SWIHA Blog

Many of us seek to live a more sustainable lifestyle—and yet, how can we achieve that? It can often seem counterintuitive in the current culture of excess.

Our everyday choices have a global effect; on the environment, the climate and other species. However, if we think twice about our actions and make some important adjustments, we can take a stand against mindless consumption and preserve our earth.

Here are just a few small steps you can take today to have an impact on a better tomorrow.

In 2008, Natalie McGovern met a woman who, in retrospect, seems to have been an angel…

“I was working at a psychiatric hospital, and I was in my 90-day grace period when the hospital decided whether or not I was a good fit,” she shares. “I was on psychiatric medications myself, so I knew what it felt like when interactions with the drugs were going wrong. In a couple of the small groups, patients were complaining about side effects. I told them to talk to their doctor and that they had a right to NOT take the medications that weren’t working for them. My employer didn’t like that, and I was very quickly let go…”

‘Grafting’ is a word used to describe the process of taking a branch from one tree and connecting it with another tree to duplicate its future growth.  What a perfect metaphor of our intention as we move from the campus SWIHA has enjoyed for almost 15 years to a new location in Tempe, Arizona.  We want to take the ‘positive light’ from the halls of the campus and the hearts of all the staff, instructors and students to our new location just a few miles away. We’ve decided to coin the term ‘spiritual grafting’ to affirm our intention to take what SWIHA has been and done over the last 26 years —transferring and re-growing our ‘Light’!

Karen Baker is no stranger to the ins and outs of holistic wellness. Before enrolling in the Associate Degree in Holistic Healthcare at SWIHA, Karen had managed to complete several continuing education classes, a certification in Complex Decongestive Physiotherapy and Lymphatic Drainage Therapy, and a 1000-hour massage therapy degree. Yet, with all this experience and academic prowess under her belt, was she done learning? No way!

Last week, we introduced you to three simple, fast methods for making homemade condiments for your vegan cookout. This week, we’re going to show you how to swap out your traditional burger for a better, meatless option that honors the principles of holistic nutrition.

Ask Loren Evans what the greatest lesson he has learned in his 22 years at SWIHA, and he’ll tell you this: “The Universe will never present an opportunity that we are not prepared for.” While he may not have envisioned becoming an instructor at SWIHA or a well-traveled massage therapist, it was a journey and an opportunity that he was certainly ready to seize.

Loren was introduced to massage therapy through his former wife, who had suggested that the pair sign up for a community education massage class close to home in Salt Lake City, Utah. At the time, Loren was employed as a software designer for healthcare companies. This demanding career took him far and wide across the United States— and even internationally to places like India, where he helped complete a project involving open system design.

Picture this: your vegan veggie burger is sizzling on the grill. Your buns, purchased fresh from a local bakery, are toasted and ready to go. Crisp lettuce and juicy tomatoes are standing by, waiting to be layered on top. You go to the fridge to retrieve your condiments, only to recoil in horror once you turn over the plastic bottles and inspect their labels… What the heck is food dye doing in your hot sauce? And since when does your vegan ranch dressing have so much sugar?

When Pam Field moved to Phoenix, Arizona in 1999, she was determined to do one thing: bring science to the art of massage. While she already has a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and had taught at a massage therapy school in Kansas City, Missouri, for 17 years, she was on the hunt for a new school—one that could help build on her current knowledge base to further refine her technique and teach her new information.

“When I found SWIHA, I was delighted at the quality and diversity of classes that it offered,” she discloses. “The school was forwarding-thinking when it came to health education.” As it would turn out, SWIHA had an equal appreciation for what Pam brought to the massage table, and she was asked to come on board as an instructor. Now, after 33 years of work and study, Pam teaches the Myofascial Energetic Massage program at SWIHA—and she’s still focused more than ever on making the myofascial approach as effective as possible. “I believe I can make my intent more appropriate in the executing of technique,” she says. “Intent causes the energy to flow toward the goal of the work.”  

We all know what the classic American breakfast looks like: eggs fried sunny side-up, a pile of crispy bacon, a side of hash browns, and white toast smothered in butter or jam. For those with extra big appetites, a plate of pancakes drowning in goopy syrup might just be served alongside it. Toss in a cup (or two!) of cream- or milk-laden, super sweetened coffee, and the meal is made complete. 

Many people discover the healing arts after being sparked by something deeply personal; Valeria Neiman, a graduate of SWIHA’s Integrative Healing Arts Practitioner program, is a shining example of igniting this passion and turning it into her profession.

Seeking Answers

Sixteen years ago, Valeria found herself in the role of caretaker for her then-partner. He suffered from several different ailments and traditional medicine wasn’t producing many answers. After watching him undergo countless failed treatments, Valeria realized there was something vital that Western Medicine had been ignoring: the mind-body-spirit connection. This revelation motivated her to investigate alternative healing methods.