SWIHA Blog

“Before SWIHA I spent a lot of time in a ‘poor me’ world. From the outside, it looked like I had everything. A wonderful husband, a great paying job, and a beautiful house. In 2021, my grandmother died and it made me look at myself differently. I wasn’t getting any younger… who do I want to be for the rest of my time on earth? I found SWIHA online and had the funds to make it happen. So, I signed up for the 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training program. I was doing this for me. At the end of my program, I realized that since what I had learned had changed my life, maybe I could help change the lives of others. Taking the YTT-200 was just the tip of the iceberg of my yoga journey. I had heard that there was a 1000-hour Yoga Therapy program, so I went all in! This changed the way I practiced yoga and life.”

“Before I decided to become a practitioner, I had suffered from severe health issues for most of my life. The doctors told me I had lupus and that it was very severe, so I probably wouldn't live to see my 40th birthday. That took me down a road of exploration, where I used myself as a guinea pig, trying out different holistic practices. My goal was to heal my body naturally and I did succeed! Once I got to a place of feeling like a new person, healthwise, I wanted to expand my knowledge, so I could help others. That is when I enrolled in SWIHA. My greatest passion is to educate others on the root causes of sickness and disease, so they can heal themselves!”

What was your life like before SWIHA? What led you to SWIHA and to your particular program of study?

I was working a high-level corporate job as a global leader. As my daughter was approaching completing her Bachelor's Degree, I was planning on life after corporate. I have a BS in Psychology and Kinesiology, obtained my yoga teacher certification, and trained in Qigong, I loved helping people, so I decided a hypnotherapy certification would allow me to start a business as an Alternative Therapy Practitioner (as I later also became certified in EFT). I feel the state of society today is in crisis, however, the power of nature and their mind can heal them, and all they need is guidance. I have always been passionate about empowering others, even in my corporate role.

“Yoga quite literally saved my life. I began my journey at SWIHA after a serious struggle with depression.” Yoga is widely known for its profound impact on physical health, mental well-being, and overall quality of life. By integrating the body, mind, and spirit through breathwork, physical postures, and meditation, yoga offers a holistic approach to personal transformation. This transformative power of yoga emerges in the physical realm and extends deeply into the mental and emotional landscapes of those who practice it regularly. Stefani Skilton, a SWIHA Yoga Teacher Training graduate, saw this transformation in her own life as well, this is her story.

The past few years for Adeum Rivera have been filled with hardship, loss, and physical pain. However, they have also been filled with transformation as well. Let’s rewind to a time before Adeum attended SWIHA for Reflexology. Beginning in 2019, Adeum started experiencing a lot of health issues with his knees that eventually got to the point where he could not walk it was so painful. On top of that, Adeum dealt with the hardship of losing brother and father within 2 months of each other. Dealing with such physical and emotional pain, Adeum knew he wanted a change in his life. Adeum sought out more naturopathic doctors and solutions and eventually wound up getting a massage from a SWIHA Graduate, who told him of how special a place SWIHA really was.

What was your life like before SWIHA? What led you to SWIHA and to your particular program of study?

Before SWIHA I was a very lost soul wandering towards different types of career paths. I struggled a lot trying to find my identity and felt like I was on autopilot. I always knew I wanted to help people so I took an online personality test that guided me towards holistic healing. I chose Hypnotherapy after seeing the impactful results from reviews on platforms like TikTok and YouTube. I became very passionate about this trade because it is something I can take with me over the decades and continue helping people who are also lost and desperate for help on the right path.

“My life before SWIHA I would say was lived very on edge, being a highly sensitive and empathetic person in the traditional 9-5 did not mesh well for me. I felt punished or pushed away from how much I cared, as I did not have an appropriate outlet for those feelings I had. I now have education in how to protect myself when helping others, and my sole purpose as a massage therapist/energy worker is to CARE!”

“My life before SWIHA included working at a hospital in downtown Seattle as a Medical Assistant, 4 years of service in the military, volunteering, and hiking my way around the mountains of Washington. The Holistic Nutrition course specifically caught my eye because of the passion I have for nutrition and how it impacts deep within our cellular health. SWIHA offered the 755-hour Health & Wellness Coaching path with the added concentration in Holistic Nutrition and since finishing all of the courses, I can firmly say the instructors and material you dive into are well worth it! It has been one of the biggest highlights of my time here so far.”

What was your life like before SWIHA? What led you to SWIHA and to your particular program of study? Why are you passionate about this modality?

Prior to choosing to attend SWIHA, I had actually been working at a massage studio at the front desk while I was in school working toward becoming a therapist or a counselor. After getting my degree, I worked as a psychiatric technician for about a year, until I realized I wanted more freedom in my everyday life. I wanted to spend more time with my daughter, and ultimately I wanted to find a more creative career path to support my desire to help other people heal! After a brief, deep internal battle of 'what others would think' or 'what I should be doing' (none of that matters anyway), I sat on my couch and laughed to myself at the realization that I COULD be a massage therapist and make great money doing so, all while creating my own schedule. At that moment, I decided I was going to sign up for the massage program and just go for it.. and I did.

After serving for thirteen years as an Air Force Pilot, Lisa McCranie began a six-year educational journey toward her true passion for fitness, nutrition, and health. Lisa did not know exactly what to expect, or what would be coming her way. However, Lisa did know that she was meant for great things and that she would work hard to continue to push herself in all areas of her life. This life path change is what brought Lisa to the Southwest Institute of Healing Arts to study Holistic Health and Wellness Coaching.