Join me on this Q&A chat with Anne Biging, founder of HEALING SUMMIT and Healing Hotels of the World who I met after researching wellness hotels and stays from around the globe.
After our initial conversation, I knew our values were aligned and since then, we have teamed up as a media partner of their annual HEALING SUMMIT, which takes place every March in Berlin Germany.
Anne Biging of Healing Hotels of the World & HEALING SUMMIT
They bring together speakers and leaders in healing and wellness and offer interactive sessions that explore the philosophical underpinnings upon which the Healing Hotels of the World are based. I was curious how it got started and why, so had a chat with one of the two women founders behind the brand: Anne Biging.
Q&A with HEALING SUMMIT Anne Biging
I wanted to better understand the conceptual and ideation phase of HEALING SUMMIT, so that’s where we started.
Renee: Was there a catalyst or eventful moment that made you realize that you had to start HEALING SUMMIT? If so, what was it?
Anne: There were two driving forces to create the HEALING SUMMIT:
- To create an event that brings our member hotels together.
- To showcase all the elements of holistic healing and a holistic lifestyle inherent in the offerings of the member hotels of Healing Hotels of the World.
Renee: What do you think is missing in the world of healthcare and wellness today?
Anne: This is a big question since healthcare is different in each country. To illuminate only one aspect, healthcare based on allopathic medicine as practiced in most western countries is the treating the symptoms of illnesses, seldom the causes. It reacts when something goes wrong and fixes the effects.
Anne Biging, Healing Hotels of the World / HEALING SUMMIT
With true healing a) you look at the root causes of illness and b) you learn how to prevent diseases.
For this kind of healing, more time, interest and knowledge is necessary from health practitioners.
A healing journey is very complex and has many components and this is why it is so effective to spend time in a hotel that offers holistic health with everything at one place: nutrition, therapies, information, movement and much more.
The healing journey is very complex and takes a lot of knowledge and commitment. Many places offering wellness are superficial and do not take real responsibility for the well-being of the guest. There is much room for improvement in all aspects of the offerings and the training of the staff plays a very important role.
Renee: Who is HEALING SUMMIT designed for and why?
Anne: HEALING SUMMIT was designed to showcase the components of a holistic lifestyle. There are several reasons. First, we want to to show the many facets of a holistic lifestyle which can be summarized by “enabling people to take responsibility for themselves and the world around us.“
It is very complex: from personal transformation to how to run a business in a holistic way, from the many offerings of a healing hotel to how we take responsibility towards our environment. All these elements are part of what a healing hotel consists of and for what the healing hotel hoteliers are passionate about.
It was also launched to create a platform for members of Healing Hotels of the World. Because the partner hotels of Healing Hotels of the World are spread all over world, we also wanted to create a platform where they can meet, exchange, learn from each other and get inspired from hearing from others with the same passion.
HEALING SUMMIT also helps to create a exchange platform for people from different business sectors who share the same vision. It also serves as a platform where business people from several sectors come together who share the same passion. Again and again we hear, that participants were inspired and happy to meet people with the same vision.
Renee: What do you hope the HEALING SUMMIT leaves people with when they leave?
Anne: We receive a lot of positive feedback from people who have attended the HEALING SUMMIT who love our approach, style and format, as well as the people we bring to the table.
“It was nice to exchange with hoteliers, spa owners and other extraordinary personalities and to connect. And it is great that that there are so many people who are concerned about sustainability and social issues, people who are not only profit-orientated.“
— Nadine Fischer, Beauty & Health Vogue Germany
Participants are happy that there is an event which is „heart centred“, that shows ways to personal transformation and of doing business in a holistic sense as well as taking care of fellow human beings and the world.
Anne Biging moderates at a previous HEALING SUMMIT
They are happy to meet like minded passionate people which whom they can continue to follow their aspirations.
Renee: How do you define wellness?
Anne: Wellness, well-being and healing is a fluid spectrum.
In general you can observe that in wellness you are fixing your status quo, you do not make greater changes, but make a little bit better what is already there. It is a quick fix that does not last.
Renee: How do you define healing?
Anne: Healing is a through a transformative journey where you achieve lasting results for the better. You can change and heal ailments so that they disappear. You learn how live a happier, healthier life.
Renee: What advice would you give to millennials who may not have health insurance and live in fear of getting sick without it?
Anne: This question does not really apply to Europe. For example, in Germany as in Germany you have to have a health insurance. It is forbidden not to have one. It is hard for us in Germany to imagine not to have a health insurance and I recommend that you have at least one for cases where you have to go to the hospital.
You can do a lot to stay healthy. As one naturopath recently said: 80% of health is nutrition. I would add movement. And there are important mental components. For example, you can learn not to stress yourself, be more aware of you emotions and learn how to live happily.
HEALING SUMMIT speaker Dr. Ken Redross & Anne Biging
Renee: What is it to have a balanced life in your opinion?
Anne: In a balanced, a content life you are balanced and content whatever you do! You take care of you body and mind and quite honestly, it is a life long learning process.
Renee: What can hotels do differently to create a more embracing and loving environment?
Anne: First and foremost, it’s important to have a caring a loving staff. Be thoughtful and very aware about the needs of the guests, especially the small details.
Renee: What three things do you do regularly in your own life that you feel adds to your overall well-being?
Anne: I take care of my body with movement by doing Hatha Yoga daily. I also eat very healthy with a vegan and gluten free as well as meditate every day. I constantly contemplate and learn about myself all the time, which is an integral part of my life.
Other Articles You May Enjoy
- WBTW’s first article on the 2018 HEALING SUMMIT
- WBTW’s Spiritual Events section
- WBTW’s general events section,
- WBTW’s Wellness Section,
- WBTW’s spirituality section
- WBTW’s Spiritual Health section
Renee Blodgett is the founder of We Blog the World. The site combines the magic of an online culture and travel magazine with a global blog network and has contributors from every continent in the world. Having lived in 10 countries and explored nearly 80, she is an avid traveler, and a lover, observer and participant in cultural diversity.
She is also the CEO and founder of Magic Sauce Media, a new media services consultancy focused on viral marketing, social media, branding, events and PR. For over 20 years, she has helped companies from 12 countries get traction in the market. Known for her global and organic approach to product and corporate launches, Renee practices what she pitches and as an active user of social media, she helps clients navigate digital waters from around the world. Renee has been blogging for over 16 years and regularly writes on her personal blog Down the Avenue, Huffington Post, BlogHer, We Blog the World and other sites. She was ranked #12 Social Media Influencer by Forbes Magazine and is listed as a new media influencer and game changer on various sites and books on the new media revolution. In 2013, she was listed as the 6th most influential woman in social media by Forbes Magazine on a Top 20 List.
Her passion for art, storytelling and photography led to the launch of Magic Sauce Photography, which is a visual extension of her writing, the result of which has led to producing six photo books: Galapagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome, Urbanization and Ecuador.
Renee is also the co-founder of Traveling Geeks, an initiative that brings entrepreneurs, thought leaders, bloggers, creators, curators and influencers to other countries to share and learn from peers, governments, corporations, and the general public in order to educate, share, evaluate, and promote innovative technologies.
