P: How does your medical background and experience
affect your views on disease?
F: My dual training as a physician and massage therapist, in
conjunction with a powerful connection to the Native
American culture with its healing rituals and shamanistic
practices, has had a tremendous influence in the way I view
disease and how I help to facilitate healing with my clients. In
my medical practice and at Miraval, one of the primary
healing modalities I offer is called Holographic Memory
Resolution for trauma resolution.
P: What are some of the challenges you faced when
developing this mindfulness program, and how did you
overcome those?
F: The most interesting challenge is that Pamela and I had to
learn to weave our professional energies together as a dynamic
therapeutic team. We have been working in our individual practices both in and out of Miraval for years and this presented an
opportunity to combine and co-facilitate group healing ceremonies. We have worked with thousands of guests to hone
our skills and this allowed us to put together a program that
incorporated the both of our strengths as practitioners.
P: What factors are most important to consider when
developing a healing, meditation or immersion program?
F: The most important factor to develop mindful immersion
programming is creating a safe environment for healing,
growth and self-discovery to occur. You have to be able to
create an environment that allows for vulnerability in a group
setting, which can be scary, and requires that you to know
your strengths as a practitioner. Don’t recreate the wheel,
expand upon it. Use the facilities and knowledge of other
practitioners available to create an even deeper experience for
your participants.
P: What meditation techniques do you share with guests
to help them practice mindfulness on their own time?
F: I utilize many Kundalini Yoga kriyas and meditations to
help them practice mindfulness on their own. In Kundalini
Yoga, a kriya is a series of postures, breath, and sound that
work toward a specific outcome. We have also created
numerous writing and visualization exercises that we send
home with them to use as a tool in everyday life.
P: What’s your advice to help spas encourage reluctant
guests to try mindfulness?
F: I would encourage begin