SWIHA Blog

After several years of emotional and physical struggle to complete her Bachelors from ASU in Design Studies, Natalie found herself sinking into a feeling many recent grads become mired in. She was uncertain of her path, worried that she had wasted mountains of money and years of her life on an unfulfilling career path, and couldn't see through the fog of fear that began to form around her. She knew on a visceral level that her soul longed to express itself creatively. However, no plan that she was able to forge in her mind painted a picture that she felt truly passionate to pursue. The only thing she knew for certain was that Corporate America would never be her home, and that she was determined to become her own boss. Sadly, like a self-fulfilling prophecy, Natalie wound up in a call center after graduation and could feel her happiness slipping away each day.

Later 2011, after a series of “rock bottom moments,” Natalie decided to turn her attention toward her health and wellness to try and recalibrate, by participating in a 30-day hot yoga challenge with friends. Though she had previously practiced informally, this was her first fully-immersive experience into the world of yoga.

Mathina Ross has always been a healer and philanthropist at heart. Though her background is not necessarily one you would expect from someone who now has a bustling career offering signature massage experiences, throughout her life she has mastered the art of caring for others. In fact, before attending SWIHA and completing our 1000-hour Massage Therapy Program, Mathina cultivated a profoundly rewarding career in cosmetology, in which she chose to specialize working with children who experienced spectrum disorders toward the end. She shares that the work was fulfilling to her soul, yet left her feeling drained. “I loved the work, [however, I] got ‘burned out.’  Given my specialized status, when I chose to move on, my options were very limited.  Prior to specializing, I had worked in hair, skin and nail care, and had been massaging much of the body, so the transition to massage seemed an appropriate one.”

In 2015, Gena Hailey and her family were going to the doctor a lot for colds, to the point where they were spending a lot of money on co-pays and prescription drugs. Most of the time, the treatments didn’t even work. She had been doing internet searches on home remedies, and now and then, she would accidentally come across articles that mentioned holistic healing. She admitted that at the time, she wasn’t even sure what holistic meant. She ended up seeing an ad for the Southwest Institute of Healing Arts (SWIHA). “I was like (imagine a soft, high-pitched voice), ‘What is this magic they speak of?’ Ha! Within that next week I had researched the school, the programs they offered, and spoke to an Admissions Coach - and I was absolutely ecstatic to enroll in the Mind-Body Wellness Practitioner program with a focus on Urban Farming & Conscious Living, and begin the journey that would eventually teach me that ‘magic’ and end up a #GreatGraduate.”

By 2014, Angelica Belmar was happy in many areas of her life. Her family, kids, and husband made her feel proud of them. She was grateful and humble for all she had in her life, however her only frustration was that she didn’t have a career, and that feeling was strong in her heart. She knew that she wanted to study, yet she didn’t know what she wanted to study. “My entire life, I have been inclined towards kindness, gentleness, compassion, and diplomacy. I like to help others. The holistic field sounded very fascinating to me, so I started researching it, and I found Southwest Institute of Healing Arts (SWIHA).” She enrolled and graduated with an Associates degree of Occupational Studies in Mind Body Transformational Psychology specializing in Hypnotherapy, Holistic Nutrition, and Life Coaching. Within the program she also studied Aromatherapy, Flower Essences, Prayer Therapy, Ayurveda Introduction, Energy Anatomy, Psychology of Addictions, Developmental Psychology, Ethical Consciousness.  She calls SWIHA one of the best schools in the world because it is a school that gives holistic education, and therefore they care for each one of their students. She experienced their support during her program, and now that she is graduated, she feels that her success is important for them. “I’m so grateful.”

Worrying about money can be a tremendous stressor in one’s life. Scientific studies have shown that extreme stress can adversely affect our mental health and can decrease the function of our immune system. Because mind and body function together, worrying about money may cause physical and emotional symptoms. You might feel helpless or depressed. Possibly you experience headaches, digestive problems, or frequent infections. You may feel anxious, irritable, and have difficulty sleeping. 

It is back-to-school time all around the country, and we want to share a couple essential oil blends that will help make the school year a success! If you’ve never experimented with aromatherapy before, not to worry! It’s easy and we’ll help you find the things you need at the bottom of this blog! Remember, you can reap the rewards of a healing plant through ingesting it or smelling the aroma. Just be sure the way you choose is safe, and the plant form your decide on is meant for the way you’re using it. Some oil is topical only, while other plant material can be made into oil, brewed for tea, or just picked and inhaled! 

Tiffany DeLancy does not quite remember how she originally heard of Southwest Institute of Arts (SWIHA), yet she does know that it was her interest in becoming a yoga instructor that was the original reason for attending the school. She went on to enroll in and graduate from the Yoga Teacher Training 600-hour program with Aromatherapy and Hypnotherapy as her electives.

In 2010, Gisele Marasca-Vargas had to close her graphic design and publishing company and file for bankruptcy (mostly due to the 2008 economic crisis). She lost her home in the process and had to practically start from scratch. She got a temporary job at the U.S. Census Bureau and went through a phase when she was feeling lost and confused about her next steps. At a certain point, she realized that she needed to reinvent herself.

During her years as a graphic designer and publisher, she had worked on the side as an “energy healer”. She felt that the challenges she had gone through were a sign from the Universe that it was time to change the course of her life -- to find her true path. Gisele decided that her “on the side” work was going to become her main career and life path.

“That’s when I started researching schools from all over the country for a degree in energy healing and other holistic practices. I was attracted by the AOS degree in Holistic Health Care (Concentration in Mind-Body Transformational Psychology) that Southwest Institute of Healing Arts (SWIHA) offered. I was also very intrigued by the fact that it’s very rich curriculum included Hypnotherapy and Life Coaching. The facts that SWIHA offers online programs and is nationally accredited by ACCET and is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education sealed the deal,” shared Gisele.

Zoey Greco was wrapping up her studies towards a Bachelor’s degree in sunny, Southern California back in 2012 when she began to feel a bit lost about how she was going to move forward in her life. “I knew I wanted to be a healer, yet I had NO idea how to enter into such a metaphysical field. I pondered how could I tell my family who had poured thousands of dollars into my education that I wanted to be an intuitive channel and energy healer?” All of her friends were applying and receiving acceptance letters to graduate programs or Fulbright scholarships and Zoey was wondering how she could possibly make her dreams a reality. Other careers have more clear paths to success—formal internships, graduate programs, the rat race. Zoey knew that those paths were not for her.

Is your head filled with a gazillion ideas of what you want to do? Do you have a hard time figuring out where to start? Are you passionate about so many things that you end up depleting your energy doing a bunch of little things?

Are you seeking clarity? I found this definition of clarity that I believe will speak to you:

Clarity is a noun meaning: Clearness or lucidity as to perception or understanding; freedom from indistinctness or ambiguity.

Ah, freedom. You are seeking freedom from your vision not being clear. You are seeking freedom from having your efforts lack proper focus and intention. Others have been in this situation before and have moved forward. So can you. Here are some ways you can begin to create clarity around your business and your future.

Healing Stones

Tigers Eye is used to focus the mind. It will cause the mind to have feelings of oneness and feel more direct in all thoughts. Place several stones in your workspace to help you focus your mind and benefit from this stones calming and clearing properties. You can find these at our Healing Pages Store on-campus or online.