As we approach Thanksgiving, a time for reflection and connection, it’s important to pause and take a moment to truly appreciate the blessings in our lives. At the Southwest Institute of Healing Arts (SWIHA), gratitude is not only a seasonal sentiment—it is a foundational element of our philosophy and practice. This time of year, we invite you to explore the deeper meaning of thankfulness, both personally and professionally, and how it plays a vital role in healing, growth, and transformation.
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Topics:
Gratitude,
Holistic Healing,
mind body spirit,
Thanksgiving,
Giving Thanks
They say that destiny has a way of orchestrating the most unexpected reunions, and the story of Saul and Angie is living proof of this cosmic force. Saul and Angie, whose paths first crossed in middle school, experienced a connection that defied explanation. Yet, the currents of life pulled them apart toward the end of those early years. Fate, however, had other plans, and years later, they found themselves drawn back together. Their journey took them from the uncertainty of youth to a shared destiny of love, purpose, and the remarkable power of healing.
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Topics:
Great Graduates,
Holistic Healing,
Hypnotherapy,
Gifts and Graces,
integrative healing arts practitioner,
IHAP,
Destiny,
Love Story,
Soul Mates
In 2014, I experienced a year of heartache that was followed by the devastating loss of my brother in 2015. I was in desperate need of support and turned to yoga as a source of healing. I had been attending yoga classes and began working with a mentor who introduced me to yoga therapy. During my darkest moments, I was searching for a connection to something greater than myself and embarked on my own Hero's Journey. My mentor was teaching Transformational Yoga Coaching at SWIHA and an instructor at her studio recommended that I sign up. Learning that I had signed up for Transformational Yoga Coaching (TYC), my mentor suggested that I take my 200hr Yoga Teacher Training to support me during this difficult time. In January 2016, I took the leap and enrolled, which marked the beginning of my healing journey.
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Topics:
yoga therapy,
holistic entrepreneur,
Great Graduate,
Amrit Desai,
yoga therapist,
Holistic Healing,
mind body spirit,
Yoga Teacher Training,
Amrit Institute,
I AM Yoga,
Amrit Yoga,
International Association of Yoga Therapy
Having graduated from Arizona State University in 2009 with a Bachelor of Science in Biology, Mary had a deep passion for Holistic Nutrition and helping others heal their bodies with food. Searching for the right program for her, Mary ended up enrolling in the Southwest Institute of Healing Arts’ online Holistic Health & Wellness Coach Diploma program. This online program awarded her the flexibility to still raise her kids as a single mom, work other jobs, and start her own business coaching people!
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Topics:
Holistic Nutrition,
holistic entrepreneur,
Great Graduate,
Holistic Healing,
Holistic wellness,
Arizona,
Tempe,
Health and Wellness Coach,
Holistic Health and Wellness Coach,
mind body soul,
online SWIHA Student
This time of year, it’s easy to begin to recite unconscious, redundant holiday greetings such as Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Holidays, or Happy New Year. While a sincere sentiment might be your intention, could we just stop a minute and acknowledge those who aren’t feeling so merry and bright this season?
Holidays can be an emotional time of year for some, especially those who mark the holidays with anniversaries such as “This is the first holiday without (insert loved one’s name)!” Or, “I cannot believe it’s been so many years that (loved one) hasn’t been here for the holidays.” Remembering and reminiscing are part of the grieving process.
Rather than skirt around the grief or try to act as if it’s not there, consider these thoughtful and compassionate HAPPY options:
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Topics:
Southwest Institute of Healing Arts,
SWIHA,
Mindfulness,
Holistic Healing,
KC Miller,
Arizona,
Tempe,
integrative healing arts practitioner,
Holding Space,
Christmas,
Holidays,
IHAP,
winter solstice,
Connection,
Solstice,
Healing Procress,
Healing Process,
Space Holder,
Grief Stages,
Grief
Migraines take many forms in both acute and chronic conditions. Herbs, like Feverfew, Butterbur, Lesser Periwinkle, and Ginger can work as remedies in both arenas. This is a subject of great importance to me personally. I have suffered from chronic migraines for 12 years. I struggle with a baseline headache 24 hours a day 365 days a year and I have yet to find a “magic bullet”. While I do not believe there really is a “magic bullet,” I do believe that there is help available to migraineurs for this severe and debilitating disease. That help will come in the form of ancient plant medicine with a history of potent treatment for many diseases and ailments. While there are seven types of migraines, I will explore the herbal remedies that greatly affect the pain and suffering that individuals feel during an acute or chronic attack.
