HEALING SUMMIT 2015 Recap

The HEALING SUMMIT is a one-day global conference designed to share wisdom, compassion and experiences. Here is what happened this year:

18.30: The Healing Summit 2015 has come to an end. It was a very successful and inspiring day with great people and fascinating content. Let us all try to find our true selves and to be the best versions of what we want to be. Thank you all!

17.50: Let’s wrap it up… The HEALING SUMMIT goes into its final round. We finish off with a healer panel.

On stage: Patricia Thielemann – the founder of ‘Spirit Yoga’, Beth Galis – master of traditional Shamanic energy medicine, Ingo Schweder – founder of GOCO Hospitality, Sharada Rumi – master of Thetahealing

17.30: Ladies and gentleman… Our last speaker before the final panel: The renowned Dr. Mosaraf Ali who will answer the question, “What is integrative medicine?”

Integrative Medicine is basically Traditional European Medicine, which is focusing on Hypocrates’ philosophy: eat well, treat your body well (bath houses) and excercise.

Dr. Ali asks the question why are we moving away from human contact to only rely on machines for diagnostic purposes.

17.00: Let’s listen to a very interesting man who brought an extraordinary project to life: Dr. Neal Bermas, the founder of STREETS International.

STREET provides an 18 month program every 9 months for poor children in Vietnam that includes clean and safe shelter, education in an training kitchen for job options like being a chef or a professionel server, English classes since it’s the language of tourism, technological skills are on the agenda, medical care, eye care, equality between men and women and more.

Within 60 days hundred percent of the STREETS kids have a job in international five star hotels. Within 2 years most earn salaries that equal English teachers in Vietnam – kids that had not enough to eat when they were initially picked for the program.

Why did he start STREETS? Answer: Why not? Especially when you come from a priviliged background in the Western world. Work out a way to be of service, figure out a way to help!

16.30: Three more speakers and one final penal… The finish line is in sight! Next up, all the way from Brazil, Rochele Silveira. Her topic: “Promoting peace among children in public schools through meditation.” On we go, we’re all ears.

Meditation increases the level of wellbeing, relaxation and life satisfaction and even grades at school – for free! There are no costs involved and it’s suitable for everyone, no matter what age, gender or religion.

How does it work? Meditation is taught by professionel teachers at public schools. Children get positive thoughts, care and attention – what will follow is an increase of empathy and furthermore hopefully positive actions.

Meditation centres around several mantras that are taught every day for about 5 to 10 minutes and repeated over and over again: I am in peace. My school is in peace. My neighborhood is in peace.

The connection to Rochele’s Kurotel: a meditation hour per week for the staff, so they can benefit from the effects of meditation – more energy, emotionel balance and increased wellbeing.

15.45: Time for a coffee break.

15.00: The crowd is in tears, standing ovations for the beautiful, wise, honest and in words hardly to describe Dr. Edith Eva Eger. What could possibly follow this deep, touching speech? Probably nothing. But we’ll try anyway and proceed with a speaker panel.

Up on the stage: Emily Dery – co-leader of the Global Health Track at the Clinton Global Initiative, Dr. Davide Bollati – chairman & owner of Davides, Sonu Shivdasani – founder and CEO of the Soneva Group, Madeleine Marentette – owner of Grail Springs Holistic Retreat & Spa,  Samantha Foster – manager and spa consultant

Again – for more information on the speakers, please check: http://healinghotelsoftheworld.com/healing-summit-2015-speakers

14.00: …welcome back to one of this day’s highlights! Dr. Edith Eva Eger! 87 years old this extraordinary woman flew in from California to tell us about her life, sad, cruel experiences as a Holocaust survivor and how she gained strength from it.

Dr. Eger: “Let’s talk about the difference between a victim and a survivor. I was victomized. I know about the story of my life. I accept it. I went through the valley of tears, but I never intended to set up camp there.”

Dr. Eger is talking about what happend on the way to Auschwitz: “My mother had the biggest impact on me. What I will never forget is when she said: ‘They can never take away what’s on your mind, what’s in your head.'”

