Eyes closed, slowly reaching toward heaven and Earth, those who practice the ancient meditation exercise of Falun Dafa want to create a perfect flow of energy in their bodies and in the world.

Rena Lin performs a Falun Dafa [posture] called 'Heshi.' The translation is 'press hands together.' It is used as a form of greeting. DAILY Photos by John Godbey

Falun means wheel and Dafa means the great way of practice, so roughly translated the word means "great practice of the wheel of the universe."

Saturday, Jason Wang, a research scientist at Alabama A&M University, and Wade Yang, A&M associate professor of food engineering, gave a free workshop at the Decatur Public Library, introducing the five sets of gentle exercises and their principles.

"We want to share with other people and wish they can also benefit from the exercises," Wang said. "We welcome everyone to come join us."

Sabina Kupershmidt, assistant professor of anesthesiology at Vanderbilt University, assisted Wang and Yang.

Wang said several studies show the easy-to-learn exercises improve health problems such as vascular diseases, gastrointestinal ailments, stress, insomnia and cancer.

"Westerners like this for stress. They prefer it as a way to relax," Wang said.

Kupershmidt said many of her girlfriends take antidepressant or anti-anxiety medication, but she said exercising is her prescription.

"The little wheels stop turning and you stop worrying so much," Kupershmidt said, "Falun Gong helps you not make mountains out of molehills. I get along easier with people, I don't get angry, I am more patient, and it feels like people don't aggravate me anymore."

Kupershmidt stumbled upon information about the practice as she searched for a serious martial arts practice.

She said after two months with no perceived results, she quit practicing for about a year. When she started up again, she said, it was a "whoa" experience.

"I became very sensitive to it," Kupershmidt said. "I can feel what is going on in my body when I do the exercises. I didn't get sick anymore, and for that reason I stuck with it."

She also said her bad joints and arthritis no longer bother her when she goes up and down stairs.

Also a recent study by researchers at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston found the practice bolsters the efficiency of the immune system at resisting viruses.

Described as an exercise for everyone because of its low-key, low-impact movements, even pregnant women can practice Falun Dafa, Wang said.

He said his wife did the exercises during her pregnancy.

"She even exercised on the day of the birth," Wang said.

He said that decreased intensity of labor pains and a healthy baby were the benefits of the exercise.

Wang began serious practice in 1997 as a student at the University of Houston.

Graduate work meant many long-hours staring at a computer. His eyes began to hurt and he had trouble reading if he did not take a break from the computer.

He sought the advice of several doctors.

"I remember one said 'your problem is too trivial for me," Wang said. "Wait until it gets worse and come back and I will use the laser.'"

So, he attended a free Falun Dafa workshop.

"I can read for much longer on the computer now," Wang said.

Yang said that westerners exercise to lose weight and tone muscles, but easterners have a stronger belief in the mind-body relationship and exercise for different reasons.

"The spirit actually interacts with the physical part," Yang said, "so to see improved health, you need to work with both."