This week, BuDhaGirl will be attending the 2016 Global Wellness Summit in Kitzbühel, Austria. This will be BuDhaGirl’s second summit as a platinum sponsor, and we want you to know why we feel such a spirit of kindred collaboration with The GWS (Global Wellness Summit).

What exactly is “wellness”?

Consistent with the World Health Organization’s definition of “health,” the 2013 Global Wellness Tourism Economy report defines wellness as a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being. It goes beyond mere freedom from disease or infirmity and emphasizes the proactive maintenance and improvement of health and well-being.

On the proactive side, incorporating attitudes and activities that prevent disease, improve health, enhance quality of life, and bring a person to increasingly optimum levels of well-being.

This sounds very much like BuDhaGirl’s mission, which is to be a lifestyle brand whose purpose is to affect cultural change by turning routines into rituals.

The Summit is Born

At the beginning of the 2000’s, a group of industry leaders decided to create and fund a conference where leaders from all parts of the world gather to solve shared problems. Thus the Global Wellness Summit was founded. The Global Wellness Summit is held annually.

The Spirit of the Summit

The “spirit” of the Global Wellness Summit is one of shared purpose rather than individual gain. It is a willingness to put aside our competitive egos and personal business goals while we join together and spend time shaping the future of the wellness industry.

Designed to be a high-level gathering of top industry executives, the invitation-only Summit brings together decision makers from around the world. Everyone contributes his or her time and expertise, as well as resources to help fund the Summit and make it a success.

The Global Wellness Summit is an international organization that brings together leaders and visionaries to positively impact and shape the future of the global wellness industry. The objectives of the Summit are to:

Establish a forum for dialogue among global industry leaders

Create community by fostering friendly relationships among stakeholders

Inspire a spirit of collaboration to solve shared problems

Facilitate healthy growth for the industry and its individual businesses

Initiate and support quality research

Encourage innovation

Cultivate leaders for tomorrow

BuDhaGirl thinks that we are better together. Here is one of our favorite quotes on the subject: “I can do things you cannot, you can do things that I cannot. Together we can do great things.” Mother Teresa

Custom BuDhaGirl Bangles for the Global Wellness Summit

The Global Wellness Institute

In 2015, the Ellis family and Global Wellness Summit co-founders established a separate entity, Global Wellness InstituteTM (GWI), a 501(c)(3) non-profit educational foundation whose mission is to empower wellness worldwide by educating the public and private sectors about preventative health and wellness. Through its four pillars, research, initiatives, roundtable discussions, and wellnessevidence.com, the GWI serves as a “hub” that informs and connects key stakeholders capable of impacting the overall wellbeing of our planet’s citizens.

Once more, BuDhaGirl applauds the idea that the status quo of how we have done things is no longer sustainable. With globalization and technology we must find ways to understand each other in a modern, realistic fashion. We must maintain ourselves, and our world in the healthiest state possible, using our brain to change what needs to be changed.