Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, centers its practical discipline on a set of five meditative exercises that are understood to refine both body and mind. Four of these are standing exercises, characterized by slow, gentle movements and static postures, while the fifth is a seated meditation. Throughout, breathing remains natural and unforced, and the physical practice is regarded as inseparable from the cultivation of moral character in line with the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance. The exercises are often described as simple to learn in form, yet profound in their intended effect on energy, endurance, and inner stillness.

The first exercise, commonly called “Buddha Stretching (or Showing) a Thousand Arms,” consists of standing stretches and opening movements of the arms. These slow, expansive gestures are said to open the body’s energy channels, improve circulation, and energize the practitioner. The second, “Falun Standing Stance,” is a more static standing meditation in which several fixed postures are held with the arms forming circular shapes around the head, chest, and abdomen. Maintaining these positions for extended periods emphasizes stillness, endurance, and the transformation and strengthening of internal energy.

The third exercise, “Penetrating the Two Cosmic Extremes,” involves continuous, flowing arm movements that pass from above the head to below the feet and back again, sometimes with one hand raised while the other is lowered. This vertical circulation is understood as a way of connecting and purifying the body’s energy field in relation to the larger universe. The fourth exercise, “Falun Heavenly Circuit,” further develops this theme of circulation: the hands move along specific paths around the body, guiding energy through what is described as a kind of whole-body orbit. In this way, the practice aims to facilitate the smooth circulation of qi and to open major energetic pathways.

The fifth exercise, often rendered as “Strengthening Divine (or Supernormal) Powers,” is a seated meditation, usually in full or half lotus. It includes a series of hand gestures or mudras, each maintained for a set period, while the practitioner rests in deep stillness and internal awareness. This meditation is explicitly linked to “cultivating the mind and heart” (xinxing), and is said to support the strengthening of spiritual capacities. Across all five exercises, the physical forms, the energetic intentions, and the ethical teachings are woven together, presenting a path in which gentle movement and quiet sitting become vehicles for moral refinement and spiritual aspiration.