SWIHA Blog

“Coaching is the process of healing your mind. When you heal the mind, you transform your life.”Richard Seaman,
Lead life coach and instructor at Southwest Institute of Healing Arts (SWIHA).

Whether it’s life coaching, spiritual coaching or business coaching, the process of helping an individual recognize and bring out the best in themselves is a truly transformational process for both the coach and the client. While acting coaches, voice coaches and athletic coaches have been around for many years, life coaching is a relative newcomer in the field.

Kathleen Simonds, a life coach, hypnotherapist, teacher and graduate of SWIHA became a life coach after moving from California to Arizona. The former English teacher was already known for her expertise in the hypnotherapy field and became excited about the prospect of becoming a personal coach.

“I learned about SWIHA and went to the campus and leafed through the catalogue,” said Simonds. “I was like a kid in a candy store. All the classes seemed intriguing, but I was definitely drawn to the Transformational Life Coach program because it was local and reasonably priced.” The school offers both on campus and online classes. She enrolled in the on campus program successfully received her certification. “It is one of many things I do, but I found the training has helped me streamline other aspects of my practice, such as my intake process. Working as a Transformational Life Coach has been very rewarding.”

Our mission is to inspire individuals to discover their gifts and graces, and support them as they share their talents in a loving and profitable way. Discovering your gifts and graces can often mean you need to be fearless in pursuit. We're blessed to have a community of talented and fearless souls. Today we're featuring Julie Christensen, as she shares how being FEARLESS by tapping into her heart has transformed her life.

What does being fearless mean to you?

To me, being Fearless is having the courage to take the hand of your "shadow-self", and let it lead you to your "Golden Shadow"...That part of you that is pure Greatness. To me, being fearless is about living from the vast space of an open heart, rather than the confines of a doubt-filled mind.

In my (hundred thousandth) attempt to quit drinking coffee I have given in to the lure of the mystic drink again... and I feel great. My liver, mind, and nervous system are thanking me for the needed break from the caffeine, but they are also thanking me for the pick-me-up that was very much needed today.
I have been a consistent coffee drinker since I was 4... Yes that is right, and that could be the reason why the comfort of it is almost as important as food and water to me.But what are the benefits of coffee?

The Coffee Controversy

Coffee is so controversial and it seems like it will forever remain that way, so I wanted to share informative facts I came across during my research. Like I said, I am an advocate for coffee, but I also know just because one thing is "good" for one person does not mean it is good for another. Make an educated decision based on the knowledge of your own body chemistry.

According to Mayo Clinic many individuals used in studies showing coffee had ill effects on the body also smoked heavily which caused conflicting results. The website states there are many antioxidants in coffee may aid in preventing diseases like Parkinson's, type 2 Diabetes, and liver cancer. Although coffee contains these healthy nutrients, it is essential to consume the beverage in moderation.

Holistic Wellness Practitioners offer a wide variety of ways to help us transform ourselves and create balance in our life. Hypnotherapy, Life Coaching, Holistic Nutrition, Aromatherapy, Reiki; just to name a few, are powerful modalities that offer tremendous transformation at various levels, including body, mind and soul. These all offer us a chance to tap into the answers and infinite power that is within us, instead of looking outside of ourselves for security, love, happiness and truth. The journey is not always a clear a simple path, but we can certainly still enjoy it. There are many forms of alternative therapy that can can help us transform our lives and enjoy the journey.

How To Make the Most of Your Holistic Wellness Practices and Therapy

1. Remember you are 100% responsible of your life.

Owning responsibility for your own experience is the first step towards transformation. Some people might look for alternative therapy assuming that the therapy is going to save them, or completely change them in some way. The therapy it self is very powerful, but the level of transformation will be equal to the level of openness, intention, and passion you yourself put in the process. Take responsibility and allow the therapy to guide you in your transformation.

Being a holistic entrepreneur means there is no separation between your love, life, work and spirituality. It’s a way of life that lends to serving in whatever capacity you’re living in that very moment.

It's diving into that path that makes your heart sing; your Divine calling. The realization that you want more than to be a human doing, but to live in your truth as a human Being.

Holistic Living is Trending

The holistic way of living seems to be hitting mainstream more than ever. Have you noticed how many of the big brand names have started incorporating motivational saying and quotes into their branding?

More people are seeing that the typical 9-5 and living for the weekend is no longer status quo. We’re stepping into living lives that are more aware and more present than ever before. It as if we’re replacing T.G.I.F. with T.G.I.Today! I see more and more people turning to meditation, instead of medication.

