Pay Attention to Doing the Exercises

(Minghui.org) As I grew older, signs of aging began to manifest in my body—sprinkles of gray hair, deepening wrinkles, and age spots on my face. Aches in my knees, slower movements, and other physical nuances also signaled aging, contrary to what Master said, “One’s body will appear to gradually return to youth and experience gradual transformation...” (Lecture Five, Zhuan Falun)

Looking Within

However, I found myself powerless even as I observed fellow practitioners facing similar challenges. Although I sometimes sent righteous thoughts to negate it, without enough faith in Dafa, it was futile. I wondered why this was happening as I had been doing the three things diligently.

After sharing with other practitioners and reading articles on the Minghui website, I suddenly enlightened that I had been following the path arranged by the old forces instead of Master’s path. Master has arranged for us a path toward fruition status and a beautiful heaven and has already purified our bodies to be disease-free long ago. However, my unsteady mindset compromised my faith in Master and the Fa. Facing aging and other physical discomfort, I sank to the level of an ordinary person. This was not a cultivator’s behavior. I resolved to change immediately and earnestly adhere to the standards of a cultivator.

Conducting a thorough self-examination, I scrutinized every facet of how well I was doing what a cultivator should do—study the Fa, send righteous thoughts, clarify the truth, and do the five exercises. I quickly rectified every shortcoming I discovered. I’d especially like to share my experiences on improving doing the exercises.

Doing the Exercises More Accurately

I understand that Dafa cultivation requires both cultivation and practice, with cultivation first and the exercises next. Doing the exercises alone can’t achieve the elevation of gong, and cultivation without exercises hinders the growth of gong and the transformation of the body. I carefully examined each of my movements according to Master’s illustrations and instructions and discovered numerous inaccuracies.

In The Great Way of Spiritual Perfection, “Chapter II Illustrations and Explanations of the Exercise Movements,” Master talked about the stretching movement in the first exercise: 

“At the same time, press upward with the heels of both palms, push the head upward, press the feet downward, and stretch the whole body. Stretch for about 2 to 3 seconds, and then relax the whole body abruptly. Return the knees and hips to a relaxed position.” (The Great Way of Spiritual Perfection, “Chapter II Illustrations and Explanations of the Exercise Movements)

However, I only paid attention to the hand movements and did not move my head and feet as instructed, nor did I relax abruptly enough after each stretch. In doing “Hands Pointing to Heaven and Earth,” Master said the top hand should “have its palm facing down and as high as the head,” but I did not raise my hand high enough.

In the fourth exercise, “Falun Cosmic Orbit,” we are supposed to bend at the waist and squat down. But I had always found it difficult to squat due to my joints, so I just bent over a bit and didn't actually squat down. My hands were not close enough to the ground and I put them behind my back before they reached my heels. When I brought my hands from behind my back to the front of my chest, they were around my waistline instead of under my armpits as instructed. When both hands are supposed to go above and behind the head, I brought them over to the front from the sides of my head. I tried to squat down and surprisingly found that I could do it.

During the fifth exercise, “Reinforcing Supernatural Powers,” my hands were usually positioned too low during the first mudra, sometimes even close to the ground. In the second and third mudras, my top arm was often tilted, with the elbow falling down and my palms not aligned vertically.

Having found my shortcomings, I now pay attention to every movement and correct anything wrong right away. I think two things are crucial for doing the exercises properly and thereby gaining the greatest benefits—precision and concentration. Every movement should be done precisely and conscientiously. Sloppy movements won’t purify or transform the body. The mind and body must also be unified, with the mind following each movement instead of drifting about. This is another key to the efficacy of the exercises.

A fellow practitioner reminded me to do a full hour of the second exercise after I told her about my long-term leg pain and that I only did the second exercise for half an hour. I justified my shortcomings with excuses over the past few days, but her reminder awakened me to commit myself to a full hour of the second exercise.

My experience also showed me that putting in the time did lead to my improvement when I dedicated myself wholeheartedly, which boosted my faith in devoting more time to Fa study and the exercises. Doing the exercises consistently these days really makes me feel refreshed and energized. I am confident that my physical condition will get better and better through steadfast endeavor.