Stefano: Success is not just being known for what I do in this field, but rather my success as a human being. The more realized I am as a human being, the lighter, brighter and more balanced I’ve become. I am a very playful person from within. We should not take ourselves too seriously. Life is not so dramatic. Everything is transitory. Every moment is beautiful.
As part of my series about “discovering hidden wellness destinations,” I had the pleasure of experiencing a 7-night Glowing Flow transformational wellness retreat at Preidlhof Dolce Vita Luxury Resort in South Tyrol, Italy.
Preidlhof is a multi-award-winning spa hotel located in Naturns, South Tyrol, Italy. Owned and managed by the Ladurner family, Preidlhof offers exceptional wellness programs alongside the hospitality, accommodation and services of a 5-star hotel.
Under the stewardship of Klaus Ladurner for the past twenty years, Preidlhof has carved out a first-class reputation as a holistic, preventative and medical health retreat for adults-only wellness, South Tyrol. Every stay is an opportunity for physical, social, emotional and spiritual regeneration. Twelve Transformational Wellness Programmes integrate complementary, medical and preventative health guided by medical doctors and leading experts in their fields. These programmes aim to instill energy and self-confidence in guests, helping them with their physical and emotional recovery, as well as help treat specific issues such as menopause, grief, trauma, sleep disturbance and insomnia.
Eudaimonia, a Greek word translating to “good spirit” or “happiness,” was emblazoned on the walls of the wellness center and one of the first clues that this experience would be anything but ordinary.
From the picturesque views of the Texel mountains in the Merano region of South Tyrol, to the hotel’s six-floor spa tower and therapeutic saunas, rest and relaxation was the only order of the day. As an American, I clearly understood at first glance the seriousness of the European spa culture. The outdoor venue boasts a Mediterranean garden, alongside various apple and olive trees, an outdoor hot tub, and a lavish infinity pool with a jaw dropping backdrop of the Italian and Austrian landscape.
The food options were plentiful ranging from plant-based to various meat and fish plated with a delicate hand and an intuitive but hedonistic sensibility. The staff truly embodies the notion that service is something that is an honor rather than a chore.
The various treatments experienced from water massage, gut release therapy, olfactory (smell) test, forest bathing, Zen shiatsu, yoga nidra (sleep yoga), apple journey, sharira abhyanga (oil massage), vipassanā (mindfulness), HRV (heart rate variability) assessment, sound and quartz massage, laughter yoga, to the Glowing Flow session, lit a fire in me that felt both invigorating and renewing.
The true highlight was the Glowing Flow experience facilitated by Holistic Master Trauma Therapist, Stefano Battaglia. Using a combination of talk therapy, meditative bodywork, and trauma touch, Stefano masterfully guides the body in releasing emotional blocks and imbalances in order to discover the healing power from within. He minces no words evidenced by exclaiming, “If you want to have love, you must first love yourself.” The experience at Preidlhof Dolce Vita Luxury Resort taught me that wellness is not something to chase after, it is always something to find.
The following is an interview conducted with Spa Director and Consultant, Patrizia Bortolin and Holistic Master Trauma Therapist, Stefano Battaglia.
Thank you so much for joining us! Can you tell us a story about your backstory? What brought you to this specific career path?
Patrizia: It’s a long story because I’ve been doing this for many years. I’m in the second half of my life, so I’ve been working a lot. I’ve always been in tourism, hospitality, and hotels. I realized that I had to find something more meaningful in tourism and travel, something more intimate. So I decided to start working in the wellness industry. I saw a completely different relationship with people and a greater meaning of what I do. I started to study and get specialized in psychosomatic, life coaching, wellness coaching and various holistic techniques. I also studied spa management and marketing. I’ve always been a pioneer because I’m very much interested in the holistic part of life. And it’s also because of my own personal healing journey.
Stefano: When I was a child, about five or six years old, I wanted to become a doctor because I wanted to save lives. But I realized that nobody can truly save anyone. I had to heal myself and fix the issues, including all the wounds within me.
I was living in Carrara, just north of Tuscany with a teacher and instructor in osteopathy. I observed him during sessions with other patients and was super curious and asked him to teach me. It was like a glove fitting my hands. I had to do other secondary jobs to survive, but it eventually became my main profession. It’s not just a profession, it’s more of a discovery journey. I also have the luxury to do this work as a volunteer in some very poor and rural countries.
How has health and wellness played a big role in your life?
