Ellal Bob - Energy Warriors : Overcoming Cancer and Crisis with the Power of Qigong

Energy Warriors, by Bob Ellal and Master Lawrence Tan, is a tremendous look into the experience of a four-time cancer survivor (Ellal) and his personal experiences in surviving one of the modern worlds most dreaded diseases with the aid of Qigong. Ellal writes about his innermost feelings as a cancer patient and the private battles fought in the hearts of his family. His story does not mince words about the suffering associated with the disease, but it also shines an unflinching light of hope on the future for cancer patients through Qigong. Tan, a well-schooled martial artist with decades of teaching experience, takes the second part of the text and fleshes out the energetic exercises of Qigong in an easy-to-understand, step-by-step fashion for the reader. Starting with the most fundamental aspects of Qigong (breath, posture, and intent), he goes on to teach the reader how to apply those fundamentals in other Qigong routines. This singular text gives you an insight into what may be one of the most powerful ancient tools in combating a modern-day scourge.

Dr. Mark Cheng, L.Ac., Ph.D., FMS, TRX Sports Med, Sr RKC; Chief Instructor - Kettlebells Los Angeles; KettleBellsLosAngeles.com

In a world where polarization between mind and body is the toxic norm, Energy Warriors shatters our misperceptions and compellingly draws us into the holy middle place of healing. The combination of Ellals extraordinary true story and Master Tans depth of knowledge about the relationship between martial arts and wellness makes for a unique and important contribution to the growing body of literature about holistic thinking and living.

Jean Benedict Raffa, author: Healing the Sacred Divide, The Bridge to Wholeness, Dream Theatres of the Soul

Bob Ellal | Master Lawrence Tan

ENERGY

WARRIORS

OVERCOMING

CANCER

and Crisis with the

Power of Qigong

photographs by Toni Tan

Published by DIVINE ARTS

DivineArtsMedia.com

An imprint of Michael Wiese Productions

12400 Ventura Blvd. #1111

Studio City, CA 91604

(818) 379-8799, (818) 986-3408 (FAX)

Cover design: Johnny Ink

Book Layout: William Morosi

Editor for Bob Ellal: John Joss

Editor for Lawrence Tan: Toni Tan

Copyeditor: Matt Barber

Photography by Toni Tan

Printed by McNaughton & Gunn, Inc., Saline, Michigan

Manufactured in the United States of America

Copyright 2012 by Bob Ellal/Lawrence Tan

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without permission in writing from the author, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Ellal, Bob, 1958

Energy warriors : overcoming cancer and crises with the power of qigong / Bob Ellal ; with a qigong manual by Lawrence Tan.

p. cm.

ISBN 978-1-61125-012-1

1. Qi gong. 2. Cancer--Alternative treatment. 3. Medicine, Chinese. 4. Alternative medicine. 5. Mind and body. 6. Spiritual healing. I. Tan, Lawrence. II. Title.

RA781.8.E45 2012

616.99406--dc23

2012017729

Note: The techniques, ideas and suggestions this book are not intended as a substitute for proper medical advice. Any application from the material in this book is at the readers sole discretion.

Printed on Recycled Stock

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ENERGY WARRIORS: OVERCOMING CANCER AND CRISIS WITH THE POWER OF QIGONG
By Bob Ellal

ENERGY WARRIOR QIGONG MANUAL
By Master Lawrence Tan

FOREWORD

BY TONI TAN

This book is for tough guys, and the phrase tough guys is not meant in a gender-specific way. It is meant in a way that understands crisis, stands up to it, and leans into it. What exactly constitutes a crisis?

Websters Dictionary defines crisis as: 1) a: the turning point for better or worse in an acute disease or fever; b: a paroxysmal attack of pain, distress, or disordered function; c: an emotionally significant event or radical change of status in a persons life; and 2) a: an unstable or crucial time or state of affairs in which a decisive stage is impending; especially: one with the distinct possibility of a highly undesirable outcome; b: a situation that has reached a critical phase.

Got crisis? You are a tough guy if you are fighting for your life. Forging ahead through a crisis is not for the faint of heart. It is a war between you and the monster. You are a tough guy. A warrior.

Preparation for battle ultimately comes down to one thing: being in the moment. It seems simple, but this requires precision. A warrior learns to be as sharp as the edge of his sword. Combat training teaches you how to leverage your resources, devise strategies, tactics, weapons, and to find your strength. And your courage. Fear is a thief. It steals resolve. It must be tempered and not toxic on the battlefield.

Stress drives us all: fight or flight is a safety gauge, and there is power inside of it. A warrior understands this, using the adrenalin/cortisol rush to his advantage. Enough is fuel. Too much is overtaxing, exhausting, injurious. The warrior controls its flow; he does not let it control him. He does the same with the flow of his life force, his qi (pronounced chee). The refinement of this is called Qigong (pronounced chee-gung), or energy training. It is a method to cultivate and circulate your life force energy to promote mental, physical, and spiritual wellbeing. This keeps you focused, lucid, calm, and able to gain energy. It is the art of war, and the art of life. In this book, the tough guy, the warrior, is an Energy Warrior.

This work is actually two books in one: first, a literary account, and second, a how-to manual. Energy Warriors presents two perspectives on the value of Qigong. It is Bob Ellals personal story, and there is an Energy Warriors Qigong Manual to introduce you to the exercises.

Bob chronicles his journey to triumph over cancer. His prose is immaculate: vivid, haunting, darkly humorous, and inspiring. Corporate Bob, out of sheer determination to survive, transforms himself into an Energy Warrior. Bob used the traditional healing art of Qigong to complement conventional allopathic medicine and to combat stress, distress, pain, and illness. His Energy Warrior has a name: Beowulf. In the epic poem of the same name, the hero slaying the monster is not the glorious end of the story. The victory was short-lived, as there was another, bigger monster to slay. Like Beowulf, Bob was victorious; he won his first battle with cancer. But another monster reared its many heads. His cancer would return three more times.

This is not an inspirational feel-good story. Bob bares his private hell; his fears, pain, anguish, and the tragic collateral damages at work and home as he copes with illness, doctors, hospitals, chemo, the possibility of death, and ultimately, recovery. It is gritty and brutal. After all, war is ugly.

But because it is so real, it may help prepare you for your health challenges and life crises. You can have an active role. It is not what happens to you that defines you, it is how you manage it. Bob did that. He mastered it. Facing the reality that time may have indeed been running out, he learned to be in the moment. He delivers the message that you can meet obstacles and make better decisions if you have clarity. He found the discipline through Qigong.