistic well being and thereby help build a long-lasting and healthy community.  Myra combines her knowledge of traditional remedies,  nutraceuticals, and homeopathic and  herbal medicine with her scientific knowledge and professional experience to offer an exceptional holistic medicine experience.

Myra engages with the community by conducting workshops on holistic living at the Myra House. She has a background in pastoral care and counseling from the Claremont School of Theology.

Ecoterra Health Market: www.ecoterrahealthmarket.com

Ecoterra (2007 – present), Acology Institute (2008 – present) and University of California (2005 – present)

Recent Publication: von Kiparski, G.R. and A.R. Gillespie (2008) “Agroforestry management effects on plant productivity vectors within a humid-temperate hardwood alley-cropping system”

In Toward Agroforestry Design: An Ecological Approach, Gordon and Jose (ed), Spring Verlag, Dordrecht