For some people, the traditional college route is not the road to success. Amanda Petro is one of those very people.
After spending a year at Arizona State University, Amanda wound up feeling completely unfulfilled; she was beginning to lose interest in her path of study and was increasingly aware that she was not resonating with her classmates. In her search for more like-minded friends, she ended up connecting with two soul sisters here in Tempe, Arizona, who were soon graduating from the Yoga Teacher Training Program at Spirit of Yoga. “It was there at their YTT graduation ceremony that I realized I wanted to be apart of this incredible and seemingly magical school. I started off staying at ASU while I began my 200 YTT. Mid-way through, I quickly realized I couldn’t handle the workload of both. ASU was taking me away from diving deeper into my SWIHA education, so I decided to go full time at SWIHA and leave Arizona State University behind. It was the best decision of my life.”
Yoga Teacher Training truly was a match made in heaven for this health-conscious creative. Amanda had always been passionate about movement, fitness, and overall health, describing this mindset and interest as deeply woven into the foundation on which she was raised. She believes that these interests were imperative to helping her manage her emotions: “My passion began to grow as my spirituality developed. I started to realize I had a gift, and it needed to be given. I’ve always loved helping people, and it was such a profound relief to find out I could help with their health in not just a physical way— rather in the union of mind, body, and spirit. I believe in this work. How could I not have passion for it!?”
Motivated to continue her educational transformation, Amanda decided to complete SWIHA’s 800-Hour Yoga Therapy program with certificates in RYT 500, Holistic Nutrition Coaching, and Reiki Master Teacher. She also chose to focus on such yoga specialities as Sound Healing, Prenatal Yoga, Yoga for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Aromatherapy, and Yin Yoga. With an extensive repertoire to help individuals heal their physical and energetic bodies from the inside out, Amanda wasted no time in finding full-time teaching opportunities across the Los Angeles County.
As of late, Amanda has also found particular momentum in offering private sound healing sessions, events, and even group healings open to the public. No matter what she is offering, her clients will experience an intentional practice designed and personalized specifically for them and their needs. “I put a lot of time and energy into each class, and for all of my private clients. I always incorporate a bit of sound healing during the savasana with essential oils to give my client a little something extra! I create special playlists to keep the energy in the room welcoming and provide props for deeper comfort. My goal is for my classes to be a whole healing experience rather than just a typical yoga class.”
Amanda credits much of her success to SWIHA and feels that the confidence she gained in being able to offer truly informative answers and deeply transformative experiences to her clients is something she gained during her time with us. In fact, she considers herself to be a SWIHA “lifer” and plans to come back eventually to expand her skill set even more. “SWIHA changed my life in a way I couldn’t ever describe. It made me uncover my full potential as a human and made me more comfortable with my interests and spirituality. I’ve never resonated with school until I found SWIHA. I will always recommend it to the highest degree, and I will always return for some weekend classes.”
Amanda had this insightful advice to share with SWIHA students and future healers:
“Get organized and start, even if it’s the smallest gig, least paying job, least amount of students— who cares! Just get out there and practice. The clients will come, the money will come, the experience will come. It just takes some time, effort and ease. Don’t rush the process, no matter what happens. You’re perfectly in your place. I believe in you.”
If you would like to connect with Amanda or check out one of her powerful classes, find her on Instagram: www.instagram.com/a_mandala or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mandalayogaa/.
