(Clearwisdom.net) I have practiced Falun Gong for over twelve years. I would like to give my reasons for practicing and share how Falun Gong has helped improve my physical health.

Since childhood I was weak and would easily get sick. Taking medicine was as regular as having meals. I was under the impression that more exercise would help me, and in elementary school I joined the exercise team. In junior high I joined a football team and in high school I joined the volleyball and basketball teams. The improvement in my health was limited, however. In my high school days, menstruation was a painful experience. It required several days for me to recover and there were times I had to skip school. I took a lot of Chinese medicine but the problem never went away. After I joined the workforce, a physical checkup revealed that I had an ovarian cyst.

I started by taking medicine to suppress the cyst but there were no signs of improvement. Finally, I had to have surgery. While it was possible to clean up and remove the swollen parts, the doctor said that the illness could return. Giving birth to a child would be the best way to deal with this disorder, but I learned it would be difficult to become pregnant with my condition. Hearing these comments from the doctor was a blow to me, because it implied that I might not be able to have a child. This was in 1995.

I came to the US in August 1996. My husband was a student, and I was preparing for the TOEFL and GRE tests. In the summer of 1997, my body felt out of balance, and the pain returned during menstruation. After a checkup, the doctor again recommended surgery and said that it would not be major surgery. I knew it was a temporary fix and would not solve the problem. In my disappointment I was thinking of completely removing the ovary, but knowing the nature of the surgery I didn't dare go through with it.

Over Thanksgiving in 1997, I was fortunate enough to learn about the nine-day video lectures offered by Falun Gong practitioners. After I attended the third lecture, I realized that this was a special practice, so I purchased the book Zhuan Falun and borrowed the video tapes to watch at home. After about two months of study, my pain was gone and I felt great.

Master Li said in Zhuan Falun,

"Many people have been taking qigong to be an ordinary physical exercise, when in fact the difference is extremely great; they are not the same thing at all. Only when practicing qi at the lowest level, which is for healing and fitness to ensure a healthy body, is this lowest-level goal similar to that of physical exercises. At a high level, however, they are entirely different things. The body purification in qigong also has its purpose and, furthermore, practitioners are required to comply with supernormal principles instead of everyday people's principles. But physical exercises are only something for everyday people."

He also said,

"Because we are leading you to the righteous way, during In-Triple-World-Fa cultivation practice your body will be purified constantly until it is completely transformed by high-energy matter."

I now understood the meaning of purifying one's body and how it feels to be free of illness. This was the first time I felt that being able to study Falun Gong is a great gift. Better fortune came as well. In October 1998 I became pregnant and the doctor told me that everything was normal. I gave birth to a healthy girl in July 1999. In September 2008 my son was born and he was healthy too.

I became healthy in mind and body after practicing Falun Gong. I completed a masters degree and have a satisfying job. The United States is a free country where, based on what one has learned, one can contribute to society.

I wish to thank those who came to learn about Falun Gong. My case is just one of the many examples where practitioners have benefited in their minds and bodies. In fact, the real benefits of practicing Falun Gong far exceed getting a healthy body. I encourage you to read the articles on the Falun Gong websites. You may receive even more benefits than I did. Thank you!