(Minghui.org) There can be many challenges in life and some are difficult to deal with. For many people, a practice known as Falun Dafa or Falun Gong opened a door to new opportunities. Once following the teachings to be a better person and constantly improving oneself, they found many problems were resolved even before they noticed it.

Below are experiences of four German practitioners.

Saying Goodbye to Insomnia

Richard works in the justice system and he used to have difficulty falling asleep. The worst time happened 10 years ago when he barely slept for one entire month. Frustrated over the tiredness and fatigue, he asked a friend for advice. “Why don’t you try Falun Dafa?” the friend replied, “It helped me a lot and it will help you too.”

So Richard learned the sitting meditation before going to bed. “Surprisingly I slept very well that night even though I could barely cross my legs half way,” he said, “From that, I knew Falun Dafa is extraordinary and decided to explore more.”

The practice not only cured his insomnia, but also gave him much more. Growing up in a traditional Catholic family, Richard was interested in the divine since childhood. Nonetheless, he still had many questions that no one could answer. “But after beginning to practice Falun Dafa, I understood all these and the purpose of life,” he continued.

It also provided a sense of assurance and safety. As many people were worried about uncertainties during the pandemic, Richard felt very fortunate to be a Dafa practitioner.

“Falun Dafa helped with my insomnia and gave me a peaceful mind – I couldn’t imagine what life would be without it. I will remain diligent in cultivation and help more people know about the practice. Thank you, Master Li!” he said.

Richard sent Chinese New Year greetings to Mr. Li Hongzhi, founder of Falun Dafa.

Broken Family Reunited

Nina had never met her father’s parents or brother when young. She was told that her father had a strained relationship with them. In addition, her father sometimes would exhibit dangerous behaviors and was once diagnosed with a mental disorder. Her younger brother and sister, who were in middle school at the time, often thought of running away to avoid having to face their father. Nina was attending college out of town, but she could not finish her study because of her family issues, which further made her feel helpless and lost.

Just as she was in despair, one friend of her sister’s recommended the book Zhuan Falun. Nina and her sister both read the book and often discussed their understandings of the teachings. Later on, their mother and brother also joined them in reading the book. In the end, all four of them became Falun Dafa practitioners.

“By applying the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance in our daily life, we learned there are many things we could do better. So we all ended up treating our father well,” Nina recalled. Surprisingly, her father’s condition also improved even without medication. Moreover, as he got better, he also resumed interaction with his parents and brother.

About ten years ago, Nina, nearly 40 at the time, met her uncle and his children for the first time. “Upon hearing all these changes in my father were brought out by our practice of Falun Dafa, my cousins decided to learn the practice from us too,” she added.

Like her family, Nina also benefited from the practice tremendously. She went back to finish college and received a degree. Furthermore, she got married and currently works at a news media.

“My brother and sister have also graduated college, and are now married. And my parents live together happily as well,” Nina explained, “All these are unimaginable without Falun Dafa. That is why I am so grateful to Master Li.”

Becoming More Efficient at Work

Andy, a teacher at a boarding school, first heard about Falun Dafa in 1998. “”My friend and I saw the book of Falun Gong at a bookstore. I found the book helped answer a lot of my questions about life and Master Li’s picture in the book also told me he is trustworthy,” he recalled.

Although he bought the book, Andy did not practice it immediately. After the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) started to persecute Falun Gong and spread propaganda against it in 1999, he knew those were lies to defame Falun Dafa. “I told people that those propaganda cannot be true,” he added. When he moved to another city in 2000, he was glad to find a group practice site nearby and joined the practice.

But cultivation practice was not easy. More than ten years into his cultivation, Andy found himself busy handling conflicts in life without much time for cultivation. With a poor cultivation status and pressure from work and family, he had the symptoms of memory loss and was only able to concentrate on things for about one hour per day. From time to time, he thought of Dafa. But with no confidence in himself, he felt hopeless.

This situation lasted about two years. One day when sitting in his office alone, Andy thought of Dafa again. He went to the website of FalunDafa.org and read Hong Yin, a collection of Master Li’s poems. “Several sentences into reading the book, I felt a warm current filling in from the top of my head all the way to my feet. I was in tears instantly,” he explained, “I knew Master had not abandoned me and I was still qualified to be a practitioner.”

After he resumed cultivation, Andy realized that as long as he aligned with the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, things would be fine. “I tried to handle the work-related stress and family conflicts as a practitioner, and the situation improved quickly,” he said. In the past, his wife often complained that he did not spend much time at home. Right now, she is supportive even if Andy needs to go out for a few days introducing Dafa to people.

As the 2022 Chinese New Year is approaching, Andy wants to thank Master Li for the opportunity to become a practitioner. He could feel Master’s compassion and will remain diligent.

Andy learned that, when encountering conflicts, it is important to look within and improve oneself.

Retired Fire Chief: “People Told Me I Am Getting Younger”

Paul is a retired fire chief. About four years ago, he jogged at the local park almost every morning. One day he saw a group of people doing Falun Dafa exercises. Curious about the gentle exercises, Paul went up for a chat and learned everyone could learn the exercises for free.

“As soon as I tried doing the five sets of exercises, I felt myself surrounded in energy,” he said. He felt light after returning home. “The 40 plus years of working at the fire department left me with pain in my legs and lower back. But that afternoon, I did not feel anything and it was such a wonderful feeling,” he explained.

Impressed by this experience, Paul contacted local practitioners and began to read Zhuan Falun. The teachings are very profound and all his questions about life were answered – “I immediately knew this is something I had been looking for,” he added.

Already close to 70, Paul said the dark spots on his face had lightened or diminished, and his neck wrinkles also reduced. “My friends told me I had become younger after retirement, and I know it is because of Falun Dafa,” Paul said, “Thank you Master and Happy New Year in the Year of the Tiger!”

Paul is happy to find Falun Dafa