Chapter 34: A New Year With Shifu
January 14, 2013
It was 10:00 am and every member of my
medical team was off for the holiday, many unreachable since the week before
Christmas. But throughout the winter
holidays (Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s), my favorite practitioner
has been there for all of his patients and students.
To those readers unfamiliar with Shifu’s
history, while at the Shaolin Temple he studied and practiced medicine, earning
a Master’s Degree equivalent from the School of Traditional Chinese Medicine in
Wuhu, Anhui, and serving as a physician in the city’s hospital for 3 years.
After coming to the U.S. he furthered his education earning several degrees,
among them a Master’s in Exercise Physiology.
In short, Shifu understands not just the physical mechanics of how our
bodies function or don’t, but also the mind/body connection that has been
proven to be so vital to healing and “miraculous” recoveries.
He is skilled in the Chinese medicine we are
all familiar with, like acupuncture, acupressure, and Chinese massage
techniques. But, as a 31st
generation descendant of the historically famous Shaolin Warrior, Chan
spiritual leader (Abbott), and Great Grand Master, Shi Suxi - Shifu is privy to
1500 years of wisdom handed down by the ancients, including an unparalleled
knowledge of martial arts and all the things that make Tai Chi and Qi Gong such
powerful healing tools. Over his many
years of teaching and practicing, he has developed his own unique form of Qi Gong
which he calls “Tai Gong”. Every Tuesday
I go to the Institute for a Tai Gong lesson and Qi treatment with Shifu. New Year’s Day was no exception.
The father of one of Shifu’s students has
been battling cancer this past year (2012).
It is his second bout with the disease and it advanced rapidly to stage
four. His doctors delivered the death
sentence – “there is nothing more we can do”, and sent him home very ill and drained
of all hope. It had infiltrated his
bones. He was in constant pain and no
position gave him relief. That is when
his family carried him in to see Shifu.
For the past year he has been coming to Shifu for Tai Gong
lessons/treatment. I had the privilege
of meeting him and his lovely wife New Year’s Day at the Institute. He walked into the school without assistance,
chatting with his wife and smiling. He
walked with a speed and lightness of step one does not associate with someone battling
stage 4 cancer. He pulled open the heavy
glass door of the school for his wife, as a true gentleman does. Then he stood in the lobby beside his wife,
hands in his pockets, waiting to see Shifu.
Like me, he was there for a Tai Gong lesson and Qi treatment.
I knew instantly who he was, as I had been
hearing about his remarkable progress from many people at the school. In the short time Shifu treated him, he had
gone from being unable to sit without excruciating pain, or walk or stand
without assistance, to walking, standing, sitting for long periods of time, and
even swimming for an hour, completely pain free. I was looking at a man who was vital, living
life fully, and who exuded the sense of calm and vibrancy of spirit “survivors”
all do. Even though I had heard about
him, I was astounded to see him in such great physical and emotional
shape. I introduced myself, shook his
hand, and told him what a privilege it was to meet him and his wife. Never before has a complete stranger so intensely
inspired me.
This man knew what it was to be at death’s
door, at the jumping off point. He had
spent more than his fair share of time in its shadow. But he had the courage and strength to
challenge western medicine’s assertion that there was nothing more to be done
for him. He opened his mind and body to
eastern medical alternatives, ultimately defying the usual outcome of stage 4
cancer. The man whose hand I shook is a living testimonial to what Shifu and his
healing art of Tai Gong can do for patients who do not quit on themselves.
The other day I heard that he recently
visited his Oncologist for his usual follow-up.
Where once the level of cancer cells circulating in his blood was over
7000, it is now 17? He does not look
like, behave like, or live like someone in cancer’s grip because, for all
intent and purpose, he is not. He is back
in the land of the living. There is no
doubt in my mind that he will one day soon have no cancer cells in his bloodstream. I admire him, respect him, and am inspired by
him more than he will ever know. He
touched my life like no other stranger ever has. The man whose hand I shook epitomizes
the qualities of character that go along with the journey of a true “survivor”.
I have a couple friends who are true “survivors”. I cherish them and honor them because they,
like the man whose hand I shook on New Year’s Day, have been visibly changed by
their journey. These are special people.
These are people who, in the course of navigating the depths of the darkest
waters (and my friends still are), found themselves and came in touch with
their authentic self-nature. When you
find such people, you know it. They have
no fear. You hear it in their voice and
their words. You see it in their eyes,
actions, and lightness of spirit. When you are in their presence, you feel it
like a warm embrace. They inspire you. Their
impact on you is life-long.
To all of those who are true “survivors”,
and to the man whose hand I shook on New Year’s Day at the Institute, I salute
you. You will never know how many people’s
lives you have touched and affected in a positive way.
