Falun Dafa is a progressive form of qi gong. It is somewhat different and yet similar to Tai Chi. It is different in the sense that it is easy to learn and it is similar in the sense that it involves gentle and slow movements.
Falun Dafa has only five easy to learn, simple, and gentle exercises that even a very old person or a small child could learn and do. It is free to learn and you don’t have to pay monthly dues. You can learn it from volunteer teachers or you can watch videos of it from a Falun Dafa web site.
You can find volunteer teachers who teach Falun Dafa for free in the bigger cities in the United States. Yes, learning this incredibly health promoting, invigorating, wonderful exercises is totally free.
Many practitioners with chronic or persistent back pain have been cured of their condition or have found relief after a few months of practice. Most of them have previously tried various forms of treatment without success.
Falun Dafa Exercises
The first exercise involves gentle stretching exercises from head to toe. It takes about three to four minutes to complete one cycle of exercise. This exercise is performed from a standing position with the hips and knees relaxed. Repeat this exercise three times. Usually, it may take about 13 minutes to accomplish three cycles of exercise.
In the next exercise, you are required to perform four positions in a standing position. Depending on your ability, you can maintain each position for a certain period of time. If you are doing this exercise for the first time, it would be okay to hold each position for a minute or less depending on your comfort zone and ability.
If you have been doing this exercise for some time, you may be able to hold a position for as long as seven minutes or more. Eventually, you’ll be able to increase your time based on your ability.
The third exercise is a gentle activity wherein you move your arms up and down in front of the body. Your hands move in opposite directions in the first half of this exercise. In the second half, your arms move in the same direction. It usually takes three minutes to do one cycle of this exercise. Usually, practitioners complete three cycles of this exercise in approximately nine minutes.
The fourth exercise is about the same as the third. The difference is that the practitioner’s hands trace a path around the whole body. The path goes along the body’s front and then upward the back of the body. The hands reach approximately the mid-back level prior to being brought in the front of the body once more. Typically, this exercise is repeated three times. The total time spent in doing three cycles of this exercise is about twelve minutes.
In the fifth exercise, you are required to sit in a cross-legged position. Depending on your comfort zone and ability, the crossing of the legs can be a simple “Indian” style or a slightly more advanced style depending on your comfort zone and ability.
In the beginning of the fifth exercise, you need to perform a bunch of hand gestures and need to maintain certain positions. The length of time holding the hand positions varies. Once again, how long the exercise will last will be determined by the practitioner. Both the overall duration of the exercise and how long the hand positions can be maintained totally depend on the discretion of the practitioner.
A beginner may only be able to practice the fifth exercise for a few minutes while more experienced practitioners can do it an hour or more.
These are just a few very basic discussions of Falun Dafa exercises. You can read Falun Gong by Li, Hongzhi if you want a more accurate and detailed descriptions of the exercises. Or you may also visit the Falun Dafa web site to watch his instruction videos.
The book, Zhuan Falun, also written by Mr. Li, talks about the qualities of the universe: Tolerance-Compassion-Truthfulness. These three qualities should be treated as one and not as three separate entities. The book expounds them in a much more profound way.
You may perform Falun Dafa in a group without paying recurring or initial fees. It can be a much better option for other exercises that ask for money to join in. But whether you enjoy exercising alone or in a group setting, your mind, spirit, and body will definitely tremendously benefit from the exercises.
Some people prefer practicing Falun Dafa in both group and individual settings. There are several cities in the US that have group practices, if you are lucky you may be able to find a group practicing near your area.
On a more serious note, it seems that the communist government in China can’t stand to see others enjoy something good. Since the time of Jiang Zemin, the government has been persecuting Falun Gong practitioners for no apparent reason. We really don’t know why exactly this practice is hated by the communist regime. Perhaps, it is the deep spirituality and moral code of the exercise which is diametrically opposed to the core beliefs held by the Communists. The brutal persecution of Falun Gong followers in China continues unabated.
You can visit faluninfo.net if you want to learn more about the Chinese government’s persecution of Falun Gong followers.
We sincerely hope you get to enjoy all the benefits that Falun Dafa practice offers, which include a profound sense of well-being and peace and a healthy body.
Scott Paglia is a licensed and board certified acupuncturist in Bellingham, WA and provides master level pulse diagnosis, Chinese herbal medicine and acupuncture in Whatcom County, WA.