Other benefits that I know directly, etc
Another benefit that I experienced everytime is gettting more energy. It usually make me wild awake and cannot get to sleep if I do it at night, and so is reported by other students. When I am pretty tired, it usually can keep me alert for couple hours.
It made an american girl's breast lump disappear. She learned it from a friend of mine by just following the movements. An american old white guy joined the practice group in San Francisco North Beach area for just doing the exercise, without any understanding. A year later, he took off one of his hearing aid.
But nothing can prevent any karma if already ready to happen, not even the buddha himself, without any worthy exchange. I donot recommend to do energy healing for others, according to my experiences.
Smelling the fragant or not is not important. I only smelt it several times, lasting within seconds. But the preventing flu benefit works and the more energy works for me everytime, even this year.
The energy water is for external use mostly, need persistant though for chronic illnesses. You can use it to water your plants and see the differnce.
I also mediate since I am an buddhist, and do other exercises sometimes for the fun of it. To my experience, one can do other exercise, e.g. yoya, as long as not using your mind to direct or focus the qi for a habit. Since that would train the qi for determined path, while this exercise let the qi does it own works, similar to those spontaneous movement qigong.
Anaerobic exercise is not recommended since it can deplete one's energy fast.