(Minghui.org) Herich PaweŁ, 74, came to the largest Polish health products expo in Katowice to fulfill a year-long quest.

Poor health had driven him to visit all kinds of health expos and fairs looking for therapies. One year ago, at the Katowice Health Expo, Mr. PaweŁ learned the Falun Gong exercises. The strong energy generated by the practice made him feel wonderful. However, he was only able to learn the first four exercises last year. The practice of Falun Gong includes five gentle exercises.

Even without the fifth exercise, Herich enjoyed many benefits from the practice. “I am full of energy, and stopped taking medication. Some other miraculous things have happened to me,” he said, “but I always think of the one exercise that I didn't learn.”

This year, Herich not only learned the fifth exercise, the sitting meditation, he also bought the main book of Falun Gong, Zhuan Falun, which he thoroughly enjoys reading.

This year marked the 11^th time that Falun Gong practitioners have participated in the Katowice Health Expo, held twice a year, in the spring and autumn.

Herich PaweŁ doing the second exercise, The Wheel Holding Stance

Mr. PaweŁ was not the only person who came back to continue learning Falun Gong.

Helena Potok, 66, had also learned some of the Falun Gong exercises, but not all, three years ago at the same event. Since then, she has tried out many other kinds of qigong practices with her daughter. Three years have passed, and they realized that Falun Gong is the best.

Before Helena came to the expo this year, her daughter urged her to find the Falun Gong booth and learn all the exercises. Her daughter told her, “I can't go this year, but you must go learn. And more importantly, don't forget to buy the book – the one with the blue cover.”

Helena learning the Falun Gong exercises.

A Predestined Relationship

Chinese culture believes that predestined relationships bring people together. One Polish woman experienced this first hand at the expo.

She came to the Falun Gong booth and went over the exercises with a practitioner again and again. During a break, she told the practitioner that she'd had a dream the night before. In the dream, she learned that at the Katowice Health Expo she would find a Chinese cultivation practice called Falun Dafa, and she would obtain a book titled Zhuan Falun.

So, out of curiosity, she actually went to the expo to see if there really was such a practice and such a book. “It is really incredible,” she said. “The exercises are amazing. I have noticed that no matter how pale people look before, after 10 minutes of doing the exercises at this booth, their faces look healthy. I am really lucky to meet you. I will pass on what I learned today to my senior friends.”

Introducing Falun Gong at the Katowice Health Expo

People learning the exercises.

Talking to expo visitors about the practice of Falun Gong

Qigong Masters Interested in Falun Gong

Several qigong masters at the expo were interested in Falun Gong. They learned the exercises, bought the book Zhuan Falun, and listened to practitioners sharing their personal experiences with the practice.

One qigong master said, “I have noticed you guys for a long time. My celestial eye is open, and I can see that the bright energy you radiate is very powerful. That is how I know that Falun Dafa is righteous and great. I have seen the Shen Yun shows, too. The energy field generated on stage is so immense that I have no words to describe it.

“I learned the first four exercises before, and today I want to learn the fifth. When I feel tired, the first four exercises can always recharge me. I believe that the fifth will be more powerful.” He bought the book and learned all of the exercises.

Polish qigong masters deepened their understanding of Falun Gong at the expo.

Exposing the Persecution in China

Practitioners also took the opportunity to expose the brutal persecution of Falun Gong in China.

A woman with arthritis said she felt much better after doing the first Falun Gong exercise. She was shocked when she heard about the persecution. “Persecuting such a good exercise? That is ridiculous. I've had pain in my legs for a long time, and I have to walk with crutches. No drug or physical therapies worked. But I feel so good now, after just a short period of exercise. Are they trying to destroy people's hope?” She signed the petition to condemn the persecution.

One qigong master told a practitioner that his teacher, who is Chinese, told him not to learn Falun Gong, because, to him, Falun Gong seemed to be a “political qigong.”

“However, I've seen you several years in a row, and found that this is a good practice.” This qigong master asked, “Can you tell me what is going on?”

The practitioner told him of the popularity of Falun Gong in China before the persecution began. “Almost one hundred million Chinese people practiced Falun Gong. This scared the Chinese Communist Party and made them jealous.

“The Party has tortured Falun Gong practitioners with extreme brutality. And the lies they have made up to slander Falun Gong are shameless. All we do is to tell people what Falun Gong really is and call for help to stop the persecution.

“If this is politics, then everyone with a conscience should get involved, including your Chinese teacher. I believe that he does not know the truth. I hope that you will tell him what you learned today.”

The qigong master agreed. He bought a copy of Zhuan Falun and then learned all of the exercises.

Signing the petition to condemn the persecution of Falun Gong

Media Coverage

Wiesław Urbańczyk, an editor from Wiadomości24.pl, a popular Polish news website, and his wife, Krystyna Urbańczyk, interviewed several practitioners. They both signed the petition calling for an end to the persecution. Later, a large photo and stories about the practitioners were published on their news website.

Wiesław Urbańczyk signed the petition to support Falun Gong practitioners' peaceful resistance to the persecution in China.

Many people expressed their respect and support for the practitioners. A number of vendors have seen the practitioners many times at the Katowice Health Expo and similar events. Many are now familiar with the cultivation practice and the persecution.

Some of the vendors stopped by the practitioners' booth, asking to sign the petition. Several encouraged the practitioners to keep up the good work: “If China changes, the world will be a better place.”

One vendor, who in prior years has refused to listen to practitioners or sign the petition, changed her attitude this year. She not only accepted informational materials, she also asked to sign the petition to show her support.

Another vendor thanked the practitioners for their efforts. “People have learned of the beauty of Falun Gong and the brutality of the persecution. The inner peace you manifest really makes a deep impression on people,” he said.