Patrizia: I’m really embodying it and have been lucky to create my life around that. It’s also the nature of my work, interest, and hobby. I use all the wellness tools that I suggest to guests in order to get better. These include ancient medicine, holistic approaches and remedies, complementary medicine, supplements, movement, and food. Food is very important as a healing tool. That is something that I totally understood in my travels to India. I’m completely immersed in wellness from designing concepts to facilitating treatments. I’m also continuously researching.
Stefano: I know that bottom line, the more aligned and focused, the more you can connect with life and people instead of looking for excitement or intoxicants which create addictions for yourself and others. I feel confident about my own assets, my own resources, and my own skills. I know that this body and this mind are just a biological system, an open system for evolution. So the more I keep myself clean and healthy, the more I feel interconnected with everything including my fellow human beings.
As you know, COVID19 changed the world as we know it. Can you share a few examples of how travel and hospitality companies will be adjusting over the next five years to the new ways that consumers will prefer to travel?
Patrizia: It’s been a huge crisis also for everyone. Keeping the freedom, safety and health of people working and for guests is very important. We have to find a balance between the two. The big change is the result of how people are feeling now, both physically and mentally. There is a lot of confidence that we have to help re-establish. I would say that being more compassionate and seeing how people are living is the first step. Before it was very difficult to have people ask for emotional or trauma healing, but now after two minutes they tell you that they want to work on that immediately.
Stefano: All this narrative is something that I am not completely in tune with because I notice so many contradictions, but we should learn to empower our own immune system with various supplements, vitamins, and minerals. Healthy means also having a healthy lifestyle and healthy relationships. Also being inquisitive and questioning.
So you are a wellness insider. How would you describe the perfect wellness experience?
Patrizia: For me, it’s made of coherence. The experience is coherent with the place, with the people, with the location, with what I read, and what I eat. It’s a place where you have your individual space, where you have your individual journey and are supported by expert people that are enhancing your experience. Being authentic of course is very important as well. So walk the talk and keep your individual mind individual. I’m also a big fan of silence.
Stefano: The perfect wellness experience is when you feel welcomed and cheered, not on a formal level, but on a human level. Where the person is able to completely surrender and draw a line where the burdens of the past are gone, and where one feels completely refreshed. And with that they bring valuable tools into their everyday life that can completely change their attitude. So everything that they do is a further step into reconnection with ourselves and our purpose in life.
What tips would you give your colleagues in the wellness industry to help them thrive and not burn out?
Patrizia: The majority of spa directors and leaders that I know are near burnout or have experienced it already. I am about to start coaching managers, directors and leaders because of this. To be in different levels in the treatment room is one energy in the management of another. Energy ownership is not energy. Having energy for everyone is not automatic. You must find ways to be joyful otherwise it can be worse than working at a very complicated and stressful company.
Stefano: Have balance between being super professional and super committed and dedicated to having time just to regenerate and recharge because it’s a demanding profession to deal with people. Some people have different issues, which are not always on the surface. It goes quite deep. So the deeper you go, the more you need to be focused, aligned, and well grounded. Dancing, singing, playing an instrument, meditating, chanting, diving into nature are all activities that might just recharge you, not only physically and mentally, but also on a heart level.
How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?
Patrizia: I try to do my best and am always very purpose driven. I look for the meaning in things. I’m not afraid of hard missions. I’m a Leo, so I’m used to a lot of work and a lot of effort. Being a wellness researcher gives me a lot of beautiful and engaging tools that I can use with people when they have a problem. I’m obsessed with the experiential side of life. So everything I do, I try to use it, and transform it into an experience that can be beneficial for others. As a transformational coach, I use words and approaches. I use anything that comes to my mind. I use creativity. I use frequency to somehow make a change.
Stefano: Success is not just being known for what I do in this field, but rather my success as a human being. The more realized I am as a human being, the lighter, brighter and more balanced I’ve become. I am a very playful person from within. We should not take ourselves too seriously. Life is not so dramatic. Everything is transitory. Every moment is beautiful.
How can I readers find out more about you and your work online?
Patrizia: I am the Spa Director and Consultant of Preidlhof Dolce Vita Luxury Resort in South Tyrol, Italy. I also launched my wellness consultancy called Glowing Flow Wellness Specialists. We create concepts, coach, and help professionals in the wellness industry.
Stefano: I am the Holistic Master Trauma Therapist for the Glowing Flow transformational retreat experience at Preidlhof Dolce Vita Luxury Resort in South Tyrol, Italy.
This was very inspiring, Patrizia and Stefano. Thank you so much for joining us!