SWIHA Blog

In 2011, Laura Wilkinson had hit her version of rock bottom, and was desperately in need of some kind of life shift. Having looked into the Life Coaching program offered at Southwest Institute of Healing Arts (SWIHA) previously, Laura explains, “After the rug was pulled out from under my feet I knew it was time to do something transformational,” she said. “I had a clean slate and I needed to build a solid foundation. Life Coaching was the perfect place for me to rebuild from.”

Laura enrolled in SWIHA’s online Mind-Body Transformational Psychology program, where she not only studied Life Coaching, she also took courses in Hypnotherapy, Holistic Nutrition, Aromatherapy, and business courses including Writing for Publication.

Once she completed her program (with a 4.0 grade point average!), Laura was ready for the next phase in her life. Inspired by her program, and armed with the knowledge that there were many others in the world just like her, who went through experiences similar to hers, she decided to start a business. Laura’s mission was to help healers who were stuck in their minds, holding themselves back from reaching their full potential.

Laura launched The Wilkinson Effect, an integrative practice that applies Life Coaching, Transformational Hypnotherapy and Holistic Nutrition into customized client sessions.

By Nadia Charles, Guest Blogger

According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's article, "Why Is Sleep Important?", sleep helps maintain healthy brain function and emotional well-being and it serves a role in physical health, as well as ensuring one is able to function and be alert during waking hours. People who are sleep deprived may experience immediate, potentially devastating consequences such as driving accidents due to fatigue, or experience issues that build up over time, yet are no less devastating such as heart disease or diabetes. We've all heard the term “beauty sleep” and according to WebMD’s article, "Are You Getting Enough Beauty Sleep?” it's a real thing. Sleep is a natural restorative, renewing and repairing agent which, along with exercise and a healthy diet, can help reduce stress and signs of aging. It's common knowledge that an adult requires seven to eight hours of sleep, however, for many of us, that's easier said than done! Life demands a lot out of us, from career to child-rearing to social engagements. While there are many articles available online and in print on the subject of sleep, the focus of this article is to provide suggestions on how to achieve a state of relaxation, which we'd all agree is a requirement for sleep.

By Jenna Zizzo

After a shocking and heart-wrenching break up, Tory Dube knew she needed to find methods for self-soothing. She felt that the only way to heal her wounded heart was to try meditation. However, instead of reading a meditation book or downloading the latest meditation app on her smart phone, Tory decided to embark on a nine day meditation retreat in the Bahamas.

While on her retreat, she heard a doctor by the name of Joe Dispenza share about the science behind quantam physics and positive psychology. Once she heard about positive psychology, Tory was immediately enamored and knew it was something she wanted to pursue.

The moment she returned to her home in New York City she rushed to the computer and searched for psychology programs. She found Southwest Institute of Healing Arts’ (SWIHA) Online Associates of Mind Body Transformational Psychology program, and within a month’s time she was enrolled.

Linda Binette’s education at Southwest Institute of Natural Aesthetics (SWINA) brought more gifts to her life than she could have ever imagined. From the moment Linda toured the SWINA campus, she was confident it was the school for her. As a branch of Southwest Institute of Healing Arts, she knew that SWINA would provide her with the holistic education she was looking for.

“I was interested in healing arts – treating the whole person: mind, body and spirit,” says Linda. “When I took my tour of the school, I was so impressed by the great energy I felt, the friendliness and professionalism of the staff, and the beautiful facility! I knew in my heart that I didn’t need to look anywhere else!”

So Linda began her Natural Aesthetics program at SWINA. In addition to hands-on aesthetics training, such as skin care, makeup and waxing, spa technologies and even holistic theory and business courses, Linda learned how to be centered and present in all that she does. One of the most important skills she gained was how to really listen to what her clients are saying, or NOT saying. “It is so fulfilling to know that I am in tune with my client’s goals, and that the client trusts me to lead them in the process,” Linda explains.

By Melanie Albert, Guest Blogger

I invite you to sit quietly, close your eyes, take a deep inhale and deeply exhale out through your mouth a few times. Now, quietly read the following and visualize your own eating memories.

Go back to your very first memory of eating. What did you eat? Where were you? Who were you eating with? Who prepared the food? How did the food taste? How did it smell? What were the textures of the food? How did you feel when eating the food? Was the food hot? Warm? Cold? How did your body feel? How did you feel while eating your food?

Now, take a few minutes to journal or reflect on your memories.

For years, Ruth Davis says, she coasted through her life, working in a day job in the field of computer training, taking vacations to the beach, and creating artwork to sell. However, in 2007, Ruth was forced to slow down. She underwent emergency open heart surgery to remove a benign tumor in her left atrium, and from that day on, her life has never been the same, nor did she want it to be!

Recovery from the surgery was a process, as with any major surgery. The biggest worry Ruth had was, would she ever be creative again? “I had to find new ways to tap into my creative self,” she writes in her blog.

“I really wanted to do more of my ‘real work,’ even though I didn’t know what that was.”

