(Minghui.org) Practitioners in Middletown, Orange County, New York, gathered on the large lawn beside Northern Academy to do the Falun Dafa exercises together in celebration of World Falun Dafa Day.

Falun Dafa practitioners take a group photo to celebrate May 13, World Falun Dafa Day and to respectfully wish Master Li a happy birthday. (Minghui.org)

Practitioners do the Falun Dafa exercises together on World Falun Dafa Day. (Minghui.org)

As they welcomed the morning sun, about 300 Falun Dafa practitioners of different ages and cultural backgrounds did the Falun Dafa exercises. It was a grand but serene scene. Afterwards they took a group photo and video to respectfully wish Falun Dafa’s founder, Master Li, a happy birthday and to thank him for bringing Falun Dafa to the world.

Australian Architect Thanks Master

James Smith (Minghui.org)

James Smith, an architect and videographer from Australia said, “This is a really rare opportunity, to be able to do the exercises together with so many practitioners. The energy field is very strong.”

When he was young, Mr. Smith explored various forms of spiritual practice, and constantly contemplated the meaning of life. In 2002, a good friend suggested he try Falun Dafa and Smith said this brought great changes to his life. He had fractured his back, which left him with lingering aftereffects. A few weeks after he started practicing Falun Dafa, Mr. Smith recovered from his injuries, his posture became upright again, and his sleep improved.

Mr. Smith said, “My health improved and I’ve become calm and balanced. This is especially true when I do the exercises. Take for example the second exercise, when I practice it for a long period of time, I can feel energy filling my body and there is a cleansing feeling, too. After doing the third and fourth exercises, I feel that the whole of me has been cleansed and my mind and body are relaxed.”

University Professor: Falun Dafa Helped Regain My Health

Ren Cuirong said practicing Falun Dafa helped him to regain his health after he was plagued by illnesses. (Minghui.org)

Ren Cuirong, a statistics professor, started practicing Falun Dafa in the US in 1998. He said he was plagued by illnesses when he was young. He suffered from anemia and often had to go to the hospital for various tonics. He would even suddenly faint. After entering university, he had serious insomnia and later injured his lower back. His stomach felt uncomfortable, and he always felt bloated. When he went to the hospital for a check-up, he was told he had gallstones in his bile duct. He was in constant and severe pain.

Mr. Ren recalled, “Later, after I started practicing Falun Dafa, these problems gradually disappeared and so did my insomnia.” When he first started practicing, he did the exercise movements for about 20 minutes at home, and that night, his stomach felt more comfortable than ever before. “I felt encouraged to continue practicing.”

He said he usually likes to do the exercises outdoors in the morning, “My body feels very relaxed after I do the exercises. If I am not able to do the exercises for two to three days, I get tired very quickly.”

Vietnamese Practitioner: Falun Dafa Changed My Life

Hoa Nguyen brought her three children to join the group exercise. (Minghui.org)

Hoa Nguyen from Vietnam said, “This event is very good. The energy field is very good, and the feeling is great.” She said that she also does the exercises outdoors by herself. “After doing the exercises, I feel quiet and calm, and there is strong energy.”

Ms. Nguyen began practicing in Vietnam in 2017. She recalled, “At that time, I saw a person on social media who said that he is a Falun Dafa practitioner. He was an outstanding pilot but he hadn’t been able to find the meaning of life until he read Zhuan Falun. After that, he found the answers to all of his questions. I became very curious and started reading Zhuan Falun.”

Ms. Nguyqn continued, “Practicing Falun Dafa had a great impact on my life, and my health improved a lot. In the past, I suffered from headaches, backaches and nose problems and I often needed to take medicine. Now I no longer need to do that.”