SWIHA Blog

Holistic Living for Veterans: A Path to Healing and Well-being

Posted by Trela Mayes-Bishop on 9/28/23 4:00 PM

The transition from military to civilian life can be stressful and overwhelming, and many veterans such as myself have struggled with physical and mental health issues. Choosing SWIHA wasn't what I wanted to do it was what I needed to do. As a veteran who didn't finish basic training and who walked away with a lot of aggression, holistic living has taught me there's so much to live. Holistic living has offered a path to healing and well-being for myself and so many other veterans by addressing the whole person and promoting balance in all areas of life.

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Topics: mind body spirit, Holistic wellness, Holistic health, Holistic Living, Veterans, SWIHA Students, Holistic Healh and Wellness Coach

Following Intuition is Vulnerability with Yourself

Posted by Christina Nikolic on 8/17/23 4:00 PM

When thinking about vulnerability and intuition, I felt a spark as I was applying the two topics to my life. I am more vulnerable with myself than I ever was because I choose to listen to my intuition where I find myself more mindful and consciously aware of my thoughts, my temporary feelings, and the emotions that come with those feelings from thoughts.

Therefore I cannot speak on behalf of intuition without vulnerability, because following your instinct, and believing in your inner advisor is being vulnerable to yourself first. It's what you need before you can even be vulnerable with anyone else whether it be your friends, your partner, coworkers, or your children. Being vulnerable is being open to trusting in what you believe in so that you can show up for yourself when those moments come when you need to make choices without judgment, doubt or feeling scared of rejection or even fearing the worst for your outcomes.

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Topics: Great Graduate, Intuition, Holistic wellness, Holistic health, intuitve guide, SWIHA Students, Holistic Health and Wellness, Trust, Holistic Health and Wellness Coach, Healing Journey

Why You A.R.E. S.O. Capable of Overcoming Stress: SWIHA Student Blog Series

Posted by Lyric Swedenhjelm on 8/10/23 4:00 PM

Take a moment to recall the last time you felt stress in your life. Did it take you a while to remember the last experience, or was it too easy to quickly identify when stress has been present?

It's safe to say that stress is universal- stress is likely to arise at some time in our human experience, maybe even frequently. In fact, the Recovery Village states "

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Topics: Great Graduate, Mindfulness, Self-care, mind body spirit, Stress, Holistic wellness, Holistic health, Stress Management, integrative healing arts practitioner, SWIHA Students

Health & Wellness Coach, Nicole Kalbach, Guides Women on a Journey to Self-Love without Fear of Judgment

Posted by Jade Marvin on 7/27/23 4:00 PM

I started the Holistic Health & Wellness Coaching program at SWIHA after being sick of the repetitive feeling that I was missing something. I was a doula pre-COVID and felt like there was so much more I could be offering clients and their families, yet didn't know how to do that. I saw SWIHA come up on my internet screen more times than I would like to admit. I was a complete people pleaser at the time, so I continued to say no. I finally said, ‘YES, it's now. This is what I need’ and it's been one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences. I am so glad I said yes. I love the closeness I feel with my classmates as well as the instructors and I also love that this program has challenged me to really focus on what I am passionate about.”

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Topics: holistic entrepreneur, Great Graduate, Mindfulness, Meditation, Holistic wellness, SWIHA Students, Health and Wellness, Holistic Health and Wellness, Health & Wellness Coach, SWIHA Graduate, Holistic Health and Wellness Coach, Mindful Meditation

SWIHA’s Holistic Health & Wellness Coach Diploma Program: From the Perspective of Student Sera James

Posted by Jade Marvin on 7/13/23 4:00 PM

“My life was lacking drive, passion, and purpose before SWIHA. I was ready for a change and to do something that filled my life. My aunt had taken classes at SWIHA years earlier so I looked into it and fell in love! I am passionate about this modality because I believe that there are better ways to heal our mind, body, and soul than only what traditional medicine provides.”

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Topics: Great Graduate, SWIHA Students, GRIT, Health and Wellness Coach, NBHWC, Holistic Health and Wellness Coach

Hypnotherapist, Melanie Jean, Finds Rewarding Work and Volunteer Opportunities in Her Community and Local Hospital

Posted by Jade Marvin on 7/6/23 4:00 PM

“Before SWIHA, I had two decades of social work experience in the context of non-profit organizations and State Government. In 2009, I had a series of unfortunate, life-altering events occur that made me realize there are gaps in services for people like myself (grieving, going through a divorce and the loss of a parent, and also living away from my family) lacking a support network to help me navigate the process or hold space for my grief. This led me on a search for healing and eventually, I landed in massage school, reiki training, yoga, meditation teacher training, and end-of-life doula classes.”

