(Minghui.org) Falun Dafa practitioners from Kyiv and nearby cities in Ukraine held activities on Khreshchatyk, the main street in Kyiv, on May 13, 2023, to celebrate the 31st anniversary of Falun Dafa’s introduction to the world, and to wish the practice’s founder, Mr. Li Hongzhi, a happy birthday.

The spring sun warmed the streets, and colorful flowers were in bloom in front of city hall, where practitioners held their celebratory activities.

Practitioners from Kyiv and nearby cities in Ukraine demonstrate Falun Dafa’s five sets of exercises on World Falun Day, May 13, 2023.

Every Ukrainian Falun Dafa practitioner has benefitted from cultivating Falun Dafa. On this joyous occasion, they wished to express their infinite gratitude to Dafa and share some of their personal cultivation experiences.

Dinara: Dafa has Bestowed Me With the Ability to Cope With Adversity

Dinara wore celestial maiden costume during the activities. She hoped that her costume would be eye-catching to the passersby, who could learn about the beauty, tradition, and purity of Falun Dafa’s exercises.

Dinara demonstrates Falun Dafa’s fifth exercise, the sitting meditation, “Strengthening Divine Powers”

Dinara has cultivated Falun Dafa for eight years. Prior to cultivating, Dinara’s body was weak and she always felt depressed. “I had no energy for daily activities and did not have enough strength to work,” she recalled. “I began to search for a way to alleviate my sicknesses.”

She was at a health forum when someone introduced her to Falun Dafa. Dinara then went on the Falun Dafa website and began practicing the five sets of exercises by herself. “I felt an immediate change in my body,” she said. “I felt energy circulating in my body and thought that this was a good practice.”

She stopped practicing the exercises due to lack of time, but to her surprise, she met several Falun Dafa practitioners at her new workplace.

“There are so many practices in the world, and it was not a coincidence for me to encounter Falun Dafa for a second time. Perhaps this practice was what I had been looking for. I needed to persist in practicing it,” she said.

Dinara’s sicknesses disappeared after merely practicing the exercises for three months.

“I used to have severe heart conditions and tachycardia. I went to doctors, and they prescribed medication, but it didn't work. My severe heart conditions disappeared after I began to genuinely cultivate Falun Dafa. I didn’t even realize these conditions had disappeared.”

Dinara said Falun Dafa has also helped her family become more harmonious. “My husband started cultivating Falun Dafa at a young age. When we run into differences, both my husband and I think of each other. I was very selfish in the past. I know this is not right and that I need to upgrade my character. I am now more amicable and can communicate with others more easily.”

“Falun Dafa has helped me to live a more peaceful and satisfied life,” she said. “I used to experience anxiety, fear, and other negative emotions. I gradually got rid of them through practicing Falun Dafa. My body is full of energy when I practice the exercises, and it gives me to ability to cope with adversity.”

Eugene: Dafa Has Shown Me How to Treat People With More Kindness

Eugene started to cultivate Falun Dafa 22 years ago, when he was living in Kramatorsk, a city in eastern Ukraine.

“It seemed like a coincidence when I first encountered Dafa,” he recalled. “I was strolling in a park one day in February 2001 and saw a group of people meditating. I was into yoga at the time and therefore was interested in other practices. I started to chat with this group of people when they were done meditating. A lady gifted me the book Zhuan Falun, the main text of Falun Dafa. I began cultivating Falun Dafa after I finished reading Zhuan Falun.”

Before he practiced Falun Dafa, Eugene couldn’t see the purpose of life and was often depressed. He had once sat in front of a statue of God and prayed to find a true Master and a cultivation path. He believed that his prayers were heard and answered.

Falun Dafa has completely changed his life. “Everyone has a good and a bad side. Through cultivation we gradually relinquish our bad sides and our good side grows,” Eugene said.

Eugene has been cultivating Falun Dafa for 22 years.

“Falun Dafa makes people become better, and this benefits oneself and others,” Eugene said. “We need to see the good in others and believe that everything will be okay. Nothing can break a person if he has a faith. A whole nation will become better if the people have hearts of compassion.”

Nadezhda: Falun Dafa Helped Me Overcome Many Hardships

Nadezhda started cultivating Falun Dafa ten years ago. Her whole family is practicing Falun Dafa, including her ten year-old son.