Some people call it a ‘gut feeling’ and some call it a little voice. No matter what you refer to it as, we all have the inner knowing our intuition guides us daily. Do you tap into and actually listen though?

The Transformational Life Coaching program at Southwest Institute of Healing Arts starts students with the foundation of 12 Guiding Principles. The first principle is:

Deep within us is a knowing

You know the feeling? The one where something just doesn’t feel right? The real gift comes in listening and choosing to act on the answers found within. Sometimes our head can outweigh the feeling or the idea of what we want can lead us to ignoring it. Or maybe you just don’t know whether to trust it or not. This is all just the ego or mind interfering with what is true.

Tapping into truth can get easier with practice though. Envision this thread of inner awareness as a radio channel. You have free will to listen or not. You might need to adjust the knob to hear clearly or sit and be with the channel in order to silence our heady thoughts. Either way, the more you listen, the more clarity comes.

Harnessing the power of your intuition can also benefit your relationships. Imagine taking the time to really tap into what’s behind the gut feeling? By silencing the mind and diving within, you can really look at issues with a free set of eyes. This is something that can improve the communication amongst your family and friends, just by you taking living from your heart space.

Have you ever noticed how people respond when you ask them how they are doing? Many will respond with how busy they are and some will include a list of things they are doing or issues they are dealing with. In Spring 2014, Harvard School of Public Health, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and National Public Radio researched what truly makes Americans so stressed out. According to their study, approximately 27% of people related their stress to health-related problems. A good portion of those surveyed also listed life changes, problems with work, family issues or problems with personal relationship as there most stressful experiences. We’ve all experienced these stressors in one way or another. We’re human after all.

So how do we turn these problems into opportunities?

“12 Guiding Principles of Transformational Life Coaching”
One of those principles is: All problems stem from separation: therefore, the solution comes from connections.

In the Life Coaching program at Southwest Institute of Healing Arts, students are taught the “12 Guiding Principles of Transformational Life Coaching.” One of those principles is: All problems stem from separation: therefore, the solution comes from connections. One can find connections by remaining in the present moment, along with the knowledge that we are ALL CONNECTED. Worrying about the past or fretting over the future drains us of energy we could be using to tap into our power in this moment right now. Consider the following 7 ways you can reduce stress through remaining mindful vs. mindFULL.

Where were you on 9/11?

Three simple numbers pack so many memories. When you hear 9/11, what memories come to mind for you? Regardless of your political beliefs, religion, or ethnicity, we all have memories from that day. I was a freshman at Concordia University in Seward, Nebraska. I was going to school to become a Lutheran teacher and heard the report on the radio while getting ready for class. I remember not totally understanding what really happened. I walked into my first class and the room was silent with everyone’s eyes on the TV screen. Those initial images of ash-covered people running through the streets, silhouettes of bodies falling and then the second plane hitting are etched in my mind; in addition the confusion of the other planes and trying to make sense of it all. War in our backyard just didn’t make sense.

At the time, it never crossed my mind that I would one day be wearing a military uniform and learning about rules of engagement. The only uniform I knew at the time was a Hooter’s uniform. Yes, I admit it sounds a bit odd and hypocritical for someone trying to become a Lutheran school teacher to scurry off after bible history class to throw on her pantyhose and booty shorts. Somehow, though, it was part of my process. As you might have guessed, I only spent one semester at Concordia University before I left the cornfields of Nebraska for the beaches of San Diego, California. My new career as a waitress at Denny’s didn’t quite cut it and soon I was out of options.

Do you believe that everything happens for a purpose?

My name is Dajon and I’m a new member of the Southwest Institute of Healing Arts (SWIHA) community, serving as the Chief Communications Specialist and Community Liaison. When I say new, I mean that I literally hopped on a plane from Minnesota and joined the family this last week. This amazing opportunity didn’t come without many, many signs: Let me share my journey with you.For the past 12 years, I’ve served in the military. In February of this year, I decided leave military service and pursue a different path of service where I could help empower others. I had become accustomed to having everything chosen for me, from where to be, what uniform to wear, to how my career path was laid out. I enjoyed my military experience, however, I had lost my passion and felt my soul was searching for a new experience. Looking for where I fit in, I started working multiple part-time jobs; this just created more noise in my life and left me feeling even more confused. What I realize now is that I was looking for a sign.