SWIHA Blog

By Melanie Albert

Protein, alongwith fats and carbohydrates, is an essential macro nutrient which we must eat everyday with every meal. Protein is a building block of our body and helps to buildthe foundation of our bones, muscles, cartilage, skin and blood.

No Meat for 25 Years

I stopped eating red meat 30 years ago because my body could not digest it. I was a runner and felt like the meat made me sluggish. Then 18 years ago when my Mom was diagnosedwith breast cancer, I learned about antibiotics in poultry and stopped eating chicken and turkey, which I loved at the time.

My family was worried for years that I was not eating enough protein, but while I was studying nutrition, I learned so much about good plant protein, and now I’m honestly not worriedabout eating enough protein. Today, I love educating people about good sources of plant protein, including beans, whole grains and even vegetables.

Great skin is often associated with youth and beauty. Gorgeous models with glowing faces adorn magazine covers. Countless ballads and romance novels wax poetically about the thrill of a lover’s touch on their skin.

Keeping our skin healthy and supple is a huge business throughout the world. A 2013 story in the Huffington Post, written by Rebecca Adams, states women in the U.S. spend $426 billion on beauty products alone. This figure does not include beauty and spa treatments such as facials, waxing, deep pore cleaning or microdermabrasion, laser treatments or photo facials.

Women in the U.S. spend $426 billion on beauty products alone.

Nor does the monetary figure include skin diseases and medical treatments. As the largest organ in the human body our skin (also known as epidermis or integument) has the practical purpose of protecting the underlying muscles, bones, ligaments and internal organs. It is also prone to maladies that range from acne to xerosis (abnormal dryness of the skin.)

The roots of reflexology date as far back as ancient times. A non-invasive, complementary practice, reflexology involves the use of thumb and finger techniques, applying alternating pressure to reflexes. It is a clothed technique limited to the feet, the hands, and the ears. According to the Arizona Reflexology Association (AZRA), these reflexes match up to different parts of the body, also referred to as “maps,” located on the feet, hands, and outer ears.

Over the last century, reflexology has become fairly main stream due to diligent study by medical doctors and surgeons. Dr. William FitzGerald and his student Dr. Joe Shelby Riley created Zone Theory, a basis for reflexology. (See Fact 1 for details about the Zone Theory.) A physiotherapist working with Dr. Joe Shelby Riley, Eunice Ingham, documented organ reflex areas that complemented the Zone Theory. When Ingham saw the positive impact of reflexology on the clients in their practice, she chose to share her findings and the techniques of reflexology throughout the United States and Europe. Her teachings are the framework for the current teachings of reflexology today!

Yoga has deep roots - really deep. Estimated to have originated more than 5,000 years ago, this ancient practice predates written language. What began as a spiritual practice (and still is in some forms) is more commonly used in the USA by lay people as a tool to increase flexibility of body and mind, reduce stress and improve balance.

The practice is increasing. According to a 2013 listing by Yoga Journal, the number of practitioners who engage in some type of yoga has stretched from four million in 2001 to 15 million in 2013. While tracking yoga aficionados may be difficult to calculate, the amount of money spent on yoga apparel, equipment, mats and accessories is not.

Statisticbrain.com reported that $27 billion was spent on yoga products – an 87 percent increase than in years past. From Anchorage, Alaska to Zuni Pueblo, New Mexico, Americans are buying yoga products, signing up for yoga classes and enrolling in yoga teacher training programs like never before.

Politics aside, even the U.S. Commander in Chief touts the benefits of yoga.

“Coaching is the process of healing your mind. When you heal the mind, you transform your life.”Richard Seaman,
Lead life coach and instructor at Southwest Institute of Healing Arts (SWIHA).

Whether it’s life coaching, spiritual coaching or business coaching, the process of helping an individual recognize and bring out the best in themselves is a truly transformational process for both the coach and the client. While acting coaches, voice coaches and athletic coaches have been around for many years, life coaching is a relative newcomer in the field.

Kathleen Simonds, a life coach, hypnotherapist, teacher and graduate of SWIHA became a life coach after moving from California to Arizona. The former English teacher was already known for her expertise in the hypnotherapy field and became excited about the prospect of becoming a personal coach.

“I learned about SWIHA and went to the campus and leafed through the catalogue,” said Simonds. “I was like a kid in a candy store. All the classes seemed intriguing, but I was definitely drawn to the Transformational Life Coach program because it was local and reasonably priced.” The school offers both on campus and online classes. She enrolled in the on campus program successfully received her certification. “It is one of many things I do, but I found the training has helped me streamline other aspects of my practice, such as my intake process. Working as a Transformational Life Coach has been very rewarding.”

