The moment you step foot inside Sugar Sugar salon in Scottsdale, AZ, you are in for a sweet treat. One can expect to be greeted by a jovial and genuine staff member – oftentimes the owner herself, Aimee, or one of two graduates from the Southwest Institute of Natural Aesthetics (SWINA), Tarah Hunter or Lacey Storm. Lacey and Tarah find themselves happily employed as licensed aestheticians for a growing franchise due to their enrollment at SWINA. Lacey recalls her initial decision to attend the award-winning college, stating “I’ve always had a deep desire to help other people – even stemming as far back as when my sister struggled with skin concerns and the bullying that came with it. Nurturing her and others has always made me feel purposeful. I placed quite a bit of pressure on myself to find my ideal path and when a close friend highly recommended becoming …
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Alexis Holland (who also goes by her soul name Wayah) is a soul that’s wise beyond her years. As a graduate from SWIHA’s 800 hour Yoga Teacher Training, Life Coaching and Polarity programs, she recently launched herself (and her amazingly adorable coyote/husky pup Kiya!) on an adventerous sound–healing tour, bouncing around to various yoga studios throughout the Southwest, camping out wherever there were tall trees and a patch of Mama Earth to hold them both. In our interview, Alexis shared her journey pre- and- post SWIHA, what inspires her, and how she moved through things like fear, doubt and resistance while following her dreams. Tell us a little bit about your journey to SWIHA. What led you here, and what did you end up graduating with? Surprisingly enough, my journey to SWIHA began with love. An emmense love for myself, and a true love I stumbled upon along a cross …
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Laura Moore, owner of LaTouch Wellness, is a highly-seasoned and equally high-spirited practitioner who began her massage therapist practice in Michigan over 15 years ago, where she worked in spa settings and the local YMCA. One of her most memorable experiences was working at Ora Oxygen Spa, located inside the Detroit Metropolitan International Airport, was where she offered massage therapy, manicure and pedicure services to travelers. Laura expresses her gratitude for this specific experience, as she really enjoyed meeting people from all around the world, and having the opportunity to witness the similarities in all of us. Honored to have her as one of SWIHA’s #GreatGraduates, Laura shares that her continued education with SWIHA has “offered a different approach to my healing practice”. Upon relocating to Arizona, she discovered SWIHA and occasionally attended the monthly “Gifts & Graces” event, where SWIHA opens their doors to the public and features guest …
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Jill Roig, founder of Southwest Life Coaching, displays an ideal balