Falun Gong (as known as Falun dafa) is a superior form of Qigong.
Have you ever seen or heard of Tai Chi? Falun Gong is very different and yet similar to it. This is similar to Tai Chi because this has gentle and slow movements. It is dissimilar because it is very easy and simple for any one to learn. There are just five slow exercises which are so easy to learn that even a very old person or a small kid can still learn how to practice them.
Another major benefit of Falun Gong is that it is absolutely free for every one to learn and practice. You will need
Falun Gong or Falun Dafa is a form of qigong exercises that combine meditation with exercises. These serve to refine the body as well as the mind. Falun Gong is known to have over 100 million practitioners who all believe in its healing benefits. No wonder that the number of adherents is so huge, since it is totally free and can be learnt without any kind of membership and of course because it is believed to have many positive and life-changing effects.
It is not easy to decide whether Falun Gong has real medical effects or it is just that people would like to believe in healing process that is connected to the practice. At this point, the saying “Everything happens in the head” comes in handy since it seems that Falun Gong works for those who believe with their heart in its effects. Practitioners and teachers of Falun Gong give account of totally different experiences than scientists and researchers. In the following we will look at the benefits of this practice and also at the discussions that scientists have between each other.
The main guiding line of Falun Gong is Truth, Compassion and Tolerance. These are what practitioners have to follow in everything that they do and this is what completely transforms their life and as a result they become selfless as opposed to being selfish. If one would like to reach a higher level of thinking where other people become more important than ourselves then he or she has to practice the exercises, study the teachings and increase his or her character. The physical changes are combines with mental transformations which brings the practitioner closer to a purer state of being. This sounds very appealing and the exercises that are needed for a state like this are free to learn and very easy, so basically anyone can become a practitioner of the Falun Gong. Becoming and master is very difficult, though, since it requires the mastering of one’s own character as well. In a nutshell, it is a great was between our character and the character we yearn for.
Falun Gong has unbelievable health benefits, as far as the practitioners are concerned. Two books have already appeared that give account of the different experiences that Falun Gong gave its adherents. The first book is entitled “Life and Hope Renewed: True Stories of Health and Regeneration” and it gives first-hand accounts of people who recovered from serious or terminal diseases through practicing the Falun Gong. Those who practice the exercises daily and follow the teachings of this discipline report serious improvements in their health. The beneficial effects vary from relief from stress, better sleep, a more energetic feeling, and happier moods all the way to the disappearance of life-threatening diseases.
The second book bears the title “Hearts and Minds Uplifted: A new Book About the Health Benefits of Falun Dafa Practice” which is also a collection of personal accounts concerning this self-improvement discipline. This book is concerned with the tremendous personal growth that can be achieved by cultivating one’s character through practicing Falun Gong.
To give scientific background to what have been said, we would like to report about small studies that was carried out as regards to the effects of qigong exercises (Falun Gong also belongs here) and it has shown that people over 70 gained more strength and cut the risk of accidental falls by nearly half. Yet, larger studies are still needed to strengthen the scientific foundation of this practice.
Some practitioners make claims that may seem excessive for the rational mind in which they state that Falun Gong cures everything from cancer to lifelong allergies and of course it cultivates universal energy. Some even give account of the disappearance of skin allergies, chronic diarrhea, the regeneration of bones that have been removed in surgery and of diabetes-control. It is really not our task to judge the truth value of these statements, but to give a clearer picture about the benefits of Falun Gong, we also have to take into account the more scientific accounts concerning this practice.
One the one hand it is true that qigong practices, therefore Falun Gong as well, induce relaxation that slows metabolism, lowers the heart rate, enhances resistance to disease and reduces stress. On the other hand, if we take into account that people who do not do anything, that is, they do not move out, completely free themselves from exercises and are not social at all, are usually prone to depression, fatness (which also causes problems with diabetes and induces heart problems as well), boredom and lifelessness. The benefits of doing some kind of exercise are well-known, therefore is one takes up an exercise, not just Falun Gong, but any kind, usually starts noticing improvements in his or her life, health and mood as well. Another problem with the accounts of people practicing Falun Gong is that they cannot be verified scientifically. Moreover, if its promises are blindly believed in, it can even be dangerous. Some people may expect miracles from the practice and therefore they may even decline medical help because they believe that Falun Gong will cure every illness they have. It has to be admitted that this last point is an extreme one, but is not unlikely at all. Blind believers really exist who can be even dangerous to themselves.
Throughout this account we have tried to look at the different aspects of claims made in favour of or against Falun Gong. It is up to the person to decide which side is more likely or in which side her or she would like to believe in. We are not here to judge, because we are completely objective and try to remain that. Everything happens in the head and if one truly believes in what one does, then there is no way one can change the beliefs embedded into that thing. Falun Gong has many adherents who unquestionably believe in its beneficial effects and one cannot really ignore the number of followers when one dismisses the discipline in its entirety.