The Team
Brigitte Bürgisser
Executive Director
Lyell Parry
Director
Brigitte Bürgisser
Executive Director
After applying 4Times4Health in her daily life for two years and seeing the results in terms of healing and personal growth, she was inspired, together with a core team of The Shen Foundation, to create a community to experiment with 4Times4Health in a group.
The team started to establish the concept in 2019 and began looking for a place. They bought 38 ha of land in Sweden, which they later sold, and in 2022 they found the Lötschberg Hotel in the Lötschental, in the heart of the Swiss Alps, surrounded by peaks of over 3,000 m. This valley is known as the Magic Valley. She hosted 150 volunteers between the ages of 21 and 45, from more than 30 countries and from all backgrounds: scientists, healthcare specialists, economists, an astronaut, entrepreneurs, social entrepreneurs, activists and, probably, a few spies. They also came from all spiritual backgrounds: Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, atheists and others.
The structure of the day followed the 4Times4Health principle. They worked 4 hours, went hiking in the mountains, and practiced the 4 breaks in line with the organic clock. In 4 years, they managed to renovate the abandoned hotel, give courses to the community and welcome tourists who were also interested in the teachings of Daoist practice. During the experiment, she saw people ground themselves in healing, find a mission and leave the center with a new life force and a new vision of their life path.
Having lived with stage 4 cancer for 10 years now, she also accompanied other people facing serious health challenges. She observed the stabilization of Huntington's disease and saw improvements in people with ADHD, depression and burnout, who gave positive feedback.
Another experiment was to see how far they could live as a non-profit organization, through volunteering and knowledge sharing. The concept was based on a total exchange: volunteers offered 4 hours of their expertise a day in return for the teachings of The Shen Foundation on 4Times4Health, including room and board. This allowed her to attract people from all walks of life who were searching for a new way of living and healing. The investment in the building, the fixed costs of electricity and food were covered by renting out a few rooms to tourists.
It was also an experiment in how to work together in an environment where no money is involved, with an eye on a future in which jobs will become scarcer. Already, over 80% of these highly educated people (bachelor's and master's graduates, many PhD holders, and young people arriving with burnout at the age of 30) were struggling to find a job and housing, which shows what kind of scenario we may be heading toward.
In 2025, a landslide struck Blatten, burying the village under some 9 million m³ of ice, rock and debris. The valley lost hotels, restaurants and accommodation. She decided to hand the hotel back to the community and continue the journey. Since 2026, the team has been offering online courses, personal coaching and retreats to share their experience and knowledge with a broader audience worldwide, with the vision of bringing Western and Eastern cultures together and building more peace on Earth. Maybe a new center in the East...
Lyell Parry
Director
Lyell McLean Parry has been involved in personal development and the healing arts since the age of 21. His journey began with the Inner Peace Movement, which led him to travel the world, giving lectures on various aspects of personal growth, and hosting a TV show in Nova Scotia, Canada.
Alongside this path, Lyell also worked as a landscape designer, a role that deepened his connection with nature and strengthened his commitment to environmental preservation. He is currently a director of The Shen Foundation and practices as a Shiatsu therapist in Sweden.
Learning by doing testimony:
In early March this year (2024), I experienced a severe case of urinary retention that caused significant damage to my kidneys. I had recently undergone an X-ray, suspecting kidney stones, when my doctor called urgently and instructed me to get to the hospital immediately if I wanted to survive. I followed their advice without delay. At the hospital, they were ready for me and removed four times the amount of urine the body should typically hold.
This excessive retention caused damage to my kidneys and stretched my bladder beyond the point where it could function properly. Initially, I was told the bladder had sustained too much damage to repair itself, and the prognosis for my kidneys was equally dire.
Fast forward eight months, and against the odds, my bladder is about 50% restored, with a similar recovery trajectory for my kidneys.
How did this happen? Every morning, I practice Qi Gong, focusing extra attention on my bladder and kidneys. I visualize both organs in perfect health, take powerful Chinese herbs gifted by dear friends, and work on strengthening the muscles surrounding my bladder.
In Chinese medicine, the five Virtues correspond to different organs, each linked to specific emotions. The kidney’s virtue is Wisdom, while its associated emotion is fear. Reflecting on this connection has sparked a profound journey of self-discovery, one that continues to unfold.
Lyell Parry, Director of The Foundation
Advisors
Dr. Guo Bisong
Advisor
Dr. Rasmussen
Advisor
Lady Cawdor
Patron
Prof. W. Brian Arthur
Advisor
Advisor
Dr. Guo, born in China, combines 50 years of European practice in both Western and Traditional Chinese Medicine. She founded The Shen Foundation in Scotland, dedicated to restoring the Earth’s harmony through ancient Daoist wisdom.
As the founder of The Shen Foundation, she continues to advise on the organization’s ongoing projects. Now in retirement, her work has spanned global seminars, research collaborations, and leadership training for over 1,000 individuals. She remains actively engaged in climate and sustainability initiatives across the medical, social and technology sectors.
Her published works include „Listen to Your Body – The Wisdom of the Dao“ and „Internal Alchemy - A New Perspective“.
Lady Cawdor
Patron
The Dowager Countess Cawdor has lived at Cawdor Castle since 1979. Her passions include care of the environment, organic farming and a host of other scientific interests. She engages in business activities and community development as well as art and cultural events.
A long-standing interest in consciousness studies has led her to develop close links with leading philosophers and scientists and she has consequently hosted a number of conferences that have brought world class leaders together.
The Dowager Countess Cawdor strongly supports the sustainable development vision of the Shen Foundation, both in Scotland, Sweden and worldwide
Advisor
W. Brian Arthur has been described by Fortune Magazine as “one of the US’s leading economic thinkers.” He was formerly Morrison Professor of Population Studies and Economics, and Professor of Human Biology, at Stanford University.
Arthur is one of the pioneers of the science of complexity and has had a long association with the Santa Fe Institute, (he has served on its Board of Trustees, and Science Board). He is currently Senior Advisor to the President of Nanyang Technological University in Singapore.
He is the recipient of the Schumpeter Prize in Economics (1990), the Lagrange Prize in Complexity Science (2008), and two honorary doctorates. Arthur grew up in N. Ireland, and has lived for several decades in California.
Advisor
Dr. Rasmussen is a medical doctor and the CEO for Infinitum Humanitarian Systems (IHS). He is also a Research Professor in Environmental Security and Global Medicine at San Diego State University, and an instructor in disaster medicine within the International Disaster Academy in Bonn, Germany.
Rasmussen has extensive experience in critical humanitarian support and has worked with highly vulnerable communities on five continents. Prior to IHS he served in the US Navy for 25 years aboard nuclear submarines, amphibious ships, and aircraft carriers before being selected as the Founding CEO of InSTEDD, a humanitarian NGO established from a TED Prize awarded to Dr. Larry Brilliant, then Executive Director of Google.org.