Nadezhda started cultivating Falun Dafa ten years ago.

Nadezhda said that Falun Dafa has helped her overcome many hardships. She can view hardships positively because she is a Falun Dafa practitioner.

Cultivating Falun Dafa has also benefitted her health. Her cardiovascular disease and a hernia disappeared miraculously after she started practicing. Boiling water spilled on her hands one time and badly burned her skin. After practicing the second and third Falun Dafa standing exercises, her skin recovered without a trace of being burned. “It was a miracle,” Nadezhda recalled.

Falun Dafa helped Nadezhda through the turbulent times after the war broke out in Ukraine. “Falun Dafa talks about the truth of the universe and the law of cause and effect. Practitioners are able to understand why things are the way they are. Cultivating Dafa helps a person psychologically when faced with loss, sadness, regret, and fear. Falun Dafa helps me calm down and get rid of my fear whenever something terrible happens in my country. Dafa helps me understand why things happen. Nothing is coincidental or random.”

“Thank you so much Master Li Hongzhi for bestowing me with this cultivation opportunity!” Nadezhda said.

Andrey: Incurable Illnesses Disappeared After Cultivation

Andrey from Dnipro came to participate in the May 13 celebratory activities.

“I wanted to be part of the World Falun Dafa Day celebratory activities. I hoped to also tell others about my cultivation experiences and tell people about the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. This is important for every human being, especially during these turbulent times in Ukraine.”

Andrey has been cultivating Falun Dafa for 17 years

Andrey started cultivating Falun Dafa in 2006. He was bound by many sicknesses from a young age and had an incurable disease. All the pain and sickness in his body disappeared after he started cultivating Falun Dafa.

“Falun Dafa gave me the opportunity to find my true self, my true thoughts, my true characteristics, and my true origin. I realized that cultivation is great. We are all people of compassion and have a good side. Dafa can change you completely and help you find your inner fear. You will feel relaxed and find inner peace after doing the meditation exercises. Perhaps your surroundings will also subtly change,” he said.

Zoryana: Falun Dafa Changed My Perspective of Life

Zoryana started cultivating Falun Dafa in 2015. She had always been interested in cultivation and had been searching for a suitable practice. Despite trying many different practices, none of them actually resonated with her.

Zoryana has cultivated Falun Dafa for eight years.

“My friend told me about Falun Dafa one time, and how Falun Dafa practitioners were being persecuted in China,” Zoryana said. “This attracted my attention and I began researching it more. I found Falun Dafa’s website and started to practice the exercises myself.”

“Falun Dafa changed my perspective of life,” she said. “I gradually understood that people can live more calm, balanced, and clearheaded lives without painful struggles. I now have a better understanding of what I want and what I need in life. I can better understand my emotions, feelings, and motivation. Cultivation has allowed me to live a carefree life.”

Persisting in Cultivation During Turbulent Times

Most of the practitioners mentioned above have experienced the Russia-Ukraine war firsthand. However, none of them have been injured or hurt. Regardless of what was happening around them, everyone has been able to remain calm because they were Falun Dafa practitioners.

While facing difficult situations, everyone has realized that as long as they are calm at heart everything will turn out well. These practitioners have thus become more focused on their inner state. Amid these chaotic times, practitioners hope to share their tranquility with more sentient beings.

A Falun Dafa practitioner chats with a passersby and tells her the facts about Falun Dafa.

A practitioner distributes truth-clarification materials.

Passersby Celebrate World Falun Dafa Day Together

Many passersby were attracted to the practitioners’ celebratory activities. Many people asked for more information about Falun Dafa and asked to take photos with the practitioners who were dressed in celestial maiden costumes.

One passerby learned about Falun Dafa and started to recount his own life experiences. The practitioners listened attentively, and then the passerby said, “Something extraordinary happened today, and I think it will change my life.”

A woman working for the Ukrainian parliament chatted with a Falun Dafa practitioner for a long time. She accepted a newspaper from a practitioner and said she would read it. A short time later, the woman came back and said that she had finished reading the newspaper and that she would like to sign the petition to help end the CCP’s persecution.

A family passed by practitioners and one of them said, “It is good that we have kind people like you.”