Is Falun Gong ‘Weird’? This is my honest experience with the practice

Many of you may have noticed our friends dressed in yellow shirts in parks, eyes closed with their arms held up, or noticed them on footpaths handing out flyers.

Practitioners of Falun Dafa spreading awareness about the practice and the persecution (Credit: minghui.org)

So who are they and what are they about? 

Let’s rewind to the 1990s. During this time, there were many meditation practices that emerged and re-emerged in China, similar to Tai-Chi and Yoga which I’m sure many of you are already familiar with. They were collectively called “Qigong” practices to which Falun Gong was one of them.

Okay … So why am I seeing them here in my neighbourhood or parks?

This practice, however, unlike the others, was free of charge and exploded in popularity, even though it was only a few years old. People began filling up parks, which got full, and then even pathways we populated with folks doing Falun Gong meditation. The Falun Gong community estimates that there were 70-100 million people practicing at its peak in China! [Read: 5 Reasons Why Falun Dafa is Great!]

Practitioners practicing Falun Dafa’s second meditative exercise in Guang Zhou city before the persecution (Credit: faluninfo.net)

The popularity didn’t stop here, the practice thereafter spread to many countries: America, England, Germany, France, South America, India and more, including our home Australia.

So, what's with the Falun Gong movements?

I’m glad you asked! Those are the exercises of the practice. There are a total of 5, all emphasising gentle, slow and curved movements.

Practitioners practicing Falun Dafa’s fifth meditative exercise (Credit: faluninfo.net)

But why do they move like that? It’s rooted in traditional Chinese understanding of the human body. This understanding and system has ancient roots going back a very, very long time, which is used in Chinese medicine, philosophy and excitingly, Kung Fu! (Falun Gong does not teach Kung Fu …)

I digress, the movements are following the path of the energy channels in the body. The purpose of the movements is to “open them up” the channels to fortify the body.

So … Does it actually help? Certainly so for me! I feel much lighter afterwards and as a plus, I’m in a much better headspace to tackle my workday. Many Falun Dafa practitioners have also reported that they used to suffer from severe injuries or illnesses to which after practicing have seen their symptoms significantly ease or completely cease!

Is Falun Dafa (Falun Gong) a religion?

In short, yes.

Falun Dafa is considered a religion in the West on the basis of its theological and moral teachings, its focus on spiritual development as well as its extensive body of scripture. 

The practice, in addition to the physical fitness component, also emphasises a mental/spiritual component. 

There are a number of published books such as “Falun Gong” and “Zhuan Falun” which talk about the practice, what the exercise movements are about and also, how to tackle life's challenges in a healthy way. It encourages self-reflection and introspection when encountering difficulties with work, friends or family and how to improve moral conduct to better ourselves and people we come across.

The religious component? Well that would be largely because of our spiritual beliefs regarding the purpose of our movements and why we improve ourselves morally. To know more please go to Learn Falun Gong to read or ask one of our volunteers!

What’s different with Falun Gong is that it's completely free of charge to learn. There is no donation system, nor is there an organisation structure with clergy, priests, cardinals, abbots or head monks etc. All are volunteers with only a few assistants and coordinators for bigger community groups within cities and towns. In other words, just a few folks forking out some spare time to help!

Now, I have heard “cult” sometimes get bounced around. So to shed light on this, what is a cult? A commonly agreed definition is “A cult is a group that uses coercive or manipulative techniques to control its members, suppress critical thinking, and prioritise loyalty to the group or leader over individual autonomy and well-being.”

In my experience, the books have encouraged me to treat people more empathetically, manage my emotions sustainably and to do my work responsibly. So, if I’m “coerced” into doing responsible and compassionate things then. … That's a good thing, yeah?

At the same time, the founder of Falun Dafa has said that people are free to practice if they choose, but if they don’t, then at least they will walk away knowing some principles on how to be good persons and thereby benefit society.

For me, the practice has taught me to take a step back when things get tough. Be it with people or circumstances. To take a rational approach to problems and avoid losing control and get angry or sad to inevitable challenges of life. So I would say it encourages critical thinking rather than suppressing it, especially on our initial thoughts on problems that occur to us.

Now as to “prioritise loyalty to the group or leader over individual autonomy and well-being.” Well … the practice doesn’t even have a formal membership with no fees and people are free to come and go, also the practice is centred on individual well-being, both mentally and physically. I have read the books a number of times and never has the founder been expressed as an entity to be “prioritised” or even venerated. In some conferences to which he attended, he also expresses many times to focus on self-improvement, and spiritual development.

So why are the Falun Gong practitioners out and about with flyers?

Remember when I talked about its massive popularity in the 1990s? After the practice really took off in the 1990s, history took a dark turn. The Chairman of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party), Jiang Zemin, enacted the persecution of Falun Gong in 1999 which continues to this day. 

[Read: Why Did China Persecute These Seemingly Peaceful Falun Gong Meditators]

The people handing out the flyers? Precisely talking about that point, many of them are refugees from China.

Practitioner getting gagged by enforcement near the beginning of the persecution (Credit: faluninfo.net)

So? What’s that got to do with you? What could you even do about it? These are tough questions my friend, but let me reassure you, we won’t ask for some sort of drastic action against the Chinese government. 

But recently there have been cases of the CCP encroaching in our communities and institutions in Australia and not just the Falun Gong ones. The folks with the flyers just want to keep you in the know. They know that Australia has given them a second chance at life and they don't want their former oppressor calling any shots here in Australia.

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We hope you enjoyed reading this post.

Falun Dafa volunteers are currently holding free online classes where you can learn the exercises from the comfort of your own home. Register for a free Falun Dafa online exercise class here or for the Falun Dafa 9-Day Lecture Series here.

‘Learn Falun Gong—Australia’ is a website run by Australian Falun Dafa volunteers for the benefit of the general public. Falun Dafa is always taught free of charge.

Views expressed in this article represent the author’s own opinions or understandings.