SWIHA Blog

Healing arts are more popular than ever, and one of the most accessible (and versatile) modalities is Massage Therapy. In addition to being a relaxing spa experience, it is now widely used in medical settings for pain management, stress reduction, and in conjunction with traditional treatments. Sessions can be both preventative and restorative, which means that no one doesn’t need a massage!

Southwest Institute of Healing Arts began as a humble massage school in Arizona. In honor of those roots, we’ll look at three reasons you’ll absolutely love a career in Massage Therapy:

“I now know my worth and my life's purpose,” declares Marquita Almodova-Keeme, a Massage Therapy and Life Coaching graduate.

Marquita was seeking a new career in a peaceful environment and, to her, massage seemed like the most logical choice. She was being called to serve others, and her first day of Cranial Unwinding with Lisa Kearn was a defining moment on her journey: “That’s when I started to embrace the spiritual teachings of SWIHA,” she tells us.

“Five years ago I was standing in my gym in California talking to a friend about how I had kept getting this feeling that there was something more I was suppose to be doing with my life,” Kari Whipkey tells us, “I could feel that I was not supposed to be a personal trainer for much longer. As I was talking I got a vision of me talking on stage with a microphone in front of thousands of people. I was telling my story. That scared me so much! I hadn't told more than my family and best friend that I had struggled with eating disorders and I had never done public speaking. All of that was so out of my element but I couldn't deny that it was my future. A couple months later I moved to Arizona, told my story, got so much loving response to my vulnerability and realized I was on the right path and that I would eventually manifest that vision.”

Autumn is a season of harvest, abundance and thankfulness. As the weather cools and the days shorten, our psyche registers the changes and we naturally become more reflective as we head toward a New Year.

While many are thinking forward to their goals for 2020, consider spending last few months of 2019 mentally cataloging and paying thanks to the many blessings this current year has brought! Today, we’ll share with you three gratitude practices for the autumn season.

“SWIHA changed my life,” says Caitlin Goehring, a Mind-Body Wellness Practitioner graduate, “I don’t know where I’d be without these courses - it catapulted my spiritual growth and journey and brought me more in alignment than ever before.”

Caitlin was pulled to study holistic nutrition after witnessing illness in her family since a young age, “I’ve always believed in the healing power of food and wanted to support others in this. I had no idea the amount of spiritual downloads that I was in! I can best support my clients through nutrition, intuitive eating, and other spiritual practices such as astrology, tarot, and flower essences.”

The fast-approaching holiday season means time with friends and family, laughter and gifts, and—of course—lots of baked goods!

Many people are opting to go gluten-free because of sensitivity issues, to reduce inflammation, or simply because they’ve noticed a positive change by reducing or eliminating foods containing gluten.  However, going gluten-free doesn’t mean missing out on delicious treats! Today, we’ll take a look at a few of the widely-available flour options that are friendly to this dietary need.

Before her time at SWIHA, Kimberly Balzan found her life at a standstill. She was going through the motions but not moving forward, fearful of life and what change may bring.

“I felt like I had no direction,” she describes, “I just happened to be at a friends Melissa Corter who was leading this meditation called Yoga Nidra. I honestly had never heard of it and didn't know what we were going to do. Well, when it was over I sat up and thought ‘That was the coolest thing I have ever experienced’. When I got in my car, I said to myself out loud: ‘I am going to learn this and teach it!’ I knew at that moment something incredible had happened.”

Hypnotherapy is a powerful way to create change in your life. It brings you into a highly relaxed state of inner concentration and focused attention so that you can make new choices based on the awareness and clarity that arises. Additionally, self-hypnosis is an empowering skill to reduce chronic pain, improve sleep, and alleviate stress!

You may know the old adage: Laughter is the best medicine! However, did you know that SWIHA has an entire club dedicated to it?

The SWIHA Ha Ha Laughter Club allows acting like a kid again and regaining a child's sense of fun and playfulness! Dr. Madan Kataria, the founder of Laughter Yoga, calls it "Kindergarten for adults". We spoke with Laurie Nathanson, a Laughter Leader for the club since 2012, who gave some great insight on what the club is about (Hint: a lot of laughs!)