Our Humble Beginning ~ by KC Miller
Twenty years ago, during one of the lowest times of my life, I accepted an invitation to have my first massage. During that experience, I had a very clear vision. The story of that vision I will share with you another time, however, it lead to my enrolling in massage school. Very quickly, I built a busy massage practice, and began working almost full-time at the massage college from which I graduated. In August of 1992 I was offered a position as Director of the college. Instead of being overjoyed, I had mixed feelings. Based on the vision I had four years before, I always believed I would one day direct a college ... and yet ... something about this offer did not feel right. I tossed and turned all weekend. Finally, I just got up from bed and started listening to a set of tapes a friend had given me entitled When You Believe It, You will See It by Wayne Dyer.
I listened until dawn … and was more confused than ever. My husband finally confronted me, "for heaven sake, what do you really want?" "If
I admit my heart's deepest truth," I said, "I always see myself owning my own school. But deep down I really never believe I will be
able to make the dream, the vision come true." Then, my husband asked the question that changed my life forever. "What would it take to open
your own school?" Without hesitation, I said, "it would take $3000!" Little did I realize how naïve that thought was; however, at
the time it is what I believed. My husband unconditionally loaned me the money – and the rest is history. Of course there were bumps in the road,
and there were countless times my checkbook would have gone into the red had it not been for the income from my massage practice paying the rent and the
many vendors who were very, very understanding - taking LOTS of 'trade' for services.
Southwest Institute of Myotherapy (SWIM) opened September 15, 1992 with six students attending a 200 hour Massage Therapy program two nights a week. Every weekend we offered a new continuing education class. One class each weekend grew to two or three. We began to add programs one by one until we outgrew our facility on Scottsdale Road. As we decided to move to a larger location, we realized it was time to also change our name to better reflect the larger variety of classes and programs we offered. And, in 1998, SWIM became SWIHA – the Southwest Institute of Healing Arts.
After our move, we continued to grow to an all time high of 1000 students per week; everything was wonderful. Then, on the morning of September 11, 2001, the world changed for everyone … including SWIHA. Our student population dropped to below 400 students per week! It was a very scary time for us. Especially because we had just signed a lease to move SWIHA into a new location in Tempe, doubling our rent. My first thought was to cancel all our expansion plans, downsize, and just hope and pray we could make payroll. Once again, my husband met me on my knees. He said simply, "What do you believe?" I very clearly remember saying, "I believe God will take care of us … but He is going to need a little help! I can’t even begin to imagine where that help is going to come from." What happened next still brings tears to my eyes. My husband borrowed against his retirement fund, and mortgaged our house to infuse $100,000 into SWIHA. He also insisted we move forward with our plans to take a larger facility in Tempe … and that we continue to tithe, pray, and give God all the credit.
Today, we own SWIHA’s buildings in Tempe, and continue to be blessed with expansion opportunities. I am humbled by how many people stop to thank
me for creating SWIHA. My hope, is that by reading this story of SWIHA’s beginning, you will see why I always say, "It is not me... I
am just a willing Instrument." If there is anyone who really deserves the credit – other than God - it is my husband and business partner, Dr.
Brian Miller. He has been the rock, the foundation on which SWIHA was built, and continues to move forward. You can email him at
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to
extend your anniversary congratulations!
My faith continues to grow, and I ask myself regularly "What do I believe?" SWIHA is living proof that we will see it when we believe it!
Happy Halloween Faces
by Will Zecco
Faces
Whether its a Fairy Princess, Freddy Kruger or the Dark Night, dressing up for Halloween is fun; For kids and adults! Using make-up as an alternative to a mask is not only safer (masks can impair vision), it may also be less expensive and look a lot better.
You don't need to be a make-up artist to create a great face. With a little help, and some practice, you can create a wide variety of fabulous or ghoulish looks. Also, you need not spend a whole lot of money on fancy products to create a look. Costume shops offer a wide variety of different types of make up, from grease paint, to pancake make-up, to artificial wounds and scars that can be applied with special adhesive. However, there are often many options right at home in your own make-up drawer.
As with anything, there are a few things that you might want to consider before you slap on a lot of make-up or other products:
- Read all directions on specialty make up very carefully before application.
