SWIHA Blog

Many view their jobs as ‘just’ forty hours per week. However, when you actually do the math, the average American spends a collective thirteen years and two months of their life at work.

So, why are three quarters of Americans reportedly unhappy on the job? And why should we be okay with spending so much of our life in a discontent state?

According to The American Institute of Stress, one in four people surveyed had been driven to tears due to work-related incidents and 65% reported that job stress caused difficulties resulting in decreased productivity. It’s not just a mental/emotional problem, though: job stress has been demonstrated to be associated with increased rates of heart attack, hypertension and other disorders, and 62% of people reported leaving work experiencing stress-related neck pain.

At SWIHA, we know that pursuing any of the healing arts involves lots of growth and transformation and that personal healing must take place before a practitioner is able to facilitate the healing of others.

While it would be very convenient to only have to heal or grow just once in our lives, the process is constant and full of twists and turns. From intense classes during your education to emotional sessions when you step fully in to the role of Healer, you’ll always be called to expand and progress.

How exciting! And also: how exhausting!

Reiki is a Japanese therapeutic technique where the practitioner is believed to channel Universal energy in order to activate the natural healing process and restore well-being. It’s often used in conjunction with traditional treatments or additional healing modalities, such as massage therapy.

Mikao Usui, the originator of Reiki, considers the core principles the "secret of inviting happiness."  Each principle begins with the words “Just for today…” as a reminder to focus only on what we are capable of changing (our present thoughts and actions) and to release the past or future.

Sharon Rose lights up any room she enters—and it’s not just an illusion; it’s her signature glitter makeup! She finds her power in feminine energy and leaves a little sparkle wherever she goes. That simple philosophy has become the foundation for her successful coaching business, The Soul Stylist.

“To me Life Coaching is the space where we can finally take full responsibility for how our life turns out,” she says, “The practice opens you up to see the experiences, emotions, people, and life itself from all perspectives. There is no room for blame or shame, only acceptance and forward movement.”

'Come All Ye Faithful' is a classic Christmas carol from the 1600’s, and encapsulates the invitation offered by Reiki Master Mary Ritter to Christians drawn Reiki as a healing modality.

“Yes, you can be a Christian and practice the energy-modality known as Reiki!” affirms Mary, the mind behind Holy Reiki. 

Candidly Mary shares, “There was a time in my life I may have been worried about what those in my church thought about Reiki. Today, the practice of Reiki has brought me even closer to my Christian foundations. It is Christ that I call upon when I am providing a hands-on healing experience.”

Are you feeling ready for a change?  Do you desire to positively influence the lives of others? If lifelong learning, human connection and self-employment are appealing to you...look no further! You’re perfect for a career in massage therapy.

Massage therapists help others relieve stress, relax, and stay healthy by using a wide range of techniques to manipulate the soft muscle tissues in the body. They can help rehabilitate injuries through touch and aid in the wellness of their clients mind, body and spirit. It’s an ancient art that’s seeing a rise in popularity, and for a good reason! Everyone can benefit from a massage therapy session.

“If I just could hear someone tell me that I’m beautiful, everything would be okay…wouldn’t it?” “Why does no one want to be around me?” “When will someone make me feel special?”

For Nicole Fonovich, life was looking increasingly bleak. Born with two autoimmune diseases, a softball-sized fatty benign tumor between her shoulder blades, and a degenerative disc ailment, Nicole was struggling to tread the gray waters of her faltering health. Not only were her maladies causing her immense physical strife—including two surgeries on her lower back, another two surgeries to deal with the tumor, and a spinal fusion—they were also creating immense personal and emotional loss in the form of two miscarriages.

She is excited! We are excited! And the world will soon be excited for one of SWIHA’s #GreatGraduates, Brianna Bedigian.  She is releasing her first book this next week.  It’s entitled Healing Footstep to Footstep.

Brianna is a highly trained and gifted healer, and a graduate of the SWIHA Hypnotherapy program.  After being diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome, Brianna dug deep to create and undergo her own healing process, and chronicled it through journaling and photography. After her recovery, and years of optimum health, Brianna looked back and reflected on the narrative that unfolded.  One step at a time, footstep to footstep, her healing occurred over time. Brianna realized her recorded journal entries can now serve as an abstract primer-of-sorts for others suffering from any type of illness.

As an author, artist, teacher and healer, Brianna utilizes her personal journey, years of formal training and her personal practice to guide students and clients locally, nationally and even remotely. Brianna explains, “The reality is that healing begins one step at a time, often slowly and with acceptance of the self.”

Taylor Grace is one of Southwest Institute of Healing Arts’ inspired Toe Readers who remembers watching KC Miller do this healing work: “My first Toe Reading was by KC Miller. Watching her work through other people was an amazing experience. She helped me with quite a few things on my personal journey, and it’s the inspiration people get with her that inspires us.” Taylor found a connection to Reiki back in 1996, and then attended one of SWIHA’s Gifts and Graces for the first time, eleven years later in 2007. She knew she wanted to become a student, and so the program she initially signed up for was Life Coaching, then found herself on our conscious college community in the Mind-Body Wellness Practitioner program, in which she studied Hypnotherapy, more Reiki, and Toe Reading. She reflected on the Toe Reading classes: “I remember noticing how respectful of an art it was, yet the truth in it was mind-twisting. It made me feel uncomfortable! You get to know yourself really well when you study healing. This is a process.”