Partner SeriesJuly 15, 2026

Maren Hoflund Is Expanding Holistic Healing Beyond the Treatment Room Through Education, Community, and Accessible Wellness

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Holistic Health Practitioner Maren Hoflund is entering a new chapter with a larger Mission Valley practice, the continued growth of Mandala Method Healing, and a renewed focus on making evidence-based wellness more accessible. From relaunching her Embodying Holistic Health podcast and creating self-care resources for a broader audience to expanding Reiki courses, community sound baths, and membership offerings, Hoflund is building a practice that extends far beyond hands-on care. Rooted in her own healing journey, her work empowers people to embrace holistic health, nervous system regulation, and sustainable well-being through education, embodiment, and practical tools that support long-term transformation.

Maren, since your last interview you’ve relocated your practice from Point Loma to the Mission Valley/North Park area — what inspired this move, and how does it support the next phase of your work?
I moved from Point Loma to Mission Valley very quickly after a studio closer to my home became available and in my awareness. It was more of a logistical move than anything, as my new space is twice as big as my previous space at a lower rate. I’m very happy with my journey so far and grateful to have ended up where I am now, literally!

You recently relaunched your podcast, Embodying Holistic Health — what themes or conversations feel most important for you to explore right now?
My podcast, Embodying Holistic Health, is designed to be informative and educational about the different healing modalities out there to choose from. My intention is to empower listeners with the information they need to feel like their health and wellness is in their hands. This was born out of a frustration with my work sometimes being thought of as “luxury” or even “woo-woo.” What I offer is science/evidence based and I was trained at an accredited school; it is the social stigma against holistic modalities that allows for therapeutic bodywork of all kinds to be brushed aside and considered “alternative.” Luckily, research is starting to catch up; such as recent findings on how sound baths may significantly reduce anxiety. As of this writing in Summer 2026, EHH is on a small hiatus as I work on adding a new intro and outro, and create a list of topics for the next season which will hopefully launch in the fall. I have spoken on reiki, massage, chiropractic care, and more. I would like to talk about acupuncture, healing touch therapy, hypnosis, prayer and/or meditation benefits, IV therapies, infrared light, and more! I think it is also important to discuss what nervous system regulation means as an inner sensation of safety (“felt sense of safety”) and what safety might mean in the world today. I am also open to ideas, or being welcomed as a guest on someone else’s podcast.

You’re creating self-care and self-massage PDF guides for people who aren’t local — what motivated you to expand your offerings beyond in-person work?
I have heard from people that they love my work and wished they lived closer to experience it. I purchase guides to access information that I know would benefit me, so others would also be interested in what I have to share as well. Plus, online accessibility allows more to benefit from healing, which in turns allows more people to be positively effected in a ripple or spiral sort of way, like the Mandala Method Healing name is inspired by. It feels like a way to increase my impact and truly provide access as much as I can without always being hands on.

How does Mandala Method Healing reflect your philosophy around holistic health, embodiment, and long-term well-being?
Let’s explore the long answer! I ended up in this field partly because holistic values were taught in my home to a small extent, but it was these experiences and values that led me to seek somatic yoga and sound healing while I was freshly on my healing journey post-car accident. My first sound bath helped me improve my mental health leaps and bounds in my CBT or talk therapy experience. When addressing my own issues, I broke my life down into the following categories: physical health, mental health, emotional health, spiritual health. I made sure to take care of myself holistically by doing something for myself in each category. This looked like gym, yoga; therapy, subliminal messages; sound baths; meditation, respectively. As I got better, I started living a more fulfilling, embodied life which included switching from my BA program to massage therapy school where I finished as a Holistic Health Practitioner (HHP). I knew while studying both eastern and western bodywork in school that I wanted to be self-employed with my own solo practice one day and therefore had been brainstorming names since the beginning. I landed on Mandala Method (Massage) because mandalas as a concept have existed all over the world in different cultures just like massage, bodywork, and sound healing aka my offerings. Additionally, mandalas spiral outward from my perspective which means there is a single center that is you (or the soul), and there is no real beginning or end in healing. This is also understood as “healing is not linear” and also “healing happens in layers.” After officially adding reiki and herbal products to my bodywork practice, I changed the name to Mandala Method Healing to better represent my offerings as it was no longer only massage. Over the course of a year, I created an integrative offering with all of my add-ons plus reiki plus a guided somatic meditation plus a sound bath into a truly holistic offering that starts at 75 minutes minimum. Clients come again and again feeling rejuvenated and transformed after years of stress buildup begins to melt away and out of their bodies.

All of that to say, Mandala Method Healing (and my signature service, the Mandala Method Massage) reflects my philosophy around holistic health because my offerings are designed to address the whole person. The practice or business was built from my own embodied holistic healing and self-care practice infused with my education and passion for holistic living. In terms of long-term living or wellness, we already know what kind of lifestyle leads to longevity and reduces health risks as we age (regular exercise, whole food plant-based diet, etc). But long-term inflammation caused by long-term stress overrides many health habits we may have. And stress comes and goes, or can often be constant in an unsteady world. My work teaches your body to let go of stress from the past, and increase your ability to handle stress in the present. Therefore, when something stressful inevitably happens again in the future, we can respond differently and be less affected over time. This reduces long-term stress and inflammation which in combination with a healthy lifestyle leads to true longevity and an embodiment of holistic living.

As you settle into this new location and expand your reach, what are you most excited about connecting with or creating in the coming months?
There is quite a bit to be excited about over here at Mandala Method Healing. There are self-care and self-massage guides currently available in my online shop. I launched my first course, Reiki Level 1 in the spring. My donation-based summer sound bath series is back at Bird Park on Thursdays from 6-7pm. There are more self-care guides and courses coming over the next year! The podcast will launch again for season 3 later this year. I also recently updated my membership offerings so those who know how valuable bodywork is can experience the benefits consistently at a reduced rate.

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