(Minghui.org) Since I was a baby I always needed a lot of sleep and used every opportunity to take a nap. When in college, my roommate called me “Sleeping Beauty.”
My mother said that I was an easy baby because I was asleep more than awake. I woke up once in a while, but did not even cry, and just went back to sleep.
My aunt's house was very close to my high school, so I often visited her and fell asleep at her house. Years later, my sleeping habit became one of her conversation topics.
I remember sitting in a history class after lunch break. I was so sleepy that I could not hear the lecture. I looked up and saw the teacher staring at me. But my head felt so heavy! I lowered my head and supported it with my fist. I finally could no longer take it and had to rest my head on the desk.
I lived in the dormitory when I was in college and graduate school, and the students there liked to drop by to socialize. I was often sleeping when they came by my dorm room. At first, they lowered their voices to avoid waking me, but later on they acted as if I was not even there.
When the dormitory was too noisy, I would find a quiet corner in a study room and rest my head on the desk. I could easily sleep for two to three hours straight.
Despite all that sleep, I had little energy. Given my weak physical constitution, I felt that I needed a lot of sleep.
I also caught a cold whenever someone in class came down with one. I seemed to be sick throughout the Winter season. I was most afraid of attending physical education classes, as I was not good at any sports and would often get sick being outdoors. And when I got sick, I felt dizzy and slept even more.
Although I did well academically, my classmates worried about my future because of my sleep and health issues.
My parents were concerned that I could not handle the workload of the high school curriculum. They even considered having me transferred to a trade or polytechnic school.
Falun Dafa Gave Me a Normal Life
I began to practice Falun Dafa in 2007, during my postgraduate studies.
I studied Zhuan Falun, the main book of Dafa, did the five exercises and lived by the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. Compared to practitioners who were diligent, I lagged far behind. Despite that, ten years of practice has truly benefited my body and mind.
I now go to bed after midnight and wake up before 6:00 a.m. Although I get less than six hours of sleep, I'm not tired and have more energy. Staying up late occasionally does not affect me either. I now have normal sleeping habits and rarely get sick.
My colleagues wear sweaters or down vests in the Winter, and I wear only a thin blouse. They often ask if I get cold, and I tell them, “Not at all. I will break out in sweat if I wear another layer of clothing.”
My parents are relieved because they see that I am now healthy and leading a normal life. They thus support me in my practice, despite the persecution of Falun Dafa.
I sometimes wish I had started the practice earlier, so I would not have wasted so much time sleeping and being ill. I may have had a brighter personality, had more time to study Dafa books and done more meaningful things.
I wrote a poem that I wish to share.
Living in a dream for 25 yearsCovered in dust and could not wake upDafa drove away the dense fogMind and body brightly shine.
(Submission to “Celebrate World Falun Dafa Day” 2018 on the Minghui website)
