Irish Practitioner's First Experience Doing the Exercises: "The Energy Field Was Extraordinary"

I first began to practice Falun Gong in September 1999. Here are the details of how I obtained the Fa and a brief description of my cultivation during my early months.

Ever since I can remember, I have been interested in China and its culture. Perhaps some of this comes from my father, with whom I would sit and watch 70's Kung Fu films. But it was not until I began to practice Kung Fu myself that the door of cultivation fully opened.

At the time (1997), I was working in a supermarket after taking a year off from school. During that year, I began collecting Kung Fu films and had a great urge to learn Kung Fu because I had always thought that it contained something deeper than just self-defence. After discovering a martial school near my home, I began to practice.

In total, I studied Kung Fu for two years. I left because of the violence; I had a negative turn against it. Still, the classes allowed me to experience Qigong for the first time and I pursued more knowledge about qigong and its different forms over the next year.

There were some systems that, although I had bought books on, I never wanted to go deep into. Now, I understand that these practices were not good for me and I was being cared for.

As my quest for knowledge continued, I went to a Mind-Body-Spirit festival and met some Chinese Falun Gong practitioners in yellow practice suits. My sister had told me that China had banned the practice at that time and I wanted to see what all the fuss was about.

I still remember when I was taught the first exercise. After the first position, "Maitreya Straightening His Back," I turned my hands and felt a very strong resistance against the movement of my hands. The energy field was extraordinary and it was like I was moving my hands in water.

I knew that I had to learn more.

There was a free class the following weekend and I attended with fifteen to twenty more people. Again, I felt the exercises were more powerful than any of the other practices I had tried.

There was a class the following week, and I attended that also. This time there were about ten other people.

Another class followed, this time a month later and it continued monthly for a while. In between, I had bought the books Falun Gong and Zhuan Falun and had read them several times. When I read Zhuan Falun for the first time, I was amazed at the knowledge in the book and it was as if I was already aware of it, but had just never put it into words.

After each subsequent reading, I felt that I had progressed in cultivation.

Since then, I have experienced much. I have stepped forward and fallen down but I am determined to make the correct steps forward and follow Teacher.