Exercises

Master Li corrects a practitoner’s movements during the Chicago 1999 Fa conference.

The Falun Dafa exercises are gentle, slow, and easy to learn. This page gives a general overview of each of the five sets of exercises. Links are provided to online video instructions and more information. Just getting started? Find more of what you need on our How to Learn page.

Free exercise instruction is available at your local practice site. No appointments are necessary, but it’s a good idea to call ahead to confirm time and place.

Falun Dafa has five sets of exercises. The explanations below are excerpted from Falun Gong by Mr. Li Hongzhi.


Exercise 1: Buddha Stretching a Thousand Arms

Principles: The core of Buddha Stretching a Thousand Arms is stretching to open up all energy channels. Through doing this exercise, beginners can acquire energy in a short period of time, and experienced practitioners will improve quickly. The exercise requires all energy channels to be opened up at the outset, enabling practitioners to immediately practice at a high level. The movements of this exercise are quite simple because a Great Way is, as a rule, simple and easy to learn. Though the movements are simple, they dictate everything involved in the cultivation system. When doing this exercise, one's body will feel warm and will experience a unique sensation of there being a very strong energy field. This is caused by stretching and opening all the energy channels throughout the body. The purpose is to break through areas where the energy is blocked, to enable energy to circulate freely and smoothly, to mobilize the energy within the body and under the skin, circulating it vigorously, and to absorb a great amount of energy from the universe. It simultaneously enables the practitioner to quickly achieve the state of having a qigong energy field. This exercise is done as the foundational exercise of Falun Gong, and it is usually done first. It is one of the methods for reinforcing your cultivation. Learn Exercise 1

Exercise 2: Falun Standing Stance

Principles: This is the second Falun Gong exercise. It is a still, standing exercise composed of four wheel-holding positions. There are few movements and each position needs to be held for quite a while. Beginners' arms might initially feel heavy and achy. After doing the exercise, though, the whole body will feel relaxed, without feeling any of the fatigue that comes from physical work. When practitioners increase the frequency and duration of the exercise, they can feel a Law Wheel rotating between their arms. Doing the Falun Standing Stance exercise frequently will help open the entire body completely, and it will enhance gong strength. Falun Standing Stance is a comprehensive means of cultivation that increases wisdom, raises a person's level, and strengthens supernatural powers. The movements are simple, yet much can be achieved from this exercise and nothing is left out. During the exercise, do the movements naturally—you must be aware that you are doing them, and don't sway, though it is normal to move slightly. As with the other exercises of Falun Gong, the end of this exercise does not mean the end of the practice since the Law Wheel never stops rotating. The duration of each movement can differ from person to person, but the longer, the better. Learn Exercise 2

Exercise 3: Coursing Between the Two Poles

Principles: The purpose of this exercise is to mix and merge the universe's energy with the energy inside the body. A great amount of energy is expelled and taken in. In a very short time, the practitioner can expel the pathogenic and black qi from his or her body and take in a great deal of energy from the universe, enabling the body to be purified and to quickly reach the state of "a Pure-White Body." Also, while the arms are moving up and down, the exercise facilitates the "opening of the top of the head" and unblocks the passages under the feet. Before doing the exercise, picture yourself as two large empty barrels standing upright between heaven and earth, gigantic and incomparably tall. With the upward movement of the arms, the qi in the body rushes directly out of the top of the head to the upper pole of the universe; with the downward movement of the arms, it goes out through the bottoms of the feet to the lower pole of the universe. After these movements of the arms, the energy returns to the inside of the body from both poles, and is then sent out in the opposite direction. The arms are moved up and down in opposite directions nine times each. On the ninth movement, the left arm is held up (females, the right arm) and kept there, then the other arm is brought up. Next, both arms move downward together, bringing the energy to the lower pole, and then back to the upper pole as they move along the body. After the arms move up and down nine times, the energy is brought back into the body. The Law Wheel is turned clockwise (as viewed from the front) at the lower abdomen four times to spin the energy that is outside the body back in. The hands are conjoined in Jieyin to end the exercise, but not the functioning of gong. Learn Exercise 3

Exercise 4: Falun Cosmic Orbit

Principles: This exercise enables the human body's energy to circulate over large areas. Rather than going through only one or several meridians, the energy circulates from the entire yin side of the body to the yang side, over and over again. This exercise goes far beyond the usual methods of opening up the meridians and the great and small cosmic orbits. It is one of Falun Gong's intermediate-level exercises. With the previous three exercises as a base, this one is intended to open up all meridians throughout the body (including the great cosmic orbit) so that the meridians will gradually be connected throughout the entire body, from top to bottom. The most outstanding feature of this exercise is its use of the Law Wheel's rotation to rectify all abnormal conditions in the human body. This enables the human body—a small cosmos or universe'to return to its original state, and to have the whole body's energy circulate freely and smoothly. When that is achieved, the practitioner has reached a very high level in Triple-World-Law cultivation and, if he or she has great spiritual potential, can now move on to cultivate the Great Way (Dafa). At that time their gong strength and supernatural powers will grow dramatically. When doing this exercise, the hands should follow the energy mechanisms. Each movement should be unhurried, slow, and smooth. Learn Exercise 4

Exercise 5: Reinforcing Supernatural Powers

Principles: Reinforcing Supernatural Powers is one of the serene cultivation exercises in Falun Gong. It is a multi-purpose exercise intended to strengthen supernatural powers (including supernatural abilities) and gong strength by turning the Law Wheel using Buddha mudras, or "hand signs." This exercise is above the intermediate level and was originally kept as a secret exercise. To fulfill the wishes of those who have reached a basic level, I have specially made public this cultivation method to save predestined practitioners. The exercise requires meditating in the full-lotus position. The full-lotus position is preferable, 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 hands move with the energy mechanisms planted by your shifu. When the hand movements start, the heart follows the movement of the thoughts. When strengthening the supernatural powers, keep the mind empty, with a slight focus on both palms. The centers of the palms will feel warm, heavy, electric, numb, as if holding a weight, etc. But don't pursue any of these sensations—just let them happen naturally. The longer the legs are crossed, the better; it depends on one's endurance. The longer you meditate, the more intense the exercise is and the faster the energy grows. Don't think about anything when doing this exercise—no thought is involved—and ease into stillness. Gradually enter into stillness from the dynamic state that seems calm, but is not actually stillness. But your main consciousness must be aware that you are doing the exercise. Learn Exercise 5