Potential of Sri Lanka to be global event destination

Annette Muller

We today publish an interview with Annette Muller whose mission as a speaker, educator and author is to increase worldwide awareness of the natural inherent power contained within humans to heal themselves and each other. Based in Germany but working extensively globally, including Italy and the USA, her message resonates widely and across cultural as well as nation-based divides, impacting those who appreciate her practical, result oriented approach in shaping mental, emotional and physical wellness. 

Annette has published the books; Blazing Trails of Miracles and amazinGRACE – Miraculous Healing Alchemy and has co-produced with Sharon Stone a documentary titled THE CURE, which is about healing the mind and the body. The film featured herself along with Deepak Chopra and others of similar renown. 

She travels the world sharing her experiences and understanding of human nature and healing, working globally through her school, Ecole San Esprit, the International School Healing Arts located in Germany.

In this discussion with the Harmony Page, she connects the dots and juxtaposes the holistic, cosmic and humanistic with the survival of people and nations that we call ‘economic.’ In this interview she emphasises on tourism and how salubrious Sri Lanka could capitalise to its optimum measure to offer a perfect soul healing experience to foreign visitors.

By Surya Vishwa 

Q:You have worked with global scientists, doctors, artists and spiritual leaders, organising peace, healing and related knowledge camps in major tourists locations such as Hawaii, Vegas and Italy to name a few. How do you think Sri Lanka can expand its tourism by hosting world events such as these?

A: The whole world yearns to bind itself closer to the concept of wellness, nature healing and above all, the oasis of peace and belief within each mental sphere. The entirety of this earth is a perfect space of wholeness. I have held educative events on changing human perspective and unleashing wellness from within the core of the heart and mind, in many stunning locations of mysterious beauty – from the epic Colorado mountains to the red earth of Utah, to the impeccable beaches of Hawaii, in beautiful Spain and wondrous Italy where we have our newest rest, education and healing branch. For the past four years I have begun to visit Sri Lanka as I started studying its historic importance of being a heritage based centre point of nature based wholeness. This made me organise the last two graduation events of my school, Ecole San Esprit, the International School of Healing Arts in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka certainly has the potential to be a world class venue for such activities.

Q:Would you like to continue such events in Sri Lanka?

A: Yes, Definitely. The students who have graduated from the above school are mostly from Europe and the Western world. They form the group that is called Healers Beyond Boundaries upon their graduation. Most of them have never been to Sri Lanka but it now seems to be a favourite destination of those who have come here for the healing camps hosted by the Light of Asia Centre in Pelawatte, Battaramulla, which was the ‘graduation ceremony venue’ for those who studied the mind-universe-energy techniques for one and a half years which is the course duration at the Ecole San Esprit. 

Q:Do you think Sri Lanka is maximising its full scope in tourism?

A: No. It’s a very big no.

Q:Why do you say so?

A: I will be very frank. Sri Lanka confuses being expensive with being high end tourism. High end tourism offers perfect service, investing heavily on training, aimed at very high standards. Expensive tourism means that the prices are merely high and that the quality of service does not match up with the prices charged. I will give you some examples. Say, you build a very expensive hotel and it’s perfect. Then you have a reception that is equally fabulous but you have a person who is not trained to speak English professionally in an accent that anyone in the world will understand. Or you have a very plush hotel and very lethargic staff who is not well versed with the menu and who seem very haphazard and out of focus. 

Another example of expensive tourism without it being of high standard which is what should mean by high end, is as described below. I was jetlagged and booked into a very expensive hotel in Sri Lanka which seemingly had all the necessary facilities to make a foreign visitor looking for de-stressing happy. So, I kept my luggage in the room and arrived at the pool yearning to unwind. Five minutes of settling in the soothing water I had several birds defecating on me!

This is what I mean by being expensive but without giving a high quality service worth that money. It is very lovely to have trees close to the pool but there has to be some steps taken so that during the time people are using the pool there is someone to distract the birds so they fly to a tree further away!. 

Also, if the country is going to be dirty, littered with people who just throw their trash around, then no amount of luxury hotels are going to boost the tourism industry in a country. Additionally, if the immigration and emigration office is structured to communicate clearly to foreign visitors how they can extend their visas so that the process of doing so is hassle free for both local staff and the tourists, then in the end everyone is happy and stress free. 

Q: How do you understand the humane interaction that we call tourism?

