SWIHA Blog

Before Maha enrolled at the Southwest Institute of Healing Arts (SWIHA), her life felt like a dark cloud. She was navigating the depths of adrenal burnout and personal heartbreak, trying to find her footing after a difficult breakup. Though she had applied to SWIHA twice before, it was during this emotional low point that she finally said yes to herself—and to a journey that would change everything.

“I got WAY more than I ever anticipated,” Maha says with deep conviction. What began as a distraction soon became a full-circle healing experience. “I believe that this modality—working with the Earth and coming back to the Earth—will allow us to come back to our truest selves.”

Maha enrolled in the Integrative Healing Arts Practitioner program and instantly felt a resonance. Every class on her roster offered moments of alignment and synchronicity that affirmed she was on the right path. “There was never more than a couple of weeks where I didn’t know I was in alignment,” she says. Through the curriculum and community, Maha began healing her heart and nurturing her body back from the grip of adrenal fatigue.

Her transformation was profound and tangible. She moved to a different state, left behind a destructive relationship, and let go of the need to control every aspect of her reality. “I’ve gone from trying to ‘manifest my reality’ into a deep state of surrender. ‘Significantly changed’ is an understatement,” Maha shares.

Though her business, Valley Divine Intuitive,  has been intentionally quiet as she continues her healing journey, Maha is gently stepping back into her offerings. She facilitates Yoga Nidra and AccessBars sessions and plans to launch ecstatic dance events and transformational workshops soon. 

Maha describes herself as “a practitioner of deep reverence for the shadow.” She encourages others to stop shaming the parts of themselves they’ve labeled as “bad” and instead learn to love themselves fully and compassionately. “When we stop trying to erase these parts of ourselves and love them the way we needed to be loved from the beginning, we truly start to become whole.”

One of the most powerful lessons Maha took from SWIHA is this:
“Listen. When you feel like giving up, ask for guidance and wait. The reason you are doing this will always reveal itself again.”

Among her most impactful instructors was Kamini Desai, whose Yoga Nidra teachings and whiteboard illustrations helped Maha clearly understand and deeply experience the material. Maha sees Yoga Nidra becoming a regular offering in her practice because of how deeply it has supported her personal healing.

To incoming SWIHA students, Maha offers grounded advice: “If you can’t reach your student advisor, TRUST that it is for a reason. I always found one. Or contact the head of the department to get answers.”

As Maha continues to evolve her brand and rediscover her voice in the healing world, she remains committed to sacred integration—the union of body, mind, and spirit through Earth-based practices and loving self-awareness.

You can follow Maha’s journey and offerings on Instagram or connect with her on Facebook.

Are you ready to reclaim your path and step into your truest self?
Explore the Integrative Healing Arts Practitioner program at SWIHA and discover the healing you didn’t know was waiting for you.