“You are stronger than your challenges. And your challenges are making you stronger. Deep within is a hidden reserve of inner power. Breathe. Get quiet. You will access it. You’re far stronger than you realize - with a capacity to stretch and grow in exciting ways.” - Karen Salmansohn
Before Eve Garifo-Morelli started her healing journey at SWIHA, she was a full-time caregiver for her father. Her entire life, 24/7 was surrounding her father who had suffered from a stroke and lost his speech, the use of his right arm, and now walked with a cane and brace on his right leg. For Eve, this became a high-stress situation having to be a full-time caregiver for her father. On one side, she loved him and fervently stood up to the job of taking care of her father. On the other hand, there were days that Eve found herself not leaving her house, showering, or taking care of herself. There needed to be a change.
Eve found herself questioning what she wanted to do with her life. A part of her always knew that she wanted to facilitate energy healing retreats and get into practicing Yoga. After some reflection, Eve called up SWIHA to inquire about the programs. Eve asserts, “The admissions coach I spoke to must have been intuited, I let her know I was interested in yoga and she automatically spoke about the Therapeutic Yoga program, my eyes welled up and I was like yes! You are speaking my language please keep going. I was sold and started the process of signing up.” Eve knew she was on the right path and it was an even stronger confirmation of that when she went to the Healing Pages bookstore to pick up her textbooks. Eve explained this overwhelming feeling of wanting to cry and having that support from staff and comfort that it was okay to experience emotions and feel excited about the journey she was about to embark on!
Eve recalls that on the very first day of class, she couldn't even touch her toes. She goes on to explain, “Not only could I not touch my toes, I was also so uncomfortable in my own body. Because of the stress of the past 2.5 years with my father, I had put on a lot of weight because I was emotionally eating and I got comfortable staying home and not being around people or being seen. So stepping into this class helped me break free from my depression that I was unaware of until I started this course and helped me be comfortable being around people again and built my confidence to where I was comfortable being seen in the front of the class teaching.” During the first month of class, Eve found herself at the yoga studio sometimes twice a day outside of class. The My Spirit of Yoga Studio was a safe haven for her. Looking back, a defining moment that Eve remembers from the beginning of her program was when she was enrolled in her 101 Foundations class with Will Zecco. While in Child’s Pose, Will asked, “What is the one thing in your life holding you back, inhale, and let it go.” Tears flowed from Eve’s eyes as she lifted her head gently off the mat. There was a nice wet spot on her mat from her tears and racing through her mind was thoughts surrounding her father and how it felt to feel trapped and stagnant in that time in her life. “I was not living for me anymore. I knew I needed to make changes for me because I was not happy,” said Eve.
“My life has definitely significantly changed! I started class in April and by the end of May, I had made the decision to place my father into an assisted living place and started making changes for myself. I got a part-time job at the bookstore at SWIHA, I am living my life, hiking, and I have visited my family on the east coast, which I was unable to do with my dad living at home,” explains Eve. She continues, “I know he has 24/7 care and I no longer have to stress when I leave the house. Now I wake up with joy and love in my heart and I put myself first and I am so in love with who I am today. Don't get me wrong, this healing process is not always roses, yet when you get to the other side of the muck it is pure bliss, love, and positive self-transformation.”
After completing the first 200 hours of her program, Eve is continuing her education with the remainder of the 800 hour Yoga Teacher Training Program, working part-time in the SWIHA bookstore and starting to blossom her very own business! Eve is beginning to take private clients, teach yoga classes, as well as travel twice a year to the east coast to learn another healing modality called Constellation Approach. Eve still continues to take care of her dad and provide him with love and support. Eve asserts, “I would say my dad inspired me to start my own business. We always talked about running groups together and since he is no longer able to, I knew it was time for me to face my fear and start taking clients, I have been in training for 30 years.” Eve offers Constellations Approach sessions, Yoga Nidra, Yoga Body Psychology, as well as private yoga sessions within her business.
What makes Eve stand out as a great graduate is how she works with her clients. “I feel I impact my clients by showing up with no moral judgment, compassion, empathy, love, and support. I have come to realize me dropping into their experience with them allows them to open up and be vulnerable, allowing them to drop into the process and release and or simply be present with what is there for them. I am also able to personalize each session to meet their needs” declares Eve. Not only did SWIHA teach Eve new skills of Yoga Nidra, Yoga Body Psychology, and Yoga Cueing, it has also allowed her to continue to fine-tune her own life skills. For example, strengthening her intuition, and showing up for herself and her clients.
KC Miller, Will Zecco, Vanessa Jasper, Rhonda, Kamini Desai, and every teacher that has crossed Eve’s path has offered her various lessons that she has taken with her. Eve recalls a very special memory when Yoga instructor Vanessa Jasper stayed late with her after a class one day. Eve shares, “She showed up for me and supported me with love, compassion, and empathy. I was leaving a YIN class and popped my head into the class where Vanessa was going to be teaching to see if there was room and it looked pretty full so I kept walking. She came running out and said ‘Do you want to come in?’ Her classes can be a tad challenging for me at times because some of the poses are more advanced than I am used to.” Eve continues, “She had put us into a side extended moon... On the first side, I did not even try it because in my mind I was like ‘there is no way I can do this pose’. On the opposite side, I got out of my mind and did the pose.”
Eve rejoiced and was so proud of her accomplishment! She had pushed herself beyond what she thought she was capable of doing. Shortly after the class ended, she requested Vanessa to stay after class to help cue her through the previous side that she had skipped. Vanessa ended up staying with her and provided Eve the support and encouragement to successfully do the yoga pose on the other side! “She celebrated with me, with excitement in her voice and joy in her eyes. She also let me know how proud of me she was and it had been an honor for her to watch me go through my transformation since I started class” says Eve.
“KC touched my soul...one night in YTT she held a chakra class. Within this class, I had a huge emotional release... I started off softly sobbing as she was speaking on the chakras and how each one is affected at different ages and what could happen. When she finished her talk, she had us meditate, my tears starting flowing even heavier, then she had us start circling our bodies while we were sitting, man this really opened up the flood gates for me.” Eve continues, “Then she had us stand and gather in a circle as we put our arms around each other. We were one big circle all connected and we started swaying as one and I lost it. I cried so hard my jaw was chattering and I could literately feel my inner cells vibrating. KC brought the swaying to a stop and settled the group back in. When we opened our eyes she asked me ‘What do you need?’ and I said ‘a hug' and one of my yogi sisters ran right to me and held me, then everybody started hugging everybody.”
Not only did Eve experience KC Miller showing up with love, compassion, empathy, and no moral judgment, she also has felt her services beyond the classroom. Eve mentioned her deep appreciation for KC Miller’s open-door policy and having that knowledge that if she ever needed something, she could talk to KC. Eve also feels very highly towards Will Zecco, stating, “Will strummed my heart cords with his words as he cued his classes. It was literally like he was speaking to me even though there was a class of 10 plus students. I would leave his class hearing his voice in my head; his words helped me go deeper within, drop in a little more, each time bringing me closer and closer to my truth.”
With all that Eve has absorbed during her time here at SWIHA, her words of advice to any future or potential SWIHA students is, “Face your fear and DO IT! If there is a class calling you, go check it out. Follow your heart and your dreams will unfold.”
Want to get connected with Eve Garifo-Morelli?
Facebook: @healthyself.eve
Instagram: @healthyself.eve
