KIMBERLY VETTER

Herald Staff Writer

The Killeen Daily Herald, April 3, 2000

At the end of every day, Yan Luo escapes her hectic life as a graduate student to practice a series of Chinese meditation exercises called Falun Gong.

With her eyes closed and her head pointed to the floor, she breathes deeply and begins to move her hands in movements as graceful as a ballerina's.

"It's a sacred ritual that has helped me physically, mentally and spiritually," she said. "I find myself changing in the most subtle ways."

Luo - who used to stay up until the wee hours of the morning - said she no longer has trouble falling asleep and that she finds herself being more aware of her daily activities.

Luo has been doing Falun Gong for two years and due to its genuine effect on her life, she said, she has decided to take her experiences on the road and share them with others.

With three other Falun Gong followers, Luo recently traveled from Waco to Killeen, where she gave a free seminar on the Asian exercise.

Standing before a handful of Killeen residents at the Killeen Public Library, Luo explained the philosophy behind her nightly ritual.

"Falun Gong is a mind/body practice," she said softly. "One uses soft movements to become a better person; it's not a religion, but a cultivation practice."

Founded by Master Li Hong-zhi, Falun Gong is one of the many Chinese qigong exercises. Qigong exercises, such as yoga and taichi, are practiced by the Chinese and other cultures to improve the mind, body and spirit.

Along with its five exercises, Falun Gong teaches the principles of truthfulness, compassion and forbearance. Practitioners use these principles to try to conduct themselves as good people in society, work and the home, Luo said.

Since its introduction in 1992, Falun Gong - sometimes called Falun Dafa - has attracted more than 100 million people worldwide. However, Falun Gong's popularity has threatened the Chinese government, causing officials to ban its practice in July 1999.

Subsequently, hundreds of thousands of practitioners have been thrown in jail to suffer frequent beatings and other inhumane treatment, according to Associated Press reports.

Hai Ying Huai, a Falun Gong practitioner from Houston, said he has several friends who have left China so they can continue to practice. "It's awful over there," he said. "People are given incentives to turn other people in, others are losing their jobs and some are sent to mental hospitals."

Luo said she tells people about these recent persecutions because they are not limited to Asians. She said the Chinese government has done things to American practitioners while in China. "I want people to know the full story behind Falun Gong," she said. "It has become a part of what it is."

With its history out in the open, Luo and her friends from Houston begin teaching Falun Gong's first exercise called Buddha showing the thousands hands.

Intended to open all channels of the body, Luo reaches up to the ceiling and quickly releases her stretch. She then reaches to her sides and the floor using the same swift movements.

At the end of the exercise, Luo stands with her hands crossed in front of her lower abdomen. "Hold it here for 90 to 120 seconds," she said to the group of five. "Feel the energy radiate from your body."

For the next two hours, Luo takes the group through all five of the Falun Gong exercises, ending with one called strengthening supernormal powers. She has everyone sit on the floor with legs crossed in a meditative pose. After completing a series of elaborate hand and arm movements, the group sits quietly with their hands resting in their laps.

"Falun Gong exercises are very flexible," Luo said "You can single them out; do one exercise at lunch and another before you go to bed."

Linda Ward, a Killeen yoga instructor, said she found the exercises quite powerful. "I'm familiar with energy in the body," she said. "While doing these exercises I could feel it (the energy) moving and circling throughout my body."

Another Killeen resident, Tommy Hurst, said he decided to give the exercise a try in an effort to increase his flexibility. "I have stiffness in my neck and shoulders," said the Fort Hood solider. "I think this exercise could help."

Luo and her friends professed several stories of how Falun Gong has helped their lives.

Huai, a medical researcher at Texas Medical Center in Houston, said the exercises have helped his allergies. "After four years of practice, I no longer need allergy shots," he said.

Jian Lan, a computer programmer in Houston, said Falun Gong has improved his concentration and energy level. He said he could work longer hours and focus more intently than ever before.

"I used to practice martial arts until I found Falun Gong," he said. "Falun Gong gives you a different kind of energy; it's physical as well as mental."

Lawrence Otey, a Vietnam veteran from Waco, said he's been doing Falun Gong for just a few months and can already feel a difference. "I no longer have headaches or tension," he said. "Plus, my attitude is better; lifelong resentments have escaped me."

Luo said the beauty of Falun Gong is its flexibility. People can do it to improve their posture or strength, as well as to reduce stress or to cultivate a deeper spiritual connection. "Anyone can do these exercises," she said. "It's there for the taking." Luo is scheduled to teach another Falun Gong seminar on Sunday in Temple. The free class is slated to be held on the third floor of the Temple Public Library at 100 W. Adams Ave.

Posting date: 4/14/2000
Original article date: 4/3/2000
Category: News & Media Reports

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