SWIHA Blog

The month of October lends itself inherently to the theme of Potential.  It’s a month of transition: days grow shorter, the air cools, and trees shed their leaves in anticipation of a winter nap. It’s the pause before a new chapter, where we reflect on lessons learned while planning for the future.

Ancient Gaels celebrated this mid-point between the autumnal and winter equinoxes with the festival Samhain, meaning “summer’s end”. It marked their harvest time and honored the birth-death-rebirth cycle of Mother Nature through celebrations and rituals. Samhain was eventually incorporated in to Christian culture to take place at the end of October proceeding All Hallows day (November 1^st). We now know it as Halloween!

In case you’ve never read the bio at the end of these blogs: Hi, my name is Taylor! I serve at Southwest Institute of Healing Arts as a marketing specialist or (as I like to title myself) “Creator of Copy, Bringer of Blogs”. You’ve never seen me write in the first person on the SWIHA blog before, so this is a special feature that warrants the change in voice!

As an ongoing entrepreneurial support piece for our students and graduates, SWIHA’s Success Coach, Sharon Rose, hosts bi-weekly webinars talking all things business. Sharon brings her fabulous energy, her honesty, and her personal experience with her own thriving venture, The Soul Stylist.

You know the phrase “sick to my stomach”? There’s more truth to that than you may think!

Researchers estimate that up to 85% of our body’s immune response is attributed to our digestive system. More than five hundred species of bacteria live in our gut, referred to as “gut flora”. In fact, the amount of bacteria in our gut out-numbers the body’s cell count by ten times.

Though we’ve just begun to discover the intricate relationship between our bodies and bacteria, it’s known that these creatures play essential roles in homeostasis. Friendly bacteria are responsible for things such as nutrient absorption, mucosal barrier function, upkeep of lymphoid tissue, and optimal functioning of our immune system.

Southwest Institute of Healing Arts is unique in countless ways. Spend a few minutes browsing our classes and programs, and you’ll see everything from crystal healing to raw food cooking and even canine massage! You’ll find no other accredited college quite like us.

Understandably, a common question we receive is: What can I do when I graduate?
The only truthful response is: What do you WANT to do?

Mindfulness is an ability we all possess. Just like a muscle, the more often that we choose to utilize it, the greater the ability grows. At its most basic definition, living mindfully is making the choice to be fully present in each moment. By bringing awareness to what you’re directly experiencing (sounds, scents, sensations) you can reduce ruminative thinking, improve your memory, and find a greater appreciation for both positive and negative experiences.

Meditation is a tool for becoming more mindful. It is an exploration of our internal landscape, where we unleash our natural curiosities and suspend our judgement. Often times, we’re not even aware of how busy our brains are, so by making the time to “check-in” and observe our thoughts, we can learn to better problem-solve and discover the root cause of our daily stressors and discomforts.

“Since childhood, I have been quite intuitive,” says Andrea Aizlewood, a SWIHA Online graduate. Andrea always knew that she had unique spiritual skills waiting to be discovered and refined; she could receive emotions from those those around her, recognize synchronicities, and even sense energies. Her gifts were so strong, however, that they initially intimidated her.

“I closed up out of fear,” she explains, “I closed up for almost a decade, all through my early twenties.”

It was only when her one-year-old showed signs of the same intuition Andrea possessed, that a new-found interest in exploring her abilities was sparked:  “I saw my son wave at my long-deceased grandmother [who I felt] standing in the corner of the room. It made me realize that I had to get over my fears so that I could be there for my son to teach him how to protect himself and learn his own gifts.”

Ahh...there’s a chill in the air, cider in our mugs and eager anticipation of the holiday season in our hearts!

Autumn is abundant; it’s when we reap the benefits of our hard summer’s work and give thanks for our blessings. Though, before you go overboard with the Halloween candy and turkey dinners, consider visiting your local farmer’s market and reaching for some of the delicious and nutritious foods in season this fall!

What to Shop For

The fall season brings a harvest of healthful and super tasty produce. From the entire cruciferous family (like cauliflower and cabbage) to root veggies (carrots, onions, sweet potatoes) to the iconic squash crew (such as pumpkins, zucchini, and butternut squash), there’s plenty of inspiration to be found.

“It is our Soul’s divine journey into a still point, a quality that is filled with a richness of rhythm and harmony,” is how Jennifer Emperador, a SWIHA admissions coach and holistic practitioner, defines the practice of sound healing.

Jennifer has graduated from SWIHA’s Hypnotherapy, Life Coaching, Yoga and Yoga Nidra programs--just to name a few!--though, the modality she most has a passion for is sound healing.

“What’s there not to love?! I was introduced to sound healing back in 2010 and hooked ever since!“ says Jennifer, “All of my instruments emanate energy and I named them based on the energy they hold. For me, they are ‘alive’ and have developed a status of their own.”

Take a moment to picture yourself facing the ocean, with your toes in sand and your eyes closed as the wind caresses your skin. Are you feeling light, happy, and cleansed in that moment?

There’s a reason why: The unending movement of the ocean waves and resulting wind cause the physical location of the beach to vibrate at a higher frequency, thus positively affecting our sense of well-being. A mental or physical trip to the ocean is actually beneficial to your health. Pretty fascinating, right?

Yoga Body Psychology is not your average asana practice; it’s science.

“If we know that everything is energy and that by being able to transmit and transmute energy, we can effect change in our external environment,” explains Kate Shipp, the Associate Dean of Yoga Education at Southwest Institute of Healing Arts,  “then we also know that we are capable of doing the same in our internal environment.“

This amazing modality’s transformational tools are rooted in tradition while also integrating the principles of psychology, creating profound change for those with past trauma.