(Minghui.org) My health was poor. I had pain here and pain there, so that I was in constant discomfort. I also had a bad stomach. If I ate a little more, I would feel bloated. If I ate a little less, I would feel hunger pangs. In addition, I had cervical spondylosis for more than five years. This illness had been giving me tremendous torment. I couldn’t read or work on my computer with my head lowered. I couldn’t drink cold water. I couldn’t take cold baths. Swimming was out of the question. If my pillow was too hard or too soft, too high or too low, I would end up having a headache or feeling dizzy. According to medical science, there is no cure for cervical diseases. Shots and medication can relieve pain but there is no permanent solution.
I had been searching for a way to keep fit for several years. I had wanted to learn tai chi before going abroad so that I could do the exercises any time and at any place and even alone, but was unable to find anybody who would teach me, even for a fee.
Every time I went abroad, to make sure I kept my health and fitness in check, I would fill my entire suitcase with a variety of drugs plus all kinds of exercise shoes and outfits. I did the same when I went to Canada in 2013. Drugs and clothing took up three suitcases and cost 1,800 yuan (~ $US300) to ship. This kind of ritual was making my life in general, and my travels in particular, very inconvenient.
On December 17, 2013, I went with my wife sightseeing in Toronto, Canada. It was a cold day with snow on the ground and frigid wind. We were walking along Spadina Avenue, in the heart of Chinatown, looking at the buildings and the streetcars when we ran into a group of people.
An older lady in the group greeted me, “Hello sir, are you out sightseeing?” I answered, “Yes. But what are you doing out in this cold? Are you out sightseeing too? Be careful. Don’t catch cold.”
She quickly replied, “We are Falun Gong practitioners,” and then she continued to tell us what was clear she truly believed: “We are not worried about the cold weather. We don’t catch cold. We don’t get sick. Practice Falun Gong and all your sicknesses will be gone too.”
I responded, “Even my cervical spondylosis?” She answered sincerely, “Yes. Put your heart at ease. If you practice Falun Gong, you will have no sicknesses.” Again, much to my surprise, she continued to say things that spoke to her heartfelt belief in the goodness of Falun Gong: “Look at us. We don’t wear heavy clothing. We don’t even have hats on. We don’t feel cold. That’s because we practice Falun Gong.”
Another in the group added, “Falun Gong has five sets of exercises. There is no charge for learning them. You just need to have the will to learn. Of course, you will need to want to be a good and honest person in the first place. Then, you’ll begin to reap Falun Gong’s benefits in both your mind and your body.”
I asked: "Does Falun Gong really have so many benefits?” She answered, “Falun Dafa practitioners are good, law-abiding citizens. The Canadian Government supports Falun Gong. Every year on World Falun Dafa Day, the Prime Minister and Members of Parliament will write to join in the celebration. The United States, France, and over100 countries all support Falun Gong. When you practice, you’ll know how good it is."
A young lady noticed I was still hesitant, so she said to me: "Well, why don’t you go to the Tianti Bookstore. There are people who can teach you about Falun Gong for free."
In China, I couldn’t even pay anybody to teach me tai chi, but here, there are people who are willing to teach me Falun Gong without charge.
So my wife and I sought out the Tianti Bookstore, where a staff member warmly received us. I explained the reason for our visit.
He said, "Good. Let’s start by checking out Master Li's video tape, It’s made up of nine lectures. After you’ve watched three, this gentleman here will teach you the exercises. If you have time, I’ll set up the machine right now.” I told him, "Yes, we have time."
And so, that’s how I started my Falun Gong practice.
In the city where I live, there is a practice site. After I finished watching the nine lectures at the bookstore, the staff member recommended that I continued at my own local site. He provided me with an address.
At the practice site, over a period of time of learning and practicing, I began to understand what Falun Gong really is, and what the Falun Gong exercises are for. Falun Gong guides me to improve my mind and my character. It teaches me to treat all people with honesty, to do everything for the sake of others and with a sincere attitude. In life and at work, when I encounter contradictions and grievances, I should be mindful and patient, always keeping a compassionate heart and a peaceful demeanor, and weighing everything with the yardstick of truthfulness, compassion, and forbearance.
Through doing the five exercises, over a period of time, my healthy significantly improved. My stomach problems disappeared. I stopped taking the drugs I brought from home. The uncomfortable symptoms of having pain here and pain there was no more. My cervical spondylosis conditions also got a lot easier to manage.
As a Falun Gong practitioner, I feel better and better each day. My health is good. I live every day with a heart full of joy.