Like many massage therapists and massage enthusiasts, Ronna Everhart found massage after decades of discomfort and chronic pain. At 12 years old, she chipped her tailbone in an accident. “I broke my bum!” she exclaims with a laugh. Although she is full of laughter and smiles now, most of her life consisted of pain and discomfort. Between the ages of 19 to 24, Ronna gave birth to three children, which really did a number on her low back. She became dependent on over the counter medicine, such as Ibuprofen daily, to alleviate her pain, yet it wasn’t enough. Chiropractors, and even the occasional glass or two of wine, to relax the muscles proved futile as well. By the age of 30, Ronna had tried almost everything to help her pain: TENS units, decompression, pain clinics, physical therapy, pain creams, shots…the list goes on! After 32 years of dealing with the … Read More
A spiritual alchemist, Aubrey Mohandessi’s work centers around transforming people, helping them move forward and empowering them to be their best selves. While the term alchemy or alchemist is often associated with chemistry and metals, the action of transforming or transmuting is the same, whether it’s mineral based or with people. Aubrey’s business, Aubrey Mohandessi Life Coaching & Spiritual Coaching, offers life coaching, spiritual counseling, hypnotherapy and toe reading to people looking to discover the deeper meanings of life and truths within themselves. As a graduate of the online Mind-Body Transformational Psychology program at Southwest Institute of Healing Arts (SWIHA), Aubrey developed a vast amount of skills and tools that prepared her to bring her spiritual gifts out into the world. “Everything I’ve learned while enrolled at SWIHA helped me to develop my own business as well as broaden my understanding of what it means to live a well-balanced life … Read More
By Nancy Jackson, Online Exit and Placement Specialist An environmental science major turned holistic entrepreneur, Julie Conway has an interesting story about what brought her to Southwest Institute of Healing Arts (SWIHA). Her journey started before she even heard of SWIHA, when she had to drop out of college as an environmental science major due to a debilitating illness. “Healing became a full-time job,” Julie writes on her website. She had every intention of finishing her degree, however, months and then years passed, and she was still physically unable to return to school. Eventually she gained enough strength to take online courses, but soon found herself overwhelmed and dropped her classes. She prayed, asking “what now?” She was nearly floored when she heard “a voice tell me to do nothing, just heal.” It was a huge leap of faith for her to trust that voice, and to put her goals … Read More
As fairytail-ish as it sounds, Diana Atenco knew one of her life’s callings was to become a Toe Reader. She just loved the opportunity to sit with people, listen to the stories of their lives, often pray with them, and always have the opportunity to help them make new choices about how they would step forward powerfully into the world. Diana completed a series of classes at Southwest Institute of Healing Arts (SWIHA) starting in 2007 and became a Registered Toe Reader. From the very first class she realized she had a gift; without ever fully understanding how she knew even more than what the toe tissue revealed, she was aware that Spirit was using her as a messenger to people of all ages. Before long she knew she needed to deepen the way she was serving her clients, so she returned to SWIHA to take the Hypnotherapy and Life … Read More
Welcome to Southwest Institute of Healing Arts (SWIHA). A rewarding and lucrative career in holistic health and wellness is at your fingertips. With the high quality education in a vast variety of healing arts waiting for you at SWIHA, your path to finding your potential is already in your reach. If you are ready to advance your education and are drawn to holistic health as a path for a professional career, come explore the rich opportunities at nationally accredited SWIHA. From Life Coaching and Hypnotherapy to Massage Therapy, Yoga Teacher Training, Holistic Nutrition and Urban Farming, we offer the right tools to give you the foundation you need. Earning a degree, diploma or certificate of excellence in your prospective field gets you the credibility, qualifications, and skill to be ready when presented with a career opportunity. Southwest Institute of Healing Arts provides the right education and hands-on experience to gain … Read More
It started as an idea, as many businesses do – a spark of heartfelt inspiration. In December 2010, Krysten Aldridge and Ann Cabano hit the streets of downtown Phoenix to find folks in need of a hug and a cup of soup… what they ended up witnessing was way beyond what they expected. As the two women walked around Phoenix that day, they were amazed by something that they couldn’t quite put their finger on. It was something they never felt before; it was big, it was beautiful, it was tragic. They began to document what they were witnessing on video. People, mostly homeless, approached them and asked what they were doing, asked if they could be part of the video. Krysten and Ann turned the camera and people quickly began to share their stories. The truth they heard from people shifted their perspective. They learned how and why the … Read More
By Nancy Jackson, Online Exit and Placement Specialist “Believe in yourself – you are capable of great accomplishments.” That’s the message Pam McCulloch, a recent Southwest Institute of Healing Arts (SWIHA) graduate, wants to share with current and future SWIHA graduates. Pam took her own advice, and while still pursuing her online degree in SWIHA’s Associate of Occupational Studies Mind-Body Transformational Psychology Online program, she launched her business, Paradise Organics. Tender and organic fruit, herb, and vegetable starter plants is what Paradise Organics is all about, providing home gardeners with organic, non-GMO starters. The Colorado based business teaches new gardeners how to get started in whatever growing space they have, even if it’s an apartment balcony. As a full time gastro-intestinal tech assisting in outpatient surgeries, Pam was thrilled to add the role of self-employed urban farmer and business owner into her busy life. How did she make her urban … Read More
by KC Miller, Founder of Southwest Institute of Healing Arts ‘Don’t dim my light!’ was the warning Richard Seaman gave me as one of his employers here on earth several years ago. This affirmation was not in the least way said in a threating or condescending manner; Richard was just very aware that his full-time employer was God. Often without warning some amazing force would show up and come out of his mouth . . . sometimes with grace, other times with real raw honesty. Before long it became increasingly obvious Richard was on loan as an employee to the college and that his real job was to be a spirit-directed pot-stirrer. He was in our employ to shake things up, do things a little differently and to prepare for his next assignment. Richard has been very reliable in showing up to deeply touch the lives of many people, to … Read More
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 … Read More
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. Transitioning out of the military left me feeling lost, although this transition was something I had been praying for since last year. I even have a print hanging in my home with the following quote. “ Do not feel lonely. The entire … Read More