(Minghui.org) The Tianti Bookstore in Manhattan is a very quiet oasis in a large and noisy city.

Every other month the bookstore hosts a free 9-day Falun Dafa class. Most of the students in the latest class had heard about it through word of mouth.

Students learn the Falun Dafa exercises at Tianti Bookstore on West 30^th Street in Manhattan.

The class started shortly after the annual Falun Dafa Cultivation Experience Sharing Conference held in the city on May 14, 2015.

Some of the over 8,300 Falun Dafa practitioners from around the world who attended the conference visited “Tianti,” which means “a ladder to heaven” in Chinese. It is a specialty bookstore that sells only Falun Dafa books.

With a cup of coffee in hand, looking at shelves of yellow and blue Falun Dafa books, many visitors commented that the atmosphere in the store was unique, like a quiet island in a busy, noisy city.

A volunteer who teaches the exercises at the store said the 9-day class is the most effective and systematic way to learn Falun Dafa. The students watch a video of Master Li Hongzhi teaching for about an hour and a half, followed by learning the exercises for 30 minutes.

Students often benefit more from the 9-day-class than reading the book Zhuan Falun individually or in a group, even though the content is the same.

The bookstore staff didn't have time to promote the class because of the conference, but the word got out through word of mouth.

Mr. “Muscle” Relaxes

Mr. “Muscle” lives nearby, so he often walks by the bookstore. He was curious about the “9-day-class” advertised out front for a long time. He recently developed an interest in meditation so he decided to come into the store and learn about the practice.

After nine days, this man, who is often under stress, felt relaxed in both body and mind.

Actor Discovers the Truth about Falun Dafa

A non-Asian-looking man came into the store and spoke fluent Chinese. He said he had seen many Falun Dafa practitioners at tourist sites when he visited Australia. He then found an acting job with a Chinese TV station and lived in China for six years.

Chinese state-controlled TV often criticizes and slanders Falun Gong, but no one had dared or cared to explain the truth about Falun Gong to him.

Four days before the class started, he was in New York and saw a group of people doing gentle exercises not far from the bookstore. He joined them without asking what it was. When they finished, he learned it was Falun Gong.

“Falun Gong again?” he marveled. His curiosity was aroused, so when someone recommended that he go to the bookstore, he signed up for the 9-day-class.

Deborah, Deborah, and Kim

Deborah (one) is a college student who started practicing Falun Dafa in 2013, after her parents took up the practice. She enjoyed attending a 9-day class during her summer break from school, and shared a few personal stories about how she benefited from practicing Falun Dafa. She encouraged other new students to be diligent.

Deborah (two) had also practiced Falun Dafa for a while. However, she said she still learned a lot from the 9-day-class. For example, she used to treat doing the exercises like housework, just moving her arms and legs without thinking anything deeper. The class changed her. She is now practicing Falun Dafa diligently.

Kim is a student at Columbia University. She heard about the 9-day-class from the Falun Gong Club at school. She said she would join the group exercise practice at the university from now on, and participate in weekend events at the Tianti Bookstore.

The 9-day Falun Dafa class is taught in English and is free to the public.

Tianti Specialty Bookstore220 West 30th Street, New York, NY 10001Phone: 1-888-842-6845 (Toll free in north America)Phone: 1-201-897-8788 (International)http://tiantibooks.org