What is a aromatherapy?

Aromatherapy is the use of essential oils for therapeutic purposes.Essential oils are the plant’s “life blood”, as they protect the plant from infection, attract pollinators, repel harmful predators, and assist the plant in healing and repair. The term aromatherapy is a bit of a misnomer as the essential oils are not used solely by inhaling them. Essential oils are used aromatically (inhaled), topically (applied to the skin),and some use the oils internally (orally, pessaries, douches, suppositories).

The use of essential oils has been around for centuries. Pictographs have been found in Egyptian tombs along with vats of expensive oils such as Frankincense. Throughout history and across cultures, the use of essential oils for health purposes has been recorded.

Essential oils have many therapeutic properties based on the plant’s chemical components. Commonly essential oils are bactericidal, antiviral, immune supportive, and analgesic. Dr Jean Valnet , a French surgeon, effectively used aromatherapy in World War II to treat wounds when he ran out of antibiotics!

We all know how important it is to love ourselves just the way we are. We preach it to our children, family and friends. If a friend comes to us saying they aren’t good enough in some area, we’re the first to try and help them work through that belief. Do we show up for ourselves in the same way though?

Confession Time

As a teacher, I often speak with people who attend my classes about the importance of living in the moment and loving ourselves. I have a beautiful soul family all across the globe and an amazing son, yet I found myself feeling lonely and dejected.

Being a holistic entrepreneur means there is no separation between your love, life, work and spirituality. It’s a way of life that lends to serving in whatever capacity you’re living in that very moment.

It's diving into that path that makes your heart sing; your Divine calling. The realization that you want more than to be a human doing, but to live in your truth as a human Being.

Holistic Living is Trending

The holistic way of living seems to be hitting mainstream more than ever. Have you noticed how many of the big brand names have started incorporating motivational saying and quotes into their branding?

More people are seeing that the typical 9-5 and living for the weekend is no longer status quo. We’re stepping into living lives that are more aware and more present than ever before. It as if we’re replacing T.G.I.F. with T.G.I.Today! I see more and more people turning to meditation, instead of medication.

Yoga nidra, also known is ‘yogi sleep’, is an exciting concept blending yoga and meditation. My first exposure left me enlightened, more present than I’ve ever felt and wanting more! As I began my yoga nidra experience, I realized two things: Many people are confused about what it really is and it has the power to transform the life of anyone, regardless of experience with meditation and yoga.

Let Me Explain What Led Me to Yoga Nidra

After being diagnosed with PTSD from various military experiences and childhood traumas, I was blown away by how often medication was thrown at me. After some soul searching, I chose to replace medication with meditation, and to help others do the same. When I joined the team at Southwest Institute of Healing Arts (SWIHA), I was afforded the opportunity to take Yoga Nidra I with an amazing nationally recognized teacher named Kamini Desai, PhD.

To my surprise, yoga nidra is done from one position, Savasana, or lying down on your back. You’re able to use blankets, pillows, bolsters, eye pillows, chairs and other props to position yourself in a way that your body is completely neutral and relaxed. Just the act of lying there and being is relaxing in itself; when the instructor starts to lead you down into a certain brainwave state of sleep, where autonomic nervous system has a chance to rejuvenate, you really do fall into a deep yogi sleep. Human growth hormone, promoter of cell repair, is released in this Delta or deep sleep state. In our society today, stress, the inability to turn off the working brain, unhealthy eating habits, certain medications and other factors all play a role in reducing the amount of this deep sleep that allows us to tap into the expansive and unlimited beings that we all are.

Do you believe that everything happens for a purpose?

My name is Dajon and I’m a new member of the Southwest Institute of Healing Arts (SWIHA) community, serving as the Chief Communications Specialist and Community Liaison. When I say new, I mean that I literally hopped on a plane from Minnesota and joined the family this last week. This amazing opportunity didn’t come without many, many signs: Let me share my journey with you.For the past 12 years, I’ve served in the military. In February of this year, I decided leave military service and pursue a different path of service where I could help empower others. I had become accustomed to having everything chosen for me, from where to be, what uniform to wear, to how my career path was laid out. I enjoyed my military experience, however, I had lost my passion and felt my soul was searching for a new experience. Looking for where I fit in, I started working multiple part-time jobs; this just created more noise in my life and left me feeling even more confused. What I realize now is that I was looking for a sign.