On August the 27th 2004, the Fashion, Beauty and Society magazine COSAS (distributed in Chile, Bolivia, Ecuador and Peru) published a three-page article about the benefits of Falun Dafa together with a series of photographs of the five exercises.
This magazine is usually geared towards the female reader, but this edition was a special edition aimed towards both female and male readers in celebration of the Olympic gold medal in tennis won by the Chilean men’s double team. Therefore, many more people than usual were able to read the article published about Falun Dafa.
Falun Dafa, Physical, Mental and Spiritual Balance
Based on five exercises and the study of the principles Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance, the ancient discipline Falun Dafa helps to improve the body, the mind and the spirit, assures the Finnish ex-model and executive Pia-Maria Sandas, who has been practising it for five years and has verified its benefits.
It is a fact that the current pace of life of the majority of Chileans suggests that many people are looking for alternative practices to find the peace and tranquility that are missing in their daily routines and lives. If thirty years ago disciplines like yoga or tai chi were considered a rarity, they are today as common as aerobic classes and gain more followers every day.
Among the practices imported from the Orient that have been adopted in the western world, one that is largely unknown in Chile but is causing a sensation in the rest of the world is Falun Dafa. It is an ancient Chinese discipline, a self-cultivation practice that improves the physical and mental state of people: it alleviates anxieties and tensions, increases energy and vitality, greatly increases physical health and promotes spiritual development, among other things.
“In the past, Falun Dafa was taught in private: it was transmitted from Master to disciple. But in 1992, Master Li Hongzhi introduced it to the public in China,” explains Finnish citizen Pia-Maria, one of the devoted practitioners of this practice, who is visiting Chile at the moment. “Today it is practised in more than sixty countries by more or less a hundred million people,” she adds.
For Pia-Maria, Falun Dafa was a revelation, as when she started practising she had a dramatic change in her lifestyle. Especially considering that she was then closely linked to a very superficial world, as she worked as an international model for more than twelve years. Four of these were spent in Chile in the programme “Venga Conmigo” with Jose Alfredo Fuentes.
“I left the programme since I wanted to be closer to my family. I now return for a visit as I always remember this country with nostalgia,” the ex-model said. She is actually living in Madrid, and works for the Cosmetic brand Isadora being responsible for the Spanish market of the brand, but in her free times she dedicates her time to doing the exercises, mediation and the study that is required in Falun Dafa.
“It touched my heart”
It was destiny that brought this young Finnish executive to this ancient oriental discipline, Falun Dafa. “A few years after returning to Finland I went to live in Sweden, where it occurred to me to take karate classes. One day after having finished the class, I saw one of the professors doing some exercises that left me almost hypnotized. The movements looked so incredibly beautiful, and the face of the professor transmitted such a profound peace. When he finished I walked up to him and asked him what it was, and he told me that it was Falun Dafa. As he saw my interest he taught me the exercises, and also gave me the book Zhuan Falun that contains the teachings of the practice. I have been practising since then. It truly touched my heart.”
It is worth mentioning that Falun Dafa does not have any organisation, academics, professors or membership registers and that is why it functions in a very free and special way. In each country it only has voluntary contact persons that give free classes in parks and anyone who wants to participate is welcome. “This is due to the practice having no economic interests because when there is money or titles at stake it is very easy for corruption to manifest. Master Li Hongzhi introduced Falun Dafa for the good of the world, not to obtain any gain”, Pia-Maria points out.
The results could not have been better. Not only are there more than a hundred million people following this practice all over the world, but according to Pia-Maria, many of them have improved their health, purified their minds, and developed a more profound understanding of life, humanity and the universe. “Moreover, Falun Dafa has helped numerous young and old people to get away from alcohol, drugs and other bad habits, Pia-Maria says.
Confirmed Health Benefits
Though the principle objective of Falun Dafa is that people find physical, mental and spiritual balance and achieve true internal peace, it has been scientifically proven that the practice facilitates remarkable improvements in health. For example in 1998 in China, a study was carried out where the health of thirty thousand practitioners was evaluated. The results indicated that 60% recuperated from their previous illnesses, and 97% reported feeling healthier and with greater physical energy. Abroad, governments of various countries in the Orient and the west have given more than eight hundred recognitions to Falun Dafa for its contribution to society.
“It is important to point out that this is not only a discipline of exercises. Falun Dafa combines five basic exercises with the incorporation of the principles Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance. Besides performing the exercises one also learns to live by these principles,” Pia-Maria explains.
“Moreover, it is a conscious process. Personally, Falun Dafa has permitted me to find a harmony that I did not have before and it has truly helped me achieve inner peace, which is something that, without a doubt, is lacking in the world”, she adds.
In Chile this discipline has been practised for only two years and still has quite a small number of practitioners. In the United States, the practice is very well known; in parks all over the country one can see people practising Falun Dafa. The same is happening in European countries, so I hope that little by little people here in Chile will start getting interested as well,” Pia-Maria concludes.
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Exercise number 1: “Buddha Showing a Thousand Hands”
This exercise is done standing, and consists of gentle stretching movements. The objective of this exercise is to open up all the energy channels in the body. It is done three times after each other, and it is done before the other ones as it prepares the body for the other exercises”, Pia-Maria explains.
Exercise number 2: “Falun Standing Stance”
Comprised of four static postures that can be held for several minutes each, the second exercise enhances one’s energy level and awakens wisdom.
Exercise number 3: “Penetrating the Two Cosmic Extremes”
With its gentle hand-gliding movements this exercise purifies the body using energy from the cosmos. This one is also done standing, and is done three times after each other. It consists of a series of movements that grants a true cleansing of energy in the body.
Exercise number 4: “Falun Heavenly Circulation”
By gently tracing the hands over the entire body, front and back, the fourth exercise rectifies all abnormal conditions in the body and circulates energy widely.
Exercise number 5: “Strengthening Divine Powers”
Consists of a sitting meditation that refines both body and mind through deep tranquillity. Strengthens divine powers and energy potency. Rectifies all abnormal conditions in the body and circulates energy widely.
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