There is no set way to learn Falun Gong. One can approach the practice from any one of several avenues. Should one's heart be sincere, any road into it will be fruitful. Falun Dafa is sure to be different from anything one has studied or practiced before, as its content is extremely unique and profound. Thus, your being patient and open-minded will ensure that the learning process moves along smoothly and swiftly. Most people find the company of a practice group an enjoyable way to start.

Falun Dafa has five gentle, easy-to-learn exercises, one of which is a meditation. Falun Dafa also consists of learning the principles of self-cultivation, that is, how to embody Truthfulness, Benevolence, and Forbearance. This is achieved by reading the main book written by Falun Dafa's founder, Mr. Li Hongzhi, or by watching videotapes and listening to audiotapes of his lectures. One book, a few exercises, and incredibly profound principles - that's Falun Dafa in brief. The rest, bringing it to life, is in your hands.

That said, you can begin to learn Falun Dafa in any of the following ways:

There are hundreds of "practice sites" around the world where people who practice Falun Dafa meet together to perform the exercises and/or study and discuss Falun Dafa's teachings. The "site" might be a park, a library, a hospital, or even your local YMCA. Everyone is welcome at the sites. At any site you will find practitioners who are happy to teach the exercises right there on the spot or elsewhere by arrangement. All instruction is free, of course.

Anyone can learn to perform the exercises of Falun Dafa by watching and practicing along with the Falun Dafa exercise video. The video features Mr. Li Hongzhi demonstrating the exercises, and includes an explanation of their form, key points, and effects. The video can be downloaded for free from the Internet, purchased from a variety of bookstores, or borrowed from someone at your local practice site.

You can learn the principles of Falun Dafa by reading the two main books written by Mr. Li Hongzhi: Falun Gong (Law Wheel Qigong) and Zhuan Falun (Turning the Law Wheel). Falun Gong is a systematic, introductory book that discusses qigong, introduces the principles, and provides illustrations and explanation of the exercises. We recommended that beginners and those without a thorough background in qigong begin with this book. Zhuan Falun is the most comprehensive and essential work of Falun Dafa practice, but is best read with some prior knowledge. Organized in the form of nine lectures, this book was the number one bestseller in China in 1996. A thorough understanding of Zhuan Falun is necessary for genuine, advanced practice. As with the exercise video, both books can be downloaded for free, purchased from a variety of bookstores, or borrowed from your local library or from someone at your local practice site.

Nine-session video seminars are held regularly by different practice groups around the world at various locations. They represent the most comprehensive way to begin the practice. Over the course of the seminar, attendees will: watch nine lectures by Mr. Li, learn all of the exercises, and have an opportunity to discuss the practice with veteran Falun Dafa students. The seminars are, of course, also completely free. Everyone is welcome.

In order to accommodate those people without practice groups near where they live, many who practice Falun Dafa are happy to come by arrangement to teach the exercises and introduce the practice to those who express interest. Many times people have gathered a few friends, reserved a room at their local library, and invited people who practice Falun Dafa to come teach them. Most practitioners will be happy to come for any number of people, at any location. California practitioners have traveled to Guatemala for this purpose, as have Swedish practitioners to South Africa. This, too, is completely free.