(Minghui.org) I am a Falun Dafa practitioner who began practicing in 1996. Throughout, I felt I had been quite consistent in studying the Fa and practicing the exercises. My movements were correct, my physical coordination and health were good, and I didn’t feel tired even doing physical labor.
However, a few physical issues had been troubling me. My neck felt stiff and tight, limiting my range of motion and compressing the blood vessels in the area. My hair had turned gray, my face looked prematurely aged, and I occasionally experienced bloating and diarrhea.
I knew this was not the state that a practitioner should be in. I didn’t acknowledge any of these symptoms as illnesses, yet I couldn’t pinpoint what I was doing wrong, leaving me uncertain about how to change. I keep thinking: “My neck has not aligned with the Fa; when Master Li takes us back to the heavenly kingdom in the future, how can this part be included?” A sense of melancholy arose in my heart.
One morning this past February, while practicing the exercises, I was working on exercise four, Falun Cosmic Orbit, when a thought suddenly popped into my head: “Push the energy past the crown of your head.” Aha! I suddenly understood—Master saw that I truly hadn’t grasped it, so he enlightened me. That was exactly where my problem lay.
We were supposed to push the energy past the crown of the head, yet for all these years, my palms would reach the top of my head and then come back down; I had never actually pushed past the crown. I hadn’t connected with the energy in my back, and this was causing the issues I was experiencing.
From then on, I began examining my exercise movements and realized that my form in the second exercise, Falun Standing Stance, was incorrect as well. Master instructs us to keep our bodies upright during the movements. When performing the Holding the Wheel exercise, my shoulders would hunch forward, and my head would naturally tilt downward. Looking back at my form now, I am truly ashamed that I didn’t notice it sooner.
During the fifth exercise, I found significant variances in my movements. I noticed that my palms were not facing downward but were at a 45-degree angle to the ground. Furthermore, my hands and forearms were not level with my waist, and my fingertips were angled downward, almost touching the ground.
No wonder I hadn’t experienced the sensations Master described. It turns out that I wasn’t following Master’s instructions, so it made sense that I wouldn’t feel anything.
When I focused on practicing the exercises as Master instructed, I immediately experienced something Master had described: “... the palms will feel warm, heavy, electric, numb, as if holding a weight, etc.” (“Chapter II, Illustrated Explanation of the Movements,” The Great Way of Spiritual Perfection)
Moreover, my stomach bloating and diarrhea promptly vanished without a trace. I also noticed my hair gradually turning from white to black, and my complexion changing as well.
Cultivation is a serious matter. Because I failed to study the Fa earnestly, I did not truly grasp the principles or exercises as Master taught us.
I had been practicing the exercises in a muddled state of mind for 30 years and paid an enormous price for it. My progress in improving my xinxing (character) was also marked by stumbles, and I missed many opportunities to improve.
I feel deeply ashamed before Master and this great Fa of the universe. Yet, Master has not given up on me—a foolish disciple, full of self-righteousness—but has spared no effort to guide me upward. I am truly fortunate to have such a compassionate and great Master. Thank you, Master.
I am sharing these insights with fellow practitioners, hoping those in similar situations will take them as a cautionary lesson. I also ask that we all pay close attention to the movements of those around us during the exercises. Let us avoid the detours I took and the waste of precious time. Let us be diligent together and follow our compassionate and great Master back to the heavenly realm.
This is my understanding at my current level. Please kindly point out anything inappropriate.
Category: Cultivation Insights
