Three years ago, Hannah Deane found herself on the road for work, carrying a feeling many people know all too well: There has to be more.
“I have got to make a change; I can’t live like this forever. I know I am supposed to do more with my life,” she remembers telling herself.
What Hannah didn’t know at the time was just how dramatically her life was about to change—and how that change would ultimately guide her toward a deeper understanding of holistic health, nutrition, wellness, and her own purpose.
Today, Hannah is a student in SWIHA’s Holistic Health and Wellness Coaching Program, where she has discovered new tools for caring for herself and supporting others on their own wellness journeys.
Finding a Path That Felt Like Her Own
Before SWIHA, Hannah describes her life as “a constant road of trying to fit into a box” while knowing she had so much more to offer the world.
She simply wasn’t sure where to begin.
That changed when a mentor—who Hannah sees for Reiki and Spiritual Life Coaching and who had previously attended SWIHA—introduced her to the wide variety of programs available at the school.
When Hannah discovered the Health and Wellness Coaching program, she immediately knew she wanted to pursue it.
“I have long been passionate about taking care of our vessels,” she explains. Yet over time, her understanding of wellness expanded. She came to recognize that caring for the body involves more than simply the food we eat. The mind and spirit also play an important role in the journey toward the kind of health and well-being she seeks.
SWIHA offered her an educational path that reflected this more holistic perspective.
When Life Changes Your Direction
Hannah’s journey toward wellness wasn’t simply academic. It was deeply personal.
Three years ago, an infection spread into her brain and changed the course of her life. For months, she lost the ability to do things that many people might never think twice about—making her bed, going for walks, and even breathing without struggling.
That difficult period became a turning point.
Hannah began exploring ways to heal and reconnect with herself through meditation, movement, nature, working with animals, and releasing old wounds.
Then, last year, another profound experience shifted her perspective.
The loss of a dear friend to colon cancer at just 29 years old prompted Hannah to take a closer look at her own goals and the kind of impact she wanted to make. Rather than continuing to take small steps toward her dreams, she decided to pursue them more fully—including her vision of eventually opening an ecovillage.
Her friend’s reflections on the food system and the emotional and energetic aspects of wellness further deepened Hannah’s desire to explore the connections between how we live, what we consume, and how we care for ourselves.
“I knew I was on the right path when I looked around me at the support I had at this school and the power that had risen in my voice through this program,” Hannah shares.
A Holistic Transformation
For Hannah, education at SWIHA has become more than learning new information. It has changed the way she lives.
“The entire way that I live my life has changed,” she says.
Through her coursework—including microbiome testing—Hannah began looking more closely at her lifestyle choices and how they affected her well-being. Today, she follows a mostly raw, whole-food diet and says she has learned to listen more intuitively to what her body is asking for.
Her daily practices have also evolved. She walks five to seven miles a day, practices Tai Chi and Qigong, and continues working with her life coach as part of her personal growth.
Rather than viewing wellness as a single destination, Hannah has embraced it as an ongoing practice of showing up for herself so that she can ultimately show up for others.
“Through my education at SWIHA, I am now equipped with the tools needed to help myself and to go out and help women and children and our food system.”
Building a Future With Purpose
Professionally, Hannah continues to work in marketing while preparing for the next chapter of her career.
Her SWIHA education has also given her an opportunity to explore entrepreneurship. While she is pausing the full launch of her business until after a pilgrimage to Spain at the end of December, she plans to begin building her social media presence and lay the groundwork for her future work.
For now, she is embracing a season of preparation, growth, and patience.
Her vision extends beyond simply building a career. Hannah hopes to contribute to a larger shift in how people understand wellness, community, food, and the way we care for ourselves and one another.
The Power of “Yet”
One of Hannah’s greatest lessons from SWIHA is also one of the simplest:
The power of yet.
“I might not know it… yet. I might not have it… yet.”
Adding those three letters transformed the way she thinks about possibility. Instead of seeing what she doesn’t know or have as a limitation, Hannah has learned to see it as something that may still be unfolding.
For anyone standing at the beginning of their own journey, that perspective can be powerful.
You may not know exactly where your path is leading—yet.
You may not have the confidence, skills, or experience you hope to develop—yet.
However, that doesn’t mean you aren’t capable of getting there.
Hannah’s Advice for Future SWIHA Students
When asked what advice she would give someone considering a journey at SWIHA, Hannah encourages future students to let go of the limitations they may be carrying with them.
“Whatever limitations you had at the beginning, allow a door to open and set those free,” she says. “Because the moment that you see that you are capable of doing whatever your heart truly desires, you will set your soul free and change the world as you imagined you would.”
Her story is a reminder that sometimes finding your path begins with recognizing that the life you are living no longer fits the person you are becoming.
And sometimes, the pause, challenge, or unexpected detour that changes your plans can also become the catalyst for discovering your purpose.
A Journey Still Unfolding
Hannah’s story is not finished—and perhaps that is what makes it so inspiring.
She is still learning. Still growing. Still exploring what is possible. Still preparing to bring her vision into the world.
Her journey from feeling like she was trying to fit into a box to finding the confidence to pursue a life of greater purpose reflects one of the most meaningful aspects of holistic education: the opportunity to transform not only what you know, but how you see yourself and the world around you.
At SWIHA, students are encouraged to explore their passions, expand their understanding of wellness, and discover new possibilities for their futures.
For Hannah, that journey has helped her find something she was searching for all along—the courage to believe that there is more ahead.
And sometimes, all it takes to begin is one small word:
Yet.