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Topics:
western herbalism,
Holistic Healing,
Herbalism,
Holistic wellness,
Arizona,
Migraine,
Tempe,
Herbal Medicine,
Herbalist,
herbal remedies,
Herbs
“Before SWIHA I had the privilege and blessing of being a full-time wife and mom of four amazing children. We owned a mortgage company that my husband ran. My husband of 15 years passed away unexpectedly after a 25+ year struggle with chronic pain which led to opioid addiction. This rocked our world and my children and I lost everything. The depths and darkness of addiction ran deep and his passing uncovered a painful spiral of a brilliant man.” said Renae Valdes-Seago. She continues, “I found myself lost, undereducated, underemployed and urgently needing to figure out how to provide for my family. I didn’t find SWIHA, my angel grandmother led me to this institution for my own healing and to rediscover the gifts I was born with. I felt guided to choose medical massage because of the world I existed in loving a man who hurt constantly and searched tirelessly for respite from pain.”
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Topics:
Southwest Institute of Healing Arts,
spirituality,
Massage Therapy,
SWIHA,
entrepreneur,
Holistic Healing,
Holistic wellness,
Arizona,
Tempe,
Licensed Massage Therapist,
medical massage,
Shamanic Reiki,
Arizona Massage School
We often hear the phrase ‘you have to pay your dues’ in situations where someone starts out in a new career field. This phrase translates to the understanding that you have to first experience difficulties before reaching success. This does not have to be a reality for everyone. Leah Morris, Life Coaching and Hypnotherapy Graduate from SWIHA states, “The greatest lesson I learned at SWIHA was that with the right intention and a massive amount of integrity, your efforts can take you anywhere.” Basically, if you are willing to work hard and put forth effort into what you want out of life, you can achieve anything!
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Topics:
Southwest Institute of Healing Arts,
Life Coaching,
holistic entrepreneur,
Great Graduate,
SWIHA,
entrepreneur,
Holistic Healing,
life coach,
Hypnotherapy,
Arizona,
Holistic Living,
Tempe,
Relationship Coaching,
Podcast,
small business owner,
relationship transitions
“Your brain understands facts. Your heart understands emotions. Your intuition understands truth. Above all, follow your intuition. It will never fail you.” - RKL
Living up to other people’s expectations is always difficult. It is hard enough to even live up to your own expectations. When we change how we seek validation and choose to pursue it within ourselves compared to outwardly things or beings, we start to live our life for ourselves and nobody else. Once we can grasp this concept of trusting our own intuition, and letting go of outside influences, we truly start to live our life’s true purpose. Southwest Institute of Healing Arts, Great Graduate Ashlynn Finley, went through just that. She was living a life based on what her family wanted for her, until she made the decision to completely change her life, and chose to follow her passions and live the life she always dreamed of.
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Topics:
Southwest Institute of Healing Arts,
Great Graduate,
SWIHA,
entrepreneur,
Holistic Healing,
Intuition,
Reflexology,
Reiki,
energy work,
Spirit,
Holistic wellness,
Oracle Cards,
Arizona,
Tarot,
Tempe,
intuitve guide,
community,
Affirmations,
Holding Space,
Traditional Reiki,
Empathy,
Angels and Guides,
Business Owner,
Heart
“I had settled into a comfort zone before SWIHA. Back in 2008, I decided I wanted to become a massage therapist, and I wanted to get out of the Midwest and start my life over in Arizona. I bought a plane ticket and scheduled a tour of SWIHA, then met a guy who wanted me to stay in the Midwest. I took the trip, toured the school, and really liked it, yet I let that guy talk me into staying and going to massage school in St. Louis, closer to home. We divorced in 2018 -- turns out living someone else's dream doesn't lead to much happiness. Over the years I've become passionate about mental health, from healing from the traumatic birth of my son in 2011 to navigating divorce, and seeing how my massage clients could gain so much more healing if they worked on their emotional health as much as they worked on their physical health. I had my eye on life coaching, and what popped up on my first Google search was SWIHA! Things came full circle, and I took it as a sign.”
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Topics:
Southwest Institute of Healing Arts,
Life Coaching,
Great Graduate,
SWIHA,
entrepreneur,
Holistic Healing,
Hypnotherapy,
Arizona,
coaching,
Tempe,
mysticism,
massage therapist,
Holistic Healer,
integrative healing arts practitioner,
Licensed Massage Therapist,
LMT,
IHAP,
Books,
Published Author,
Podcast,
Universal Laws
