NEW YORK—Unmoved by hurricane warnings, more than 600 people filled a Central Park lawn at West 86th Street on Saturday morning to practice exercises and meditate. Cyclists, joggers, and people strolling by all paused to soak in the atmosphere and watch the slow movements performed to traditional Chinese music.
“It seems they’re very much at peace with themselves. They are very aware of themselves and what they’re doing. It’s relaxing,” said John, 83, an Upper West Side resident who was walking his dog. “It looks like something I could do. It’s not physically straining.
“It looks like something that is here and here, I guess,” he added, pointing to his head and his heart.
All of those gathered practice Falun Dafa, also known as Falun Gong. Some dressed casually, while many wore yellow t-shirts bearing the words, “Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance,” the three principles central to the ancient Chinese spiritual practice. The group moved in near unison through a series of standing exercises.
“I think it’s very calming and peaceful,” said Anke Schwarz, 33. “When you look at those people they all seem very nice, friendly, helpful, and peaceful people. They have good in mind.”
“I think it’s a very good and harmless way of advancing yourself,” said Schwarz.
Schwarz’s husband began practicing while they were dating. She said that her husband became more thoughtful toward everyone around him and more aware of the consequences of his actions.
Petition Signers Support
Dozens of passersby stopped to sign a petition requesting that New York Sens. Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand co-sign Resolution 232. The resolution, sponsored by New Jersey Sen. Robert Menéndez, calls to attention the continued persecution of Falun Gong practitioners inside China by the Chinese Communist Party. The resolution calls “for an immediate end to the campaign to persecute Falun Gong practitioners.” A similar resolution passed the U.S. House of Representatives in 2010 on a vote of 412-1.
When the group finished performing the four standing exercises, everyone sat down and crossed their legs. According to a Falun Dafa brochure, the fifth exercise “refines both body and mind through deep tranquility.” Once the meditation exercise was finished, people got up, gathered their exercise mats, and set out on their way.
“Healthy as a Horse”
Russian was among many nationalities represented at the group practice session. During the first two days of his visit to New York, Frank Mendez, 42, a Falun Dafa practitioner from California, said he met people from Romania, England, Canada, and Mexico whopractice Falun Dafa. Mendez, a software engineer for Cisco Systems, began practicing four months ago. Through the practice, his lifelong allergy problem disappeared and he no longer needs to use medicine.
“I think it much better to do the exercises together,” Mendez said. I thought at first it would be too much noise and hard to concentrate, but it’s the opposite since, we all have a common purpose. We want to meditate.”
An estimated 100 million people practice Falun Dafa worldwide. Practitioners from all over the world gather in New York City every year to share their experiences in thepractice. All events are free of charge, as are all Falun Dafa activities worldwide, according to a flier handed out Saturday.
It rained lightly for a few minutes while the group was meditating. Otherwise, the weather remained as calm as those who defied the hurricane warnings.
