(Minghui.org) Falun Dafa practitioners attended the Yoga Festival Helsinki 2025 from March 1 to 2, 2025. The activity drew many yoga lovers and people who were interested in meditation and cultivation.
Falun Dafa Booth Gets Attention of Many Visitors
Falun Dafa practitioners demonstrated the exercises, which drew the attention of many people. Practitioners wore bright-yellow exercise costumes during the activity. They introduced the practice with the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance. They also raised awareness of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) ongoing persecution and state-sanctioned forced organ harvesting.
Practitioners demonstrate the exercises to the visitors.
Some people explained that they had encountered Falun Dafa during the previous Yoga Festival and had already signed the petition. After learning that the petition is submitted each year, they did not hesitate to sign it once again. Many locals were appalled at hearing about the CCP-sanctioned forced organ harvesting. One said, “It is incredible. This is horrible. This is terrible.” Another said, “I believe that the CCP can do any bad thing.” Other locals said that the practitioners were doing a very important thing.
Experiencing the Exercises
The organizers of the Yoga Festival arranged an one-hour time slot for practitioners to teach the Falun Dafa exercises. Many shared that they felt very comfortable after doing the exercises.
Attendees of the Yoga Festival learn the Falun Dafa exercises.
A woman was worried that she would be unable to remember the exercise movements and hoped to find someone to practice with. A local practitioner told her that there is group practice at Sibelius Park every day. She was excited and said, “That park is close to my work place.”
A man said that he came to learn Falun Dafa last year and even purchased a copy of Zhuan Falun, the main text of Falun Dafa. He joined the exercise class this year without a second thought. He stated, “I feel good after doing the exercises.” Later his wife said, “I am reading Zhuan Falun too!”
An elderly woman started to take pictures of the Chinese characters “Falun Dafa is good” on a practitioner’s shirt. She posted the pictures on social media so that more people could learn about Falun Dafa.
Everyone eagerly signed the petition and took some truth-clarification materials after the practice session ended. A visitor accepted the origami lotus flower and studied the words Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. He said, “Very good principles with nice meaning. This is what we need.”
Feeling Positive Energy After Signing the Petition
A Finnish man accepted a Falun Dafa flyer and read it immediately. A practitioner further explained the practice and talked about how his friends and family and himself were persecuted in China, and some even lost their lives due to the brutality. The Finnish man stated that he visited China and loved Chinese food and scenery. He admitted that he rarely watched the news since he focused more on nature and energy healing. He was shocked upon hearing what the practitioner told him and said, “This is a nightmare.”
He asked the practitioner, “How long has the petition been going on?” The practitioner told him that the petition has been going on for over 20 years, and an activity booth is set up in the Helsinki city center every Saturday. Practitioners also arranged truth-clarification activities in Sibelius Park. The man was very touched and said that he seldom supports any activity but this time he signed the petition. As soon as he did, he said, “I feel a positive energy!”
A practitioner gave the man a lotus flower. He put his palms together and said that he would pray for practitioners and hoped the persecution would end soon.
Locals support Falun Dafa.
Locals: Forced Organ Harvesting Is Horrible and Unbelievable
Olli Pekka, an account manager, explained Falun Dafa in English to her Russian friend, Tatiana. Olli said to practitioners, “I often see you in a park in Töölö. This is a qigong practice that benefits one’s mind and body. However, the CCP persecutes it.”
A practitioner said that the CCP is atheist and persecutes Falun Dafa and other religions. Tatiana said, “Then it is like the Soviet Union.”
Both Olli and Tatiana were in disbelief when hearing about the CCP’s forced organ harvesting. “This is shocking and unbelievable!”
Olli signed the petition without hesitation and said, “I saw your activities at Helsinki city center 15 years ago.”
Linda and Jukka had heard about Falun Dafa before. Jukka said, “There are crimes going on in China that few in the world know about.” In response to forced organ harvesting, Jukka said, “It is a huge mistake, but it is not surprising because the CCP can commit any wrong deed.”
A woman said that she had studied Chinese language and culture at the University of Helsinki in the 1990s. That was when she first heard about forced organ harvesting. She sighed deeply and said she was shocked. She added that she had also read about it in a newspaper a few years ago.
Else, a teacher, said that she saw Falun Dafa practitioners in a park last summer. She kept shaking her head and said, “Forced organ harvesting is frightening! This is unbelievable! This world is crazy.” She solemnly signed the petition and stated, “You are doing something very important. I hope something small like my signature will help. Thank you very much!”
Joonas, a staff member from the Yoga Festival, signed the petition and said, “I know that the CCP puts people in prison, collects information about them, and then harvests their organs at any time. This unethical business of taking away people’s organs is actually happening in China. This is inhumane.”
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