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Topics: aromatherapy, Massage, holistic entrepreneur, Great Graduate, SWIHA, yoga, Past Life Regressions, Meditation, Reiki, Hypnotherapy, SWIHA Students, tarot readings, End of Life Doula, SWIHA Catalog, Dreams and Metaphors

Joy is an Approach to Life

Posted by Jaelene Smith on 6/29/23 4:00 PM

According to research professor and author Brene Brown, "Joy comes to us in moments—ordinary moments. We risk missing out on joy when we get too busy chasing down the extraordinary." This statement highlights an important distinction between happiness and joy. Happiness is often associated with external factors, such as material possessions or life events. It's the feeling we get when we achieve a goal or experience something positive. Joy, on the other hand, is an internal state of being that is not dependent on external circumstances. Recently I’ve settled on a joy/happiness distinction mantra of “Happiness is a response to life, joy is an approach to life.

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Topics: Great Graduate, Mindfulness, joy, Brene Brown, Happiness, SWIHA Students, Health and Wellness, Holistic Healh and Wellness Coach, Mindful Meditation, Serving Others

Meditation! Mission Impossible or Mission Totally Possible?

Posted by Brandi Watts on 6/13/23 4:00 PM

What is meditation exactly? Simply put, it is a technique that uses breathing exercises, mindfulness, and focusing on the mental status. Meditation can help to calm the mind and body, center us to better handle tasks at hand, and can help alleviate anxiety, depression, and possibly even pain. The common misconception is how difficult meditation is. Anyone can reap the benefits of meditation with a little consistency.

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Topics: Great Graduate, Mindfulness, Meditation, SWIHA Students, Health and Wellness Coach, Holistic Health and Wellness Coach, Mindful Meditation, Student Blog, Meditation Practice

How Health & Wellness Coach Carrie Ann Myers Fell Back in Love with Holistic Nutrition

Posted by Jade Marvin on 3/7/23 4:00 PM

My life before SWIHA was pretty much ‘going through the same old thing.’ I loved to cook and was always making food and giving it away and making my friends try it. I was stuck making food from the same ingredients I always have. I wanted something more and wanted to find different ways to learn about the foods that I was making and what nutritional value they had. I love to see people eat good food and feel good about it. Knowing that the food was organic, healthy, and fun to make was what I wanted to share with people.”

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Topics: Holistic Nutrition, Great Graduate, Nutrition, Farmers Market, SWIHA Students, Whole Foods Culinary Specialist, Holistic Health and Wellness Coach, HHWC

SWIHA Student, Lizzy Hemmerle aka The Feel Good Mother, Helps Others on Their Journey to ‘Feel-Good’ Living

Posted by Elizabeth Hemmerle on 8/25/22 4:00 PM

I have been on the journey of entrepreneurship for almost 5 years before beginning my path at SWIHA as an Integrative Healing Arts Practitioner student. After bringing my daughter into this world, Ella Rae, my mother, and I started a skin, soul, self-care business: Dragonfly co., and our mission has been to create “products you can feel good about.” Through the years, I felt the call in my heart to expand this mission. I knew that feeling good was about more than just looking good. It prompted me to create and coin the term: ‘feel-good living” ((soon to be trademarked!)) While moving through my own life experiences of separation, loss, and transition — I became wholeheartedly committed to setting out on the journey of discovering what ‘feel-good living’ actually is. My partner, daughter, and I moved out to Arizona, on a whim or what I feel was a divine call, in January of 2022. Shortly after, I discovered SWIHA, randomly and unintentionally. Through this journey of defining ‘feel-good living,’ SWIHA is providing a safe container for me to fully embody and explore every layer of this lifestyle.

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Topics: Southwest Institute of Healing Arts, holistic entrepreneur, SWIHA, Spiritual Coaching, spiritual studies, Arizona, Tempe, intuitve guide, integrative healing arts practitioner, IHAP, SWIHA Students, Spiritual Coach and Celebrant, The Feel-Good Sisterhood, Trauma-informed

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