Dr. Eger on losing her family in Auschwitz: “You can either pay attention on what’s lost or you can concentrate on what’s still there.”

“What kept me going was my curiosity. I always wanted to know what’s next. I always told myself, ‘if I survive today, I will be free tomorrow'”.

“One strenght I developed in the camp was to let go of things I have no control of.”

“There is a big difference between curing and healing. Healing is an inside job.”

“There are no crisis, just transitions. There are no problems, just challenges. You are not what has been done to you.”

“I am a grandmother three times – that’s my best revenge to Hitler.”

“I don’t know what I would have been without Auschwitz. But it was the best place of education. Keep in mind – there is a big difference between IQ and EQ.”

“I went back to Auschwitz. And it was a very positive thing for me to do.”

“Practice everyday and say to yourself: I am powerful. Don’t react, but think. Never shoot from the hip. Don’t allow people to get to you. You don’t have to invite people for dinner, but see the humanity in them. There is a little Hitler in all of us. …and so is love, power and hope.”

“Ask yourself two questions: What is the genuine you and would you like to be married to yourself?”

12.30: It’s been a fantastic day so far. We expect much more inspiring and entertaining speeches after the lunch break. Coming up: The wonderful Dr. Edith Eva Eger at around 2 o’clock. But first thing’s first: off to the buffet now.

12.00: Catherine Parrish came all the way from San Francisco to talk about “raising self-awareness and increasing personal productivity”.

4 steps to leadership:

1. what is your mission?

2. Who do you need to be to fulfill your mission?

3. What is your measure for fulfillment?

4. What are your resources?

11.40: As announced… we proudly present Ausralia’s health chef number one… Miss Samantha Gowing.

Australia is apparently hard to convince when it comes to healthy food. Hence Sam’s name for her first health food program: Don’t panic, it’s organic.

Sam’s biggest challenge in bringing healthy food to the land Down Under: Breaking up the traditional paradigm and changing people’s mindset.

The food philosophy should always match the hotel’s philosophy. In comparison to Europe, food is not celebrated very much in Australia. Always be mindful about cashing in on those food trends. Food is a celebration of life and a mirror to society. It therefore should be treated just as such! Heard, heard…

11.16: Time for a break. Indulge in healthy… and yes… not so healthy snacks. We’re looking forward to Samantha Gowing after the break.

11.00: “The next level of healing” – that’s the topic of our next speaker: Claudia Roth, former vice-president of Leading Hotels of the world and co-founder of Consciouslab.

10.10: Time for the hotelier panel. Attending on stage: Kirsten Feld-Türkis, Alla Sokolova, Sigurlaug Sverrisdottir, Vincent Steinmann and Dr. Tanya Pergola.

To get to know more about our panel speakers, check: http://healinghotelsoftheworld.com/healing-summit-2015-speakers/

Questions being discussed: Are healing hoteliers different, or have they to be different, compared to non-healing hoteliers? How do you combine business rules of making money with the mission to always put the customer and his or her needs first? How do you protect yourself and your staff from connecting too much with the guest and the healing mission?

9.10: Now up: The mastermind on economics: Kjell Nordström! “Daring to be different in a copy-cat world.” Listen up!

The global recipe for making money: Step one: Have a good idea… And mind: It has to be a good one!

Step two: Create a temporary monopoly! Like IKEA, apple or Lady Gaga… People mustn’t come up with a quick alternative to your business.

Never forget: Be innovative. …and there you go!

Example: Volvo… They built the “ugliest car in the world, a box on wheels… But they were the first ones to sell a safe car! There were cool cars, big cars, sexy cars, but no safe cars. That was their innovative idea.” Important: the idea was not to make money in the first place, but to build a safe car.

“Be innovative, don’t be scared of trial and error. We don’t have knowledge monopoles anymore. There’s no knowledge at London Business School that isn’t globally available. The only thing a graduate brings to businesses today is a warm body!”

There’s only one way out of the copy-cat world: genuine creation without looking at the others. Businesses have to create and exploit on a 50:50 level.

8.30: Good morning and welcome to the 2015 HEALING SUMMIT! Michaela Merten kicks of the day by teaching us how to be the best version of ourselves.