Which Wolf Will You Feed?
ONE OF THE GREATEST GIFTS of working in the spa industry for 30 years is that every now and then, someone hands you a lesson you didn’ t even know you needed.
During a recent ISPA Board Meeting visit to Miraval Arizona, the always intuitive spa director, Heidi Smith-Mullen, suggested I experience a treatment called Energy of the Wolves. The ceremony was guided by Lolita Leal, a longtime Miraval practitioner whose spiritual path began in childhood and whose work now blends massage therapy, craniosacral therapy, indigenous energy medicine and aspects of Peruvian ceremony. Through drumming, song and energy work, the treatment centered on a simple teaching often associated with Native American storytelling:
Within each of us are two wolves. One represents hope, love and joy. The other represents anger, fear and doubt. The question is not which wolf exists within us. The question is: Which one will you feed?
One lesson particularly stayed with me. We all absorb energy from the people and experiences around us. Disappointment, conflict and fear have a way of attaching themselves to us if we allow them. Left unattended, that negative energy can quietly accumulate, shaping our outlook and weighing us down. Well-being isn’ t about avoiding life’ s challenges. It’ s about learning to acknowledge them, release what no longer serves us and make room for something better. And be mindful that there is always something better.
As our incredible industry continues to evolve with new treatments, technologies and trends, this experience reminded me some of the most profound transformations come from timeless wisdom. A spa creates the space for reflection and renewal, but the real work begins when we return to our everyday lives and put it into practice.
Every day, we have the opportunity to decide which wolf we’ ll feed and which worries we’ ll leave behind. Perhaps that’ s one of the most powerful self-care practices of all. So, which wolf will you feed today?
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LYNNE MCNEES, ISPA PRESIDENT
PULSE n AUGUST 2026 64