- Check all ingredients prior to application. Most make-up today is water soluble, easily removable, and very safe for use on all ages.
- Prior to applying make-up, use a light application of moisturizer to help combat any dryness. This will help transfer colors that have a red or dark base, and make removing the make-up easier.
- If you are concerned about skin sensitivity, pre-test the make-up you will be using BEFORE the big day. To test, dab a small amount on your arm and leave it for one full a day. If you develop a rash, or any other irritation, DO NOT USE it on your face. This is especially important if you already have allergies.
- Parental supervision is required for if make-up will be used on children.
- Children can sometimes be more sensitive to products that adults typically use.
- For mascara, use a disposable applicator. The transfer of an eye infection is the easiest thing to do. For children, buy a new inexpensive mascara to avoid any potentially contaminated products.
- Be very carful around the eyes. The skin around the eye is more fragile and can be easily stretched.
- Be gentle when removing eye make-up; use eye makeup remover whenever possible.
- Do not put anything on your face that is not intended for use on skin.
- Remove all make-up after the party is over. Cold cream is excellent for removing heavy make up like grease paint and pancake make up. Apply cold cream to the entire face. Then, using a soft cloth or tissues, remove excess make up. A couple of applications may be necessary depending on how heavy the makeup was applied. Finally, clean your face with a gentle cleanser.
- Never scrub! It can cause skin irritation.
- Once all the make–up is removed, apply a toner and light moisturizer. Ladies, eye cream is also beneficial
- Do not go to bed with make-up on your skin. Parents, help your kids remove their make-up.
Whatever direction you choose, there are endless options available on the internet. If you search Google for “Halloween Make-up” there are all kinds of tips and websites – as well as directions to your local costume shops. So enjoy the season safely.
Boo!
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Expanding our Horizons
by Brad Bouté
It is time for Southwest Institute of Healing Arts to leverage the expanding capabilities of social networking and online education to extend our ability to touch lives, heal bodies, and free souls. As we mentioned in our newsletter last month, Southwest Institute of Healing Arts has begun the process of bringing some of our courses, certificates, and programs into the world of online education. Our goal is to have limited courses available by January of 2009! We are not announcing which courses at this time, but stay tuned to our newsletters for updates!
We are also broadening our reach into the world of social networking. Our goal is to have a presence on all of the major social networks as well as some unique to the holistic healthcare community. The more ways people can find us, the more lives we can touch. So far, we have a blog , a twitter account, and a facebook account. Please check them out and send in your feedback. We will be providing updates through this newsletter and the Twitter account as they happen.
Finally, I should introduce who I am. I am the new member of the SWIHA team who is leading these causes. My current title is Director of Online Education, and I am thrilled to be a part of this dynamic and extrordinary school. I have worked in higher education for just about a decade, holding such roles as instructor, lead instructor, Department Chair, Director of Education, and Director of Faculty. I am currently pursuing a Ph.D in Educational Technology from Walden University, and hold a Master of Fine Arts degree from Arizona State University and a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Millikin University. I have been an active advocate of technology in my personal life and in my education for over 20 years. Through my doctoral work, I hopes to extended affordable, online, vocational education to as many people in the Phoenix area as possible to lower unemployment and positively affect the lives of all those willing to commit to their own edification and personal improvement.
Please feel free to
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any questions you may have - or just to say hi!
Thanks!
Brad
By Rachel Albert-Matesz
"When far-flung families get together for Thanksgiving dinners next week, much of their food will have logged more miles than their relatives and
friends around the table," finds a new study by the Worldwatch Institute, an environmental and social policy research organization based in Washington,
D.C.. "In the United States, food now travels between 1,500 and 2,500 miles from farm to table, as much as 25 percent farther than two decades ago," say
experts at the World Watch Institute.
"We are spending far more energy to get food to the table than the energy we get from eating the food. A head of lettuce grown in the Salinas Valley of California and shipped nearly 3,000 miles to Washington, D.C., requires about 36 times as much fossil fuel energy in transport as it provides in food energy when it arrives," says Worldwatch Research Associate Brian Halweil, author of Home Grown: The Case for Local Food in a Global Market.
