SWIHA Blog

What is Yoga Nidra?: The Benefits of Becoming a Yoga Nidra Practitioner

Posted by Mel Rhoden on 2/18/21 4:00 PM

How do you meditate when you have a busy mind? The average person has 60,000-80,000 thoughts per day; that’s 2.500-3.300 thoughts per hour. That’s a lot of thoughts to try to bring into stillness.

This was my challenge. I’d always wanted to meditate, but trying to stop my brain thoughts while on the mat were near impossible. That is, until I found Yoga Nidra. I’ll never forget my first time receiving a Yoga Nidra session, day one of Yoga Nidra level one training. I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I signed up for this course.

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Topics: spirituality, yoga, Meditation, yoga nidra, Healing Modalities

Five Essential Hasta Mudras for Powerful Intention-Setting

Posted by Taylor Jablonowski on 10/8/20 4:00 PM

A mudra (Sanskrit for “mark”, “seal” or “gesture”) is a sacred and symbolic gesture found in yogic, Jainist and Buddhist traditions. Hasta mudras, meaning hand gestures, are performed with varying intentions and believed to impact and direct the flow of prana (vital energy) throughout the body.

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Topics: yoga, Meditation, Yoga Philosophy, Intention, Mudra

Take Initiative: Create a Culture of Mindfulness at Your Workplace

Posted by Taylor Jablonowski on 4/1/19 3:00 PM

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.

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Topics: Mindfulness, Meditation, healing arts, Mindful, guided imagery, Mindful Workplace, Stress Reduction

Take Ten Minutes for Self-Care and Listen to a Guided Meditation (You Deserve It!)

Posted by Taylor Jablonowski on 2/4/19 3:00 PM

Keeping afloat in this fast-paced world means that each day we face challenges—whether it’s finances, family, career, or relationships—and it can be easy to go, go, go! until suddenly we’re running on empty, our self-esteem is plummeting and we feel disconnected or numb.

Consider that when you’re feeling exhausted, uninspired or just plain ‘off’, it may be your mind, body and spirit sending signals  to ‘check in’ with them!

Meditation is the practice of diving deep within yourself to access the wisdom we inherently possess. With guided meditation, you’re effortlessly directed to your subconscious mind to harvest the raw, ingenious ideas that are calling out to be manifested!

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Topics: self love, Mindfulness, Self-care, Meditation, guided imagery

Quantanique Williams Lives a Life of Service By Coaching Others to Confidence

Posted by Taylor Jablonowski on 1/25/19 8:00 AM

From a very young age, Quantanique Williams has desired to be a mentor and teacher to those around her. Initially, this manifested itself as serving in the U.S Air Force as a Fitness Specialist. Quantanique was then called to SWIHA’s Holistic Nutrition program, and soon after completing her program, she found herself also drawn to Life Coaching.

“I took a resiliency course earlier in the year and it spoke a little bit about the coaching concept of helping people arrive at their own answers and staying away from ‘should’, ‘you need to’ or giving advice,” she tells us.

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Topics: Great Graduates, Life Coaching, yoga, Meditation, national life coaching month

Helping Women Heal: Reane Russell Defined Her Niche & Cultivated A Successful Coaching Venture

Posted by Taylor Jablonowski on 1/19/19 8:00 AM

Reane Russell was searching for a purpose. All she knew at that time was that she wanted to help people, give back to the community, master her own healing, and make money doing it. She began researching career paths, programs and schools that matched her heart song, but began to get discouraged when none of them fully resonated.

“I was almost ready to give up. I simply could not find a program that felt right,” she tells us, “Until one morning at about 2AM, I discovered SWIHA. Within a few moments of exploring the website, my heart was on fire. For the first time in my life, I was looking at college program that filled me with passion, joy, and had a profitable outlook! I called admissions the next day and enrolled immediately!”

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Topics: Great Graduates, Life Coaching, Meditation, national life coaching month, intuitive guidance

A Journey Across the World: How a Massive Leap of Faith Led Rima Desai to Life Coaching

Posted by Taylor Jablonowski on 1/14/19 8:00 AM

Rima Desai is respected in the field of Psychology, holding a Master’s degree from her home country of India and fully dedicating her career to helping others. When she moved her family to the United States in 2011, however, her education was not able to be used in her new home and she couldn’t do the work she loved as a counselor.

“My life and my daughter’s life were endangered in massive mob riots in Africa. We had burnt up all our savings just to migrate to the USA. We were looking for a secure place to live,” Rima tells us, “I faced a lot of depression from culture shock. Being a person who is very passionate about psychology and my work, it was a huge blow to my well-being.

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Topics: Great Graduates, Life Coaching, Meditation, Psychology, national life coaching month

Why Wait for the New Year? Take SWIHA's 12 Days of Wellness Challenge!

Posted by Taylor Jablonowski on 12/13/18 2:00 PM

Many of us have the goal of making wellness a priority in 2019...but why not start today?

The Holiday season is busy with travel, shopping and plenty of get-togethers. We're often giving so much of our energy, that we may not even notice when our reserves are low until we're exhausted, foggy-brained and sometimes even sick. By remembering self-care, you can be more present (no pun intended!) for your loved ones and let the Universe know that we're ready and open to receive the good that's in store for the new year.

We created a 12-day challenge based on some of the programs here at Southwest Institute of Healing Arts. If you decide to embark on this journey with us, let us know how it's going by using #SWIHAWellnessChallenge on social media! (Follow us on Facebook and Instagram to see posts from our commUNITY!)

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Topics: wellness, Massage, Aesthetics, yoga, Meditation, Reiki, Nutrition, Holistic health, aromatherapy, Holidays, Wellness Challenge

Brain Health is the Wellness to Watch: New Research Shows How Holistic Healing Works

Posted by Taylor Jablonowski on 12/10/18 2:00 PM

The brain is such a complicated machine that we’ve barely scratched the surface of its mysteries. In the last five years, however, many researchers have focused heavily on how our minds are affected by things such as nutrition, environmental pollution, screen time and multi-tasking. They’re exploring beyond mental health and now observing brain health—the ways in which the organ is physically responding to our fast-changing lifestyle.

With every new study, science uncovers a facet of the relationship between our body and our body. Optimal brain health will be at the forefront of wellness in the upcoming years, so today we'll look at some ways that holistic healing can help support mind, body and spirit.

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Topics: western herbalism, wellness, Holistic Nutrition, yoga, Mindfulness, Meditation, Psychology, Brain Health

Your Brain on Meditation: The Health Benefits of Finding Zen

Posted by Taylor Jablonowski on 10/15/18 2:00 PM

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.

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Topics: wellness, Mindfulness, Holistic Healing, Meditation, PTSD, Mindful, guided imagery

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