SWIHA Blog

Victor Terrazas has been a Licensed Massage Therapist for twenty years, and spent much of that career as a program director for a Massage Therapy school. While he enjoyed facilitating the health and healing of others, a few years ago he was called toward change.

“I started noticing that I was feeling extremely stressed,” Victor tells us, “I had very low energy and motivation. I was also feeling extremely irritated most of the time and walking the line between negativity and anger. I started becoming more and more aware of this, and I started thinking that I needed to make a change from my day job as a massage school director. I didn't know what or how to do it. Although I had my clinic operating with a team of therapists, I had many attachments to the ‘director’ title.”

“How blessed am I?!” exclaims Amanda Martin, “I'm excited to wake up every day knowing that I get to assist clients with their personal journeys of discovery.”

Amanda recently graduated from the 100-Hour Life Coaching program at Southwest Institute of Healing Arts and is currently working on completing her Reiki certificate. She says that since stepping in to her power as a Wellness Coach, she has found her life’s true passion: being an active partner for those on their journey to uncovering their best selves.

“Everything that happens in life has a lesson. Sometimes you have to look harder to find it, but it is there,” affirms Jenny Sirwet.

Jenny is a graduate of the 800-Hour Yoga Teacher Training program, has studied Polarity, Life Coaching and Aromatherapy, and serves future SWIHA community members in the Admissions department with her warm and welcoming presence. Though Jenny is now what we lovingly call a ‘SWIHA-Lifer’, she admits that she didn’t quite jump in to her journey feet-first: “I was allergic to the word ‘trauma’ when I first started as a student at SWIHA,” discloses Jenny, “That word was a trigger for me. It was a reminder of the ‘victim mentality’, which I try to avoid.”

Five years ago, Jenny suffered a serious back injury which launched her into a journey of healing and a mindset of growth. After a year and a half of  physical therapy, she had lumbar spine surgery in August of 2016 followed by six more months of remedial exercises.

“Though I reside in Wisconsin and SWIHA is a distance from me, I know my people are out there,” Jamie Reklau says with a full heart.

From an early age, Jamie has loved to build others confidence, offer wisdom and lend an ear when needed. She tells us: “During my junior high school years, I passed around a notebook and started a ‘Dear Jamie’ column.  I had passion, even back then, to offer new ideas and do whatever I could to assist my classmates to have a better life.”

However, as she navigated adulthood, she realized that she had shut herself off from her authenticity: “I felt like I was not allowed to be my genuine self,” says Jamie, “I lived a highly traumatic life. I survived a Traumatic Brain Injury and lived most of my life feeling like I could never accomplish anything meaningful. My mindset was that it wasn't in the cards for me.”

More than ever, consumers are paying close attention to what they put in their body, avoiding unbalanced fast food in favor of organic whole foods. This shift toward a wellness-conscious mindset is changing the landscape of the health industry and fueling an increased demand for reputable, knowledgeable authorities on Holistic Nutrition.

We at Southwest Institute of Healing Arts witness firsthand the amazing transformations that passionate Nutrition Coaches facilitate, and we love supporting our graduates as they embark on their journey of becoming conscious, successful wellness pioneers! Our graduates have become motivational speakers, opened restaurants and catering businesses, written wellness blogs and cookbooks, and created successful coaching businesses. The one thing they all have in common? They began with a passion for healthy food!

We all know that words, spoken or thought, have power. One way to harness that energy in our favor is through developing a personal mantra!

Chanting or reciting mantras is a beneficial meditative practice with spiritual roots in Hinduism and Buddhism. Though now in our mainstream vernacular, the word mantra comes from Sanskrit: man meaning mind, and tra meaning transport or vehicle. What’s fascinating about them is that there is a growing amount of scientific studies showing that having a dedicated mantra can be beneficial to your wellness and achievement! According to research, spending just a few minutes every day thinking positively can calm your nerves, increase confidence, and improve your chances of attaining your goals.

This week, we asked our SWIHA community of healers to share their personal mantras with us!

“As cliche as it sounds, I truly cannot believe I get to do what I love each day,” Taressa Riazzi, Hypnotherapist and Life Coach, tell us.

It used to be a very different story for Taressa. Prior to her healing journey, she was struggling through a challenging time; doing her best to be a stay-at-home mom while battling significant depression and debilitating anxiety. After realizing that putting everyone’s needs ahead of her own was having a negative impact on her emotional landscape, she knew something had to change.

“I originally was drawn to Southwest Institute of Healing Arts for the nutrition program,” she tells us, “however, after I experienced hypnosis and saw the impact it had on me and those I worked with, I decided to primarily practice hypnosis and life coaching.

At SWIHA, we know that pursuing any of the healing arts involves lots of growth and transformation and that personal healing must take place before a practitioner is able to facilitate the healing of others.

While it would be very convenient to only have to heal or grow just once in our lives, the process is constant and full of twists and turns. From intense classes during your education to emotional sessions when you step fully in to the role of Healer, you’ll always be called to expand and progress.

How exciting! And also: how exhausting!

In January, Southwest Institute of Healing Arts celebrates the art and business of Life Coaching. 

As interest in holistic modalities grow, people from all walks of life are increasingly seeking out this powerful modality to create major positive change in their lives. SWIHA is so proud of the many talented coaches our program has guided! Our graduates work hard to identify their niche and style, cultivate a toolbox of proven techniques, and build a profitable private practice.

Here are thirty of our favorite quotes from SWIHA Life Coaches!

Liana Salas was guided to SWIHA’s Life Coaching program while on a soul-journey of her own.

She had struggled with her weight in her teens and early twenties, and told herself she’d be happy after she released the weight and unhealthy habits.

“On my own, through nutrition and exercise, I lost over 80 pounds,” she says, “and I still wasn’t happy. I realized I was looking to circumstances outside myself for my happiness. As long as I stayed on that path, I would never be content.“