Our reliance on food picked long ago and far away undermines local economies, creates numerous opportunities for contamination, and increases fuel use, contributing to global warming. It also reduces the nutritional value of our food. Fresh vegetables and fruits can lose 50 percent of their carotene (pro-vitamin A) content and 60 percent of their vitamin C within three days of being harvested. A week after harvest, these nutrients can be completely lost. Rarely is fresh produce in the consumers’ mouths within a day of harvest when the nutritional value is greatest (assuming the produce was allowed to ripen fully).
The solution is to base your holiday meal and the other 1094 meals a year on increasing amounts of locally grown food. According to some surveys, a typical meal comprised of locally grown ingredients may require four to 17 times less petroleum to transport than the same meal bought from conventional food chains.
Picture a bull's-eye; we are in the middle. The next circle out consists of the rest of our state. The next represents neighboring states, our region,
and then our bioregion. What you want to do is buy more food from the inner circles, the ones closer to home. If you live in Arizona that means you'd
make Arizona grown apples your first choice, California and Washington apples your second choice, apples from the Midwest your third choice, and those
from the East coast your fourth choice. You would forego apples from New Zealand. This is most important for the most perishable products are those
you use in the largest amounts (vegetables, fruits, meat, eggs, seafood, and dairy products vs. dried herbs and spices). It also means you would eat
more apples and fewer bananas if you live in the U.S.
While you may not be able to do this for everything, you can make a positive impact on your local and national economy, worldwide ecology, and your health by increasing the amount of locally grown food you buy and consume now and throughout the year. Don’t fret if you still buy some out of season, out of region foods; I do. In some cases your budget or time constraints may limit your options. Think of it as a process––not an all or nothing proposition. Every local purchase counts as progress. Start by frequenting your local farmers’ markets. You may be surprised at how many foods Arizona farmers’ grow. Check the origin labels in stores and choose more Arizona and U.S. grown food.
Let’s give thanks and celebrate our blessings by supporting farmers from as close to home as possible and by making our meals plant-based, produce dominated, and made from unrefined whole foods free of artificial ingredients. To learn more about how to cook this way, sign up for Whole Foods Cuisine I and Wholefoods Cuisine II through Southwest Institute of Healing Arts.
For locations and hours of operation of farmers’ markets close to your home check out:
Farmers' markets by state
http://www.ams.usda.gov/farmersmarkets/map.htm
Find farms, farmers' markets & CSAs in your area
http://www.foodroutes.org
10 Reasons to buy locally grown food
http://www.asapconnections.org/local.htm
What’s on your menu for Thanksgiving?
Try these healthy recipes from Chef Rachel Albert-Matesz, The Healthy Cooking Coach and her award-winning book, The Garden Of Eating: A Produce-Dominated Diet & Cookbook and her newest release, The Ice Dream Cookbook: Dairy-Free Ice Cream Alternatives with Gluten-Free Cookies, Compotes and Sauces, both available in the SWIHA bookstore. You'll find additional recipes and menus in her books.
Check our Rachel’s blog for more recipes and ideas:
http://www.TheHealthyCookingCoach.com
Biography
Rachel has been a natural foods chef, cooking instructor, freelance food and health writer, cooking coach, and speaker for more than 20 years. She has led more than 800 cooking classes in five states, and published more than 225 articles in national magazines and regional papers.
Rachel developed recipes for two books by best-selling author Barry Sears. She co-authored, The Garden of Eating: A Produce-Dominated Diet and Cookbook (Planetary Press, 2004) and wrote The Ice Dream Cookbook: Dairy-Free Ice Cream Alternatives with Gluten-Free Cookies, Compotes & Sauces (Planetary Press, fall 2008).
She lives in Phoenix, Arizona, and teaches natural foods cooking for Southwest Institute of Healing Arts and in kitchen shops, private homes, schools, and corporations. She also leads cooking parties, dinner parties, and healthy shopping tours, coaches clients in their kitchens, speaks to groups about healthy eating, and regularly appears on Channel 3's show, Your Life A to Z, in Phoenix.
Rachel is dedicated to inspiring healthy choices and demonstrating that great taste and good nutrition can go hand in hand. Her mission is to awaken your
inner chef and enhance your appreciation for the nourishing power of natural foods. If you don't like "healthy" food, you haven’t
tried Rachel's recipes.
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