SaTerra Vishnu Interview

QUR: What is your show called and where does it air?

SV: The show is called “Holistically Speaking.” It airs every Thursday from 11am till noon on 790 AM, WLBE, in central Florida.

QUR: What gave you the idea to do a radio show?

SV: This continues to support a passion of mine which is to educate the public while utilizing the power of media to infect a larger audience than possible by word of mouth or print.

During the late 70s and early 80s, I was executive director on a project called the Robert F. Kennedy Scholarship Fund.. Anchored out of Cleveland, Ohio, and utilizing the power of “rock and roll” and professional sports, this charitable foundation provided educational and vocational opportunities as an alternative to incarceration for first time juvenile felony offenders. For three years we blanketed the state of Ohio with television, radio ads, and interviews. This multi-media approach set the stage for me to follow this up with a mass media approach in my continued passion to educate the public on AOM.

QUR: How long has your show been on the air?

SV: I have been broadcasting locally here in central Florida since 1998. The show began as two half-hour shows every Tuesday and Thursday for 4 years, then moved to an hour show on Saturday mornings from 9:00am til 10:00am. We combined our educational efforts in AOM with a local project building awareness for a self-sufficient cooperative holistic community. I then continued on my own with a half-hour once weekly show, and when a time slot opened for a full hour, I grabbed it and used it to evolve the scope of the AOM message and bring my life partner in as co-host.

QUR: Do you think practitioners are doing enough to engage the public about their work?

SV: A FEW...BUT NOT MANY...if we take a close look at the chiropractic community or any other successful healthcare provider group, what we see is a group spending the time and money COLLECTIVELY to educate their local community. As a result, this creates very successful practices for those willing to put forth the effort. EDUCATION OF THE PUBLIC IS ESSENTIAL TO A SUCCESSFUL PRACTICE AND A SATISFIED PATIENT!!!

QUR: Do you ever find it difficult to answer a specific health care question on the radio?

SV: It’s a relative question...if the caller tells me they have a chronic cough and a stuffed up nose in the morning and does not tell me they consume large amounts of dairy, alcohol (cheese and wine) and also have been smoking cigarettes for 40 years, it can seem impossible to give them a hint on what they must alter to change their condition. But when you ask the right question to elicit an expanded level of reality, it’s amazing what quality of educational experience can come forth! When this happens everyone benefits, including me. The venue of radio can be a truly powerful experience for listeners as well as the host!

QUR: Has your radio show changed the way you communicate with your patients?

SV: Absolutely! Over my nine year journey, I have experienced an increased level of compassion and listening. I have learned to keep your heart open, without judgment, and to TRULY LISTEN to my patients. This is the most important point I can offer any individual in the healing arts, especially AOM. An increased ability to hear the quality of a person’s voice offers wonderful insights into their pathology and helps to “cut to the chase” in assisting them to a new level of balance and health. It’s all about putting into practice what the Su Wen, Ling Shu and Law of the 5 Elements has taught us.

QUR: In your opinion, is the story of AOM getting out to the public?

SV: That’s a great question with variety of answers. I was reminded of this two weeks ago when I was asked to provide my services to a private detox retreat in the midst of the Ocala National Forest. It got me thinking of an internship I did in 1987 at Lincoln Hospital in the Bronx with Dr. Michael Smith. I looked at the NADA certificate hanging on my office wall and found that my certification number is #057. I was shocked! Today NADA is an international organization which is helping people with addictions all over the world! The NADA (National Acupuncture Detoxification Association) organization, based upon numbers communicated to me about an hour ago by the NADA office manager, currently has around 20,000 trained professionals in the U.S and close to 50,000 worldwide. A truly wonderful aspect of how AOM changes peoples lives. With this fact in hand, we are faced with an incredible imbalance. The collective hours spent each day broadcasting advertisements to the public for allopathic drugs only on the major networks like ABC, NBC, CBS and CNN is nothing short of astounding and remarkable! This is what we are up against and what MUST be changed by the AOM community by utilizing the power of mass media to open the minds and hearts of the American public to overcome any fears and embrace this ancient non-linear holistic medicine.

QUR: Do you think Americans still experience a cultural barrier when it comes to accepting AOM treatments?

SV: Yes! But, as I have just stated, this can and will change when a more consistent media approach, paid for by all of us in this industry...educator, supplier, insurer and practitioner, combines our talents and financial resources to consistently inform a public hungry for an approach to TRUE HEALTH AND BALANCE. A win/win for all!

QUR: Would you encourage other practitioners to use the media to further the profession?

SV: I believe this is a really vital aspect of anyone’s OM practice. Whether it is print, radio, or television, the most important point in all of this is to “Get Your Face Out There.” By placing yourself out there consistently, the public will begin to see value in this very different and very effective form of traditional medicine.

QUR: Do you envision yourself doing this show in ten years? Why or why not?

SV: As with all things, change as Tao teaches us...is constant. Knowing this, it is my desire to continue to expand and uplift the quality of the show and the number of those who listen to and utilize its information. Broadcasting, speaking, and writing on poignant, modern day health issues and how they can successfully be handled with AOM is in itself a lifelong adventure.

QUR: What practice management advice do you have for people just entering the profession?

SV: Right from the start...set aside a consistent amount of time and money to dedicate to marketing and advertising. Consistently book yourself with community groups to speak on current health topics using the AOM understanding. Volunteer your time at a local homeless shelter or youth organization as well as find the time to talk to classes at the local schools in your area. Join a local gym, yoga studio, running or roller-blade group and communicate who you are and what you do to the staff and members. Just do anything which stretches you and expands your sphere of influence...and be consistent!