MY STORY, MY CALLING
connect
By Vijay BhatHow Cancer
HEALED me
76 ART DIRECTION: ANUJA BAGADE
april / may 2017yogajournal.com.sg“I’m going to die”was my first thought on a
cold, grey and wintry day in December 2001,
after the doctor calmly announced a diagnosis
of colon cancer.
I was in London, and after asuccessful
surgery where two tumors were removed,
my chance of a recurrence was put down
in numbers: 28% with chemotherapy, 30%
without.
I decided against chemo, and turned to
a mind-body-spirit holistic and integrated
approach to minimize those chances of a
recurrence. That was over 15 years ago. Today,
I am still here, cancer-free and (I think) a better
person than before. I call myself a ‘cancer-
thriver’ rather than a ‘survivor’. Read on and
you’ll understand why.Choosing ‘Life’ over ‘Lifestyle’
What is this ‘holistic and integrated approach’?
For starters, I made some fundamental changes
to every aspect of my life. My work moved
us to Hong Kong from London soon after my
cancer surgery. Two years later, I resigned
from a full-time thriving international corporate
career and relocated to India, along with my
family. I changed my diet, exercise and sleep
routine significantly. I learned various psycho-
spiritual techniques such as neuro-linguistic
programming (NLP), the Enneagram, yoga,
Vipassana meditation and family constellation
therapy.
Gradually, my wife, Nilima, and I tookVijay Bhat, a former top advertising executive,
chose a holistic and yogic healing path to keep
his colon cancer at bay after two malignant
tumors were removed. 15 years later, this ‘cancer
thriver’ has not only documented his journey
in a book, but is dedicating his life to cancer-
coaching and helping others rehabilitate and
reframe their life’s goals.