During a routine visit, my psychologist was stunned by the transformation she saw in me—just two weeks earlier, I had been consumed by sadness and self-doubt. Now, those heavy expressions were gone. In their place was a calmer, happier woman. She looked at me, amazed. “What have you done?” she asked. “I’ve started practicing Falun Gong,” I replied. She smiled warmly. “Whatever it is, keep doing it.”
My name is Tina Sofos. I was born in 1966 in Adelaide, Australia, into a working-class family of Greek immigrants. I am the eldest of three children, with a younger brother and sister. From an early age, I was shaped by the values of hard work, resilience, and community. We later moved to Melbourne, where my parents ran a hair studio and built a life grounded in dedication and service.
Religion was important in our family. My mother’s grandfather was a high-ranking priest in Greece, and her brother continues that legacy as a priest in the Greek Orthodox Church.
I was an active girl who always loved music and dance. My parents were very strict—they forbade me from seeing boys until I turned 20. I really hated their rules. Looking back, it was the best protection a teenage girl could have.
Following family tradition, I began working as a hairdresser after high school. At 21, I became the co-owner of a café with my first husband, and later, we ran a barber shop together for 11 years. Managing these businesses taught me how to work with people, handle responsibilities, and adapt to challenges. I worked hard and earned well, gaining both professional fulfillment and personal satisfaction along the way.
I got married in 1986 at the age of 20, despite my mother’s disapproval. She was unhappy with my decision and didn’t speak to us for years—a deeply painful time in my life. However, after the birth of our son in 1995, my relationship with my parents got better. I started taking my son to church as a baby.
In 1999, when my son was four, I went through a divorce—a devastating blow in a culture where marriage is considered sacred. My parents blamed me and even tried, unsuccessfully, to take custody of my son. I fell into a deep depression, was hospitalized, and had to rely on antidepressants to begin recovering.
In 2002, I met a wonderful man named Con, who became my boyfriend. He encouraged me to explore Chinese medicine. During a visit to a skilled acupuncturist, I was advised to seek out the root cause of my problems rather than just treat the symptoms. I completely agreed. But I had no idea where to begin.
In 2004, I had another nervous breakdown, largely due to my parents’ ongoing disapproval of my relationship with Con. Because of my unstable mental state, they took my son and wouldn’t let me see him. In desperation, I tried hypnosis therapy, but it triggered a psychotic episode and landed me in the hospital again. It felt like déjà vu all over again.
Following my acupuncturist’s advice, I made an appointment to learn Tibetan Yoga on Saturday, April 3.
On April 2, 2004—the day before my scheduled yoga class—I attended a relative’s funeral. There, I met the deceased woman’s son, a Greek-Australian hairstylist working in Hollywood, much like my own profession. His parents, like mine, were from Corinth, the ancient city located 50 miles west of Athens. Coincidentally, he also shared the same name as my son: Gabriel. These unexpected connections struck me as both remarkable and deeply meaningful.
Gabriel’s calm demeanor left a strong impression on me. When I asked how he maintained such balance in life, he told me that practicing Falun Gong gave him a new beginning. He also spoke about the brutal persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in China, which deeply saddened me. I trusted his sincerity and found myself genuinely drawn to learning more about Falun Gong.
After the funeral, I canceled my yoga class and called the contact listed on a flyer from Gabriel. The woman named Grace answered the call. She asked if something was troubling me. I opened up about my struggles. After listening patiently, she asked, “Do you believe in karma?” Her question felt like a wake-up call. I suddenly realized I might be responsible for much of my own misery. That insight moved me deeply, and I decided to look into the practice.
The next morning, Con and I arrived at the practice site in Box Hill Gardens. The practitioners welcomed us warmly and taught us the five sets of Falun Gong exercises. Before we left, I offered to pay for the class. They smiled and said, “It’s free.” I was moved to tears. We decided to commit ourselves to learning the practice.
A week later, I bought a copy of Zhuan Falun, the main book of Falun Gong. In it, Master Li explains the practice’s core principles: Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance. The word “Forbearance” was unfamiliar to me. The Chinese word for Forbearance, Ren, carries rich meanings such as endurance, self-control, perseverance, and tolerance. Zhuan Falun answered my long-held questions about life, and offered new insights that resonated deeply in my heart. Each time I read the book, I gain new understanding and reflection.
Two weeks into my practice, I went to my routine visit to my psychologist. She immediately noticed something different about me. I was calmer, happier and lighthearted. “What have you done lately?” she asked. I told her about my experience with Falun Gong. She was delighted and said, “Whatever it is, keep doing it.” Two weeks later, after another session, she said, “You don’t need to see me anymore.”
One day, a year later, my psychologist called me from the hospital. She was struggling with a serious condition and wanted to know what had helped me recover so dramatically. I shared my journey with Falun Gong and sent her a link to learn Falun Gong. She was genuinely curious and grateful, saying my story gave her hope and perspective during a difficult time.
In 2006, two years after we began to practice Falun Gong, Con and I got married.
While Con was busy as a business owner in the tech sector, I found new purpose and direction in my professional life. I worked as a Sales Manager for The Epoch Times and also served as a news anchor for New Tang Dynasty Television. Later, I had the opportunity to combine my love for food and culture by hosting a cooking program called GRTV Kitchen. Each of these roles allowed me to share stories that matter and connect with the community in meaningful ways.
In 2012, I ran for City Council for my hometown of Whitehorse as an independent candidate. I won popular vote but did not win the final election.
Falun Gong taught me to look inward and strive for self-improvement in every situation. It also helped me become more forgiving, allowing me to let go of the resentment I once held toward my family. I regained both my physical and mental health and have not needed any medical treatment since I began practicing Falun Gong over 20 years ago.
Practicing Falun Gong has transformed me—literally from the inside out. People often comment on how young I look. During a trip to Switzerland in 2007, an airport security officer pulled me aside after examining my passport. Moments later, his supervisor came over and apologized, saying, “We’re sorry—you just look far too young for your age.” I smiled, handed him a Falun Gong flyer, and said, “This is what keeps me young.”
Today, my parents are very close to us and always welcome Con and me into their home. While my brother and sister have each faced their own struggles, I’ve become their closest confidant. My son and his wife live with us in a happy family.
Falun Gong is the greatest gift I’ve received in life, and we are forever grateful to Master Li for showing us the way.