Curious about the principles behind each of Falun Gong's five qigong exercises? Follow along to learn more!
The first exercise is foundational and usually done first, called Buddha Showing a Thousand Hands. At its core is stretching of the body to unblock areas where energy is congested, stimulating the energy within the body and under the skin so that it circulates. This enables all of the meridians in a practitioner's body to open at the beginning, and often results in a feeling of warmth that accompanies a strong energy field. Find our local practice sites at falundafa-ne.org.
The second exercise is a standing meditation, called Falun Standing Stance. The arms are held in four positions as if holding the wheel-shaped emblem of the practice. With increased time and frequency of practice, practitioners can often feel a Falun rotating between the arms and opening up energy channels throughout the body.Guided by Falun Dafa's moral teachings, cultivating the heart and letting go of attachments enable practitioners to attain a clear and clean mind, and a state free of intention (wuwei) during meditation. While simple, much can be achieved through this exercise as one enters into tranquility.
The third exercise is Penetrating the Cosmic Extremes, which expels pathogenic qi and takes in a great amount of energy to purify the body. With the upward movement of the arms, the qi in the body rushes directly out of the top of the head to the upper extreme of the universe; with the downward movement of the arms, it goes out through the bottoms of the feet to the lower extreme of the universe. After these movements of the arms, energy is spun back into the body through the hands.
The fourth exercise is Falun Cosmic Orbit, an exercise that enables the human body's energy to circulate over large areas, continuously moving from the entire “yin” (female) side of the body to the “yang” (male) side. Over time, abnormal conditions in the body are rectified as all energy channels are connected. Movements are unhurried, slow, and smooth.
The fifth exercise is a sitting meditation, called Strengthening Higher Powers. Through "mudras” (hand signs), we can strengthen the higher energy called 'gong' that we gain through cultivating our hearts and minds. Meditation is ideally done in the full-lotus position, though the half-lotus position is also acceptable. During the exercise, the flow of qi is strong and the energy field around the body is large. The longer one meditates, the more intense the exercise is and the faster this energy grows. The heart follows the movements of the thoughts. Often the centers of the palms may feel warm, heavy, tingly, numb, as if something is present. These sensations should happen naturally without pursuit. As the mind gradually calms, the state of deep stillness called “ding” can be achieved, wherein the mind is empty yet conscious of doing the exercise.
