Hello,

thanks for your questions. Combining other qigong, meditation or yoga practices with Falun Dafa (Falun Gong) is not recommended, nor basically anything that involves circulating energy in the body and/or forming another set of energy mechanisms. You can find more information in the books "Falun Gong" and "Zhuan Falun", both available for download on falundafa.org

In my view, another good source of information for beginners is "Zhuan Falun Fajie", i.e. "The Law of Zhuan Falun Explained", also available on the site.

I'd say that ordinary hobbies and physical exercise do not matter. I play the piano, sing in a choir, play squash and badminton, go sailing in the summer, have a Master's degree in Arts and Humanities, and so forth. In other words, practicing Falun Dafa does not interfere with your normal life. The cultivation part is about clearing up your mind, upgrading your character by assimilating into "Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance" and getting rid of various attachments. Gradually you'll get a better idea of what it's all about and see how convenient the system really is. I suggest studying the materials in earnest and learning the five sets of exercises as correctly as possible. Going to a group practice site in your country usually helps in learning the movements. Teaching and practice is always free of charge.

As for Falun Dafa not regarded very highly on Buddhist and Daoist forums... well, there is a reason for that, but unlike what they might (want you to) think. Falun Dafa became the most popular form of qigong / cultivation practice in China in the 1990s. Masses of Buddhist and Daoist adherents turned into Falun Dafa practitioners in a matter of just a few years. Falun Gong and Li Hongzhi were certified by the state-run "China Qigong Scientific Research Society" already in 1992, and Li became an instant star of the qigong movement with his extremely powerful gong. Until the mid-1990s, the Chinese government openly endorsed Falun Dafa. As a matter of fact, the first lectures Li Hongzhi gave abroad were in China's New York consulate and Paris embassy upon invitation by the embassy staff. Falun Dafa was officially showcased in foreign countries as "genuine Chinese culture".

In 1999, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) began persecuting the practitioners after their number (70-100 million) exceeded that of Communist Party members (approximately 60-70 million). Moreover, some sources have pointed out that about one third of top party cadres had begun practicing Falun Dafa. The decision was made by Jiang Zemin, chairman of the Communist Party. The government operation that ensued was "a study in all-out demonization" (quoting scholars Fewsmith and Wright). Hundreds of thousands of Chinese Falun Dafa practitioners are currently imprisoned in detention centers, prisons and forced labour camps, where they are savagely tortured and mistreated.

By now you surely understand that this history is very complicated. You can read more on these matters on the Faluninfo website (faluninfo.net), or if you really want to dig deep into third party research, the English Wikipedia article on Falun Gong is not a bad option.

Regards.