SWIHA Blog

“My life before SWIHA was quite different; I worked in a stressful career that was no longer fulfilling for me. However, I knew I wanted to help people and make a difference. SWIHA helped me realize I could have the life I wanted, make changes, and learn new skills to accomplish those goals. My husband was the one who encouraged me to become a Reiki Practitioner, and a friend of mine who is a Reiki Master said to look for an in-person school to learn Reiki. So I searched for schools, and that was how I found SWIHA. So why am I passionate about Reiki? When you see what a difference it makes in other people's lives for the better - when the client says the Reiki is working.”

“The reason you are not getting what you want is because you are focusing on what they got. Don’t get distracted by their results, focus on your process.” - Unknown

In a world of constant scrolling, scrolling, scrolling - it can be easy to come across an image or a piece of news that can throw you down the ‘comparison spiral’. This old, unwelcoming yet pervasive pattern of comparing yourself to others does not serve you. Living in a world plagued with comparison, as we are flooded with more information than we can handle; whether it’s social media or the news, our minds, often subconsciously, are running a mile a minute trying to process and analyze all the information we are viewing. Although social comparison is a part of our normal behavior strategy as humans, we don’t have to let it consume us to a level that affects our mental health. Learn these five strategies to help you overcome the plague of comparison.

A spiritual awakening is the process of learning who we truly are through a vibratory connection that permeates us all. This awakening can feel different for each individual and come in stages as the person experiencing the shedding of their ego-self can slowly lose their identity of who they believe themselves to be and reconnect to the whole that is. When we do this, we have the unique ability to understand ourselves as well as others and raise what some believe to be the collective consciousness. A spiritual awakening is a personal experience that allows full connection with Prana, God, Source, Gaia, Yahweh, Allah, as well as many other names that have developed from the human language to describe what is utterly indescribable. What about the opposite side of that universal coin and the loss of that oneness that we crave? A spiritual death is something entirely different as it consumes and eats away at the wholeness we once had as a young innocent child. Spiritual death can occur when the spirit has undergone traumatic experiences, abuse, addiction, loss, or anything that slowly depletes our soul.

“I loved her energy.” or “The vibes were just off.” are now a part of common vernacular – however, is there more to it than simply ‘feeling’ that way? Modern science has begun to confirm what ancient wisdom already knew: We are more connected and can communicate more than we think on both a subconscious and intentional level! Today we have some fascinating facts about the flow of energy within us and our surrounding environments, as well as the application for healing mind, body and spirit.

Reiki is a Japanese therapeutic technique where the practitioner is believed to channel Universal energy in order to activate the natural healing process and restore well-being. It’s often used in conjunction with traditional treatments or additional healing modalities, such as massage therapy.

Mikao Usui, the originator of Reiki, considers the core principles the "secret of inviting happiness."  Each principle begins with the words “Just for today…” as a reminder to focus only on what we are capable of changing (our present thoughts and actions) and to release the past or future.

Take a moment to picture yourself facing the ocean, with your toes in sand and your eyes closed as the wind caresses your skin. Are you feeling light, happy, and cleansed in that moment?

There’s a reason why: The unending movement of the ocean waves and resulting wind cause the physical location of the beach to vibrate at a higher frequency, thus positively affecting our sense of well-being. A mental or physical trip to the ocean is actually beneficial to your health. Pretty fascinating, right?

Spiritual awakenings don’t come easily. Just ask Stephanie Gangi, who in 2010 found herself facing exactly the kind of trauma that is so often the hallmark of emergence from a metaphysical slumber…

After a three-way car accident left her with a severe heart arrhythmia, anxiety, panic attacks, and depression. Stephanie was determined to eliminate the source of the emotional and physical chaos within her life. Although she had long been fascinated with the inner workings of the mind and the way that it dictates human behavior—even graduating in 2012 with bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Arizona State University—she felt that an intellectual approach was simply not comprehensive enough to resolve her distress.

I’m a Reiki Master, and I’m a Christian. Can these two things co-exist? Absolutely! Every Reiki healer and practitioner brings their own beliefs with them to their Reiki practice. In my case, those beliefs are Christian and Biblical. I’ve personally found that my Christian walk has been strengthened by going through my Reiki training and travelling to Japan to visit the sacred site of where Reiki is believed to have begun.

The Bible teaches of Jesus’ practice of laying on of hands to create healing– very much like what those practicing Reiki do. While it is not called Reiki in the Bible, the application is the same as what is described in the Bible: “Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up... pray for each other so that you may be healed” (James 5:14-16).

We pass hundreds—even thousands—of people on the street every day, usually without a second look. Yet, that’s not quite the case for Ann Marie Rubertone, who possesses the gift of “seeing” energy. "I can see and feel the frequences that others radiate, so I understand 'energetically' what they are thinking," she explains. 

This powerful form of seeing and empathizing perhaps evolved from Ann Marie's difficult and diverse background, which includes overcoming domestic violence, abuse, infertility, multiple sclerosis, and drug addiction. Although Ann Marie once felt that she was never good enough and that she would never fit in, her journey of recovery has been inspiring.

It is said that when the student is ready, the teacher will appear. For Lisa Saylan, what is also true is that when the student is ready, that student will become the teacher! After nearly 1200 hours of education at Southwest Institute of Healing Arts, Lisa Saylan took the bold step forward and became a dedicated—and very busy!—instructor for the college. For the last seven years, Lisa has been teaching a wide variety of courses at SWIHA, including massage, reflexology and Reiki training.  Even as a teacher, Lisa says she continues to learn from her students and clients. In fact, she describes herself as a “lifetime learner.”

Lisa learned first-hand that the human body is capable of healing itself when balanced, relaxed, and properly nourished. As a former elite triathlete who suffered from muscle fatigue, tissue damage, and stress, Lisa personally experienced the benefits of massage and other healing modalities during her competitive years and while recuperating from a significant cycling accident.