A: First of all, one must ask oneself as to the purpose of tourism as an industry for any nation. Is it only one segment of people who is going to benefit – the category of people who can afford to build big hotels and run it? Or will tourism retain its authentic charm that is unique for a country such as Sri Lanka of which street vendors are an attractive part of, enabling many grass root level entrepreneurs, artistes and others to thrive entrepreneurially. For example there are many tourists, not just bag packers but even those who enjoy ‘high end tourism’ who like to have at least a one-time experience of bumping along on a roller coaster ride in a three-wheeler (auto). Therefore, it is necessary to think through to ensure that all strata of a society benefits and enjoys the beautiful interaction between cultures and people that we call tourism. 

Q:Could you share your story that made you enter the world of the ‘science of healing,’ that included healing ‘with bare hands’ scientists and world figures. Could you share some of these experiences?

A: I met with a serious car accident that had the Western medical professionals informing me that my life would be seriously impacted and that I would not be able to walk as one of the tendons in my neck was dislocated from the spine. This could have been a very unfortunate incident for me but it was an amazing grace that actually had me investigating the cosmos for an alternative that would help me enjoy my life as before. 

Since my mother had been to India taking me with her as a child I have been exposed to the ancient knowledge of this culture. In the aftermath of the car accident where I was willing myself for ‘being well again,’ I researched and tapped into segments of Vedic and other very ancient systems of knowledge in my persistence to live a full life, despite the modern medical diagnosis that told me otherwise. 

Therefore, throughout the year 2004 I investigated modern psychology, quantum physics and now forgotten knowledge systems that believed the cosmos was not a separate entity isolated from the human mind but an integral combination. In 2005, after I restored and ‘normalised’ my wellbeing, I began to lay the foundation of setting up diverse platforms to teach others what I had learnt. 

Q: Is everyone a ‘healer’ and how can one heal in this world of war that we know of today?

A: Everyone is not a healer but everyone can learn to heal, themselves and others, just as everyone can learn mathematics or to ride a cycle, swim or any other skill. All wars begin in the mind. 

Q: What is your religion?’

A: What is that? What do you mean by ‘religion?’

Q: Well, are you a Christian or a Hindu or Buddhist or Judaic or Muslim … which are the chief currently known modern religions?

A: No. I am none of these if you are asking me for a label. But I understand the premise of the rationale that the founders of these religious paths sought and found. I am here not to ‘believe’ but to understand the phenomena of what happens when a human being learns to be devoid of prejudice, judgement, blame and hate. This has a resonance with the universe that we live in. We can maybe say that the universe too has a heartbeat like us. 

Q: How would you describe yourself best, because you are known as a publisher, healer, entrepreneur and filmmaker?

A: I would describe myself as an entrepreneur. I link the wellness of a human being, the rising of a human being to his or her full potential with the financial scope of a community or a nation. Sick people who are locked up in buildings being permanently imprisoned by maintenance of sickness cannot for example run a thriving tourism industry. 

Q: So you see a link between what can be described as holistic and what can be seen in the opposite side of the paradigm which are things such as economics, business, political systems and modern enterprise?

A: They are all integrated. They are not separate. 

Q:You have worked and interacted with scientists, clergy, doctors and artistes on the concept of healing?

A: Yes. We have designed separate concise trainings for professionals such as doctors, professors and researchers of modern medicine. I have had others from a wide assortment of backgrounds such as an evangelist Christian priest, a paper technologist, scientist Rupert Sheldrake, Hollywood personalities and others who are well recognised internationally for the fields that are in, who have attended my global events and been exposed successfully to the healing techniques we practice.

Q:So you work with practitioners of modern medicine as well?

A: Of course. All medical systems, ancient or modern are valid pragmatically when there is no strong polarisation or monopolisation and is not driven by greed to make money out of sufferings of the masses. 

Q:How can Sri Lanka improve its tourism, capitalising its location as a place for global events.

A: Part of the answer to this is given earlier in this interview but first of all Sri Lanka has to pitch itself as an event destination and as I said before as a holistic event destination in particular which will have immense appeal given the heritage of healing that the country possesses. Maybe Sri Lanka needs to carefully re-look at why it has limited its visa time period for a foreigner for one month. Germany, where I come from, as well as the travel regulations of most countries I know of, has the minimum visa time period for a foreign tourist as three months. It is obvious that the host country benefits when the visa time frame is as broad as possible and where it limits repetitive administrative burdens on the immigration/emigration office staff. In Sri Lanka it is a hassle for foreigners to extend their visas. 

One thing that the new Government could work on is looking at separating the section in immigration and emigration that deals with non Sri Lankans and train local staff for better communication including having some Sri Lankans who are well versed with other languages who may better assist for faster and a more precise and organised service. 

Q: If you could meet the new Sri Lankan President what would you tell him?

A: Well, I would first of all congratulate him on his stunning and historic victory and maybe invite him to Germany to the Ecole San Esprit – the International School of Healing arts, to join the Healers Beyond Boundaries for dinner and see how they do their work!