Why so many people decided to learn this Meditation practice online during the pandemic

We have all been through the tough times of the pandemic, confined to our homes like solitary confinement in prisons and losing all the things in life which we took for granted before the pandemic. Boredom, depression and tensions became the order of the day. Some people with positive attitudes decided to turn the crises into one of transforming themselves for the better. Online exercise and meditation came in as a ray of hope to increase peace of mind and immunity, since outdoor activities were totally restricted.  We would like to tell you about a unique cultivation practice which caught the attention of people and slowly became popular through Free online webinars during the several months of lockdown.

We would like to introduce Falun Dafa (or Falun Gong), a high level cultivation practice of mind and body. Five gentle and effective exercises are taught in Falun Dafa, but the emphasis is placed on cultivation of the mind or cultivation of moral qualities.

These exercises help in opening the person’s energy channels, purifying the body, relieving stress and providing inner peace. Being a perfect mind and body practice, people get amazing health benefits in a short time.

Falun Dafa was first made public in China in May 1992 by Mr. Li Hongzhi. Today, more than 100 million people are practicing it in over 90 countries. The sad thing is that Falun Dafa which has its origins in China is being suppressed since 1999 and people are not allowed to practice which continues till today

Falun Dafa exercises and meditation is often taught in parks or public places all over the world.. Due to the pandemic and the restrictions it is being taught online through webinars which caught the people’s fancy. Archana, coordinator of online webinars in India got the idea of a webinar watching her son attending the online classes.”I found the video conference app a convenient way to connect with people who are interested in learning the practice,” said Archana.

Archana, who is a housewife and has been practicing Falun Dafa for many years, says, “It was difficult to teach people during the lockdown personally, but it is possible to connect with people from every corner of the country through online video conference app. Those who do not have a computer can connect through a mobile phone and learn the practice. ”

Sumaya Hazarika and other Falun Dafa  practitioners helped Archana in conducting the webinar. Sumaya, who is a fashion model by profession, says, “The practice of Falun Dafa helps me to remain positive and active”. “As soon as I got an opportunity to teach online practice, I immediately volunteered because it has benefited me a lot and I would like to share it with people.”

Some special webinars were organized for teenagers and children, the content of which was kept according to their interest. Archana said that, apart from teaching the exercise practice, many interesting activities were done for the children such as teaching them how to make lotus flowers through paper origami and recounting the Lotus story to tell them about the importance of moral values.     

Shreya, a 12-year-old student from Karnataka, decided to attend the workshop after learning about the practice from her uncle. Since learning, Shreya has been practicing regularly and has found it “very beneficial”.  “Now my mind is a lot more calm and stable and I can study well,” said Shreya.

Kalpana Lohani, Vice Principal of a Montessori school in Kathmandu, Nepal, had a similar experience. Kalpana registered for the workshop after reading a post related to Falun Dafa on Facebook.

Lohani said, “I feel so good and lucky that I came to know about it.” “Now, I do all five exercises every morning. I feel calm, alert and healthy. I sleep better. “

In addition to teaching exercises in webinars, the necessary information and support such as books, videos, audio is also made available online free for the participants so that they can learn at home.

“After attending these workshops, some people wanted to practice Falun Dafa with us regularly. We have conducted online exercise sessions daily for them, “said Yuvraj Telang, who helps teach the exercises with Archana.

If you are also keen to learn this practice, you can register for its free webinar at www.learnfalungong.in You can find more information about Falun Dafa at www.falundafa.org