(Minghui.org) Nina from Northern Germany started suffering from urticaria at the age of 24. Exposure to different external irritants caused her to break out in red, itchy rashes. Even warm water baths would trigger severe itching episodes that lasted for hours.
“At that time,” she said, “I couldn't step outdoors without worrying that the cold or heat would irritate my skin and provoke severe itching. This worry basically overwhelmed all my other thoughts.”
“It nearly drove me crazy. I would scratch and claw at my skin for hours. I began to dread the bath I had to take every two days. My condition deteriorated to the point that I could no longer find work.”
Her doctors were at a loss, suggesting that her condition was likely caused by excessive stress. Nina attempted to alleviate her condition by modifying her diet. To that end, she eliminated almost every known German food from her meals.
“I could only eat vegetables and rice,” she said, “everything else was prohibited. This caused much inconvenience and made it hard for me to integrate into society.”
One day, after observing her younger sister reading a blue book with golden letters on its cover, curiosity prompted Nina to start browsing through this book, called Zhuan Falun, the main book of the cultivation practice Falun Dafa, aka Falun Gong, and she was captivated.
“After practicing Falun Gong, I gradually resumed my normal diet and my urticaria started improving. Eight months later, I was able to take a bath without breaking out in rashes. I could finally live a normal life.”
Most allergies are not life threatening. However, sufferers will experience a decrease in their quality of life. Recurring symptoms of itch and pain can cause inconveniences in daily life, exacerbating the mental strain faced by sufferers and may even cause their condition to worsen. Worsening allergies may even develop to become life threatening conditions.
Like Nina, several allergy sufferers who started practicing Falun Gong found their symptoms greatly reduced.
German natural health therapist Birgit was 25 years old when she developed allergies to the various drugs she was taking. This was on top of her allergy to dairy products and chronic asthma.
One night, a severe itch throughout her body woke her up. Barely able to open her eyes, Birgit rushed to her mirror and found her face and eyes swollen. An extremely itchy, red rash covered her entire body. She spent the rest of the night showering with cold water every 10 minutes in order find relief from the itch.
The doctor diagnosed her with vasculitis, a potentially severe allergic reaction, which could cause circulatory failure or even death. Birgit was forced to take long term medication to control her symptoms. However, her worsening health terrified her to the point that she believed she would die at a young age.
To bolster her health, Birgit started taking various expensive supplements, vitamins and natural herbal remedies. But her attempts met with disappointment. Meanwhile, allergic symptoms continued to ravage her body, leaving her extremely weak and in despair.
She came across an article in a health magazine introducing Falun Dafa in 2001. A desire to learn more about the practice grew, and she got in touch with a couple of Falun Gong practitioners. Afterwards, she started doing the exercises regularly and reading the book Zhuan Falun.
When practicing Falun Dafa, she started noticing benefits to her health. Despite spending long hours at work, her stamina remained strong. She first recovered from her asthma, and then her allergies. As her body grew stronger her self-confidence returned, making it easier for her to initiate conversations with others and communicate with her clinic patients. “I'm glad I found Falun Dafa. This is like a miracle. I'm grateful to be given a second chance.”
Marcel from Switzerland works as the manager of an optical shop. Besides the ability to remember each of his customers by name, Marcel could detect whether his customers had recent contact with animals or their fur. Proximity with these customers, or their pets, inevitably triggered his allergies, symptoms which included sneezing and a runny nose.
Besides having to deal with long hours and stressful work conditions, Marcel constantly battled allergy symptoms, right in front of his customers, which also drained his mental strength and left him embarrassed.
Marcel has dealt with his extreme allergies since a young age. Touching a calf during his childhood triggered a severe episode of rashes all over his body. “While performing with my musical instrument, a bird in a nearby cage triggered my allergies. I couldn’t continue because I couldn’t stop sneezing.” Besides animals, Marcel was also extremely allergic to dairy products, and had year-round pollen allergies.
To resolve his health issues and bolster his stamina, Marcel spent time researching various natural remedies and shunned modern drugs, as he knew they came with potentially severe side effects. However, various natural remedies and qigong practices did not result in significant health improvements. For over two decades, he continued to search for a cure.
It was during an idle conversation with a customer that he came to know about Falun Gong. “I started thinking about learning and finding out more about this practice.” He ordered the book Zhuan Falun from an online shop and started learning the exercise movements from a local practice group. “I noticed that I felt good after each exercise. Over time, I naturally regained my health. I feel relaxed and confident in the knowledge that I had found the right path.”
Marcel is no longer forced to deal with his allergies in front of his customers. Moreover, the stress he used to suffer from work has also eased. “I find myself calmer, and my mental state is more stable.”
He no longer has to avoid close contact with animals. He recalled an experience he had at a lodging. The owner had two dogs, and he spent half an hour with them during breakfast, without triggering any allergy symptoms. “Previously, this would have been impossible. If a dog was in the same room with me, I’d be sneezing within five minutes.” On the disappearance of his severe allergies, Marcel said, “I'm so grateful.”
Florian, a teacher, suffered from cold sores during his adolescence. “I had cold sores a few times a year, with each painful attack lasting up to three or four weeks. Severe attacks would leave my mouth temporarily deformed.” Cold sores are caused by the herpes simplex virus. After each infection, the virus becomes dormant. Symptoms may recur when the virus is reactivated, and the virus is transmitted to others through close contact.
With encouragement from his family, Florian began to practice Falun Gong. “After practicing Falun Gong, I started experiencing cold sores less frequently, and then only at the edge of my lips. Then, they disappeared.”
Additionally, Florian found his allergies to food had disappeared. “I used to be allergic to foods such as chocolate and wheat. Sometimes I would quickly finish my food in order to get the allergies over and done with sooner. My skin would itch for an hour. My food allergies disappeared shortly after I started practicing Falun Gong and I’ve not seen a doctor since then.”
These practitioners have had their lives changed for the better as a result of Falun Gong. It is their hope that others may follow in their steps, and seize the opportunity to enjoy a fulfilling and healthy life.