SWIHA Blog

In 2004, Becca Schmidt made a decision that would change the entire course of her life. After years of working in the high-stress worlds of marketing, public relations, event planning, and volunteer management, she knew she needed something different. With marriage and motherhood on the horizon, she longed for a career that offered balance, creativity, and flexibility—without sacrificing her passion for connection and communication.

That’s when she found Southwest Institute of Healing Arts (SWIHA) and enrolled in the Yoga Teacher Training program. Looking back, she calls it one of the most pivotal choices she’s ever made.

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When most people think of yoga, they picture downward dogs, warrior poses, and peaceful savasanas. However, those physical movements, known as asanas, are just one small part of what yoga truly is. In fact, they’re only one limb of the 8-limbed path laid out in the ancient yogic texts. The real gift of yoga lies in its ability to awaken the inner world… offering a path to presence, connection, and liberation. Yoga is not just a workout; it is a way of life.

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Prior to SWIHA, Jessica Wilton worked a full-time job in the environmental planning and permitting industry. She was a consultant and frequently worked outside of business hours to meet deadlines and provide the necessary support to obtain federal, state, and local permits for energy generation and transmission projects. She met a lot of great people and was pleased to have helped obtain these permits for a variety of solar and wind generation projects. However, she felt like something was missing. She was good at her job, yet wasn't passionate about it and felt like she should be doing something different. She also wanted to spend more time with her family and raising her two children. About three years ago, her husband took a job that required him to be gone for more than half of each month. A year later, she was overwhelmed with two young children, a traveling husband, and a demanding full-time job. “I came to the realization that it was time for me to make a change. Both my husband and I wanted one of us to be more present in our kids’ daily lives, and it was my turn.”

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