Ruth realized she needed to find other ways to tap into her creativity. Like others, Ruth ‘found’ her way Southwest Institute of Healing Arts (SWIHA) and on some level it wasn’t all that accidental. After enrolling in the 100 hour Life Coaching program Ruth quickly came to the BIG realization of how much BIGGER everything really is, herself included. When asked to explain, Ruth passionately confides, “I realized how much my spirituality IS my work, and my gift to the world is share ME with my clients.”

Once Ruth completed her 100 hours of Life Coaching in 2009, she got to work. She created her business, Spark the Heart, and almost immediately began seeing clients. Her focus with Spark the Heart is to help women over 50 discover and feel good about who they are and what they really want to do with their lives. Offering what she calls “one-on-one, laser focused coaching,” Ruth helps clients realize how they can make changes in their lives and start living more of what makes them feel good.

by Janet Lee

De-mineralized soil, pesticides, herbicides, toxins, GMO’s, low fat, no-fat, high carb, Vegan, Paleo, Macrobiotic, Raw, and Whole Foods - how do we make sense of it all?!
Instead of feeling like we have to choose a specific diet or way of eating, what if we simply began to make healthier nutrition choices? In honor of March being National Nutrition Month, let’s try to make different choices in order to create a healthier lifestyle. How can healthier choices be beneficial to overall health and well-being?
Here’s a few tips on how to make healthier nutrition choices not only this month, but through the rest of the year.

1. Buy Organic

Foods with the most pesticides lead to minimal nutrients and ill health. By buying organic, overall health and wellness is attained due to the because those pesticides are not being consumed. And we are also not consuming food additives. Food additives are preservatives, artificial sweeteners, colorings and flavorings, and monosodium glutamate, all items that are created and processed, and definitely not healthy for us!

Six years ago, Lisa Hecke felt lost. More than that, she was frustrated, angry and unhappy. No longer satisfied in her day job, Lisa found herself hunched over her knees, crying, sobbing, and seeking a new path. She recalls asking aloud for help, gasping through tears and heart wrenching sobs.

“Please show me how to be happy again,” she begged the universe. “If I am meant to stay at this job then please show me how to be happy there, but if I am meant to move on then please show me where to go.”

Suddenly, Lisa says, in one breath her entire body relaxed. A sense of calm washed over her, and she was finally able to surrender. This surrendering and asking for change was the first step on Lisa’s journey to career transformation. Almost immediately, Lisa began to see great opportunities open up before her very eyes, in the areas of interest she always wanted to pursue.

One such opportunity was Yoga Teacher Training. The days and times of the training program aligned perfectly with Lisa’s schedule, so she knew she couldn’t pass it up. Even though the cost of the training was a big financial investment for her, Lisa put her deposit down and as if out of nowhere, the rest of the money presented itself.

“Everything was flowing and it was a clear indication that this was the right thing to do,” Lisa shares.

Once her yoga teacher training hours were complete, Lisa began pursuing other interests, such as Aromatherapy. During her yoga teacher training, she learned a little bit about

Aromatherapy, and used essential oils to help soothe her body from all of the new and different physical movement that goes along with teacher training. “The oils helped to soothe my muscles and at times my spirit,” Lisa says. She wanted to learn all about this time honored healing modality, so she enrolled in the 100 hour Certificate of Excellence Aromatherapy program at Southwest Institute of Healing Arts (SWIHA). “I saw this as another example of my spirit guiding me toward my interests,” says Lisa.

By Dee McCaffrey

If you’ve been chewing on the thought of improving your food choices and starting your journey toward a healthy lifestyle, there is no better time to begin than now. March is National Nutrition Month, an annual campaign organized by the American Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics aimed at educating and empowering Americans into healthier lifestyles. The theme for this year’s nutrition month is “Bite into a Healthy Lifestyle” which encourages everyone to make informed food choices, keep portion sizes in check and engage in fitness routines that are meaningful and enjoyable.

The word “bite” means to take a small piece of a bigger portion, chew it well, savor the flavor and then swallow before taking the next bite. This year’s theme can be interpreted to mean that healthy living is not about making grand changes all at once. Rather, it is a steady continual process that allows for gradual improvement in many areas of your life. The focus is on taking one “bite” at a time into new territory—savoring a small change and allowing it to become a new habit before taking the next “bite.” The small changes you make each day or week will add up to big changes over time.

Graduates from Southwest Institute of Healing Arts (SWIHA) do BIG things in the world. They have launched successful holistic wellness businesses, created non-profits to help those in need, and even hold events to raise awareness within their community.

One such graduate and event is Nicole Duran. Nicole began her healing journey as a SWIHA student in late 2000, mostly studying Reiki. Once she completed her studies at SWIHA, she was able to bring her Reiki healing energy to community events and share it with children and youth.

Currently, Nicole is involved with an upcoming event called Neotribal the Gathering. Neotribal has been in collaboration for only about three months, and this will be the first major event for the group. The event will be held March 20th to March 22nd at Estrella Mountain Regional Park in Goodyear, Arizona.

Nicole has worked in the field of behavioral health for 12 years, specifically working with teens and youth. This work instilled a passion within her for working with and helping people of all ages who could benefit from advocacy. "I believe in spreading awareness through action and love to bring people together with the healing arts to honor our culture and roots," Nicole shared. "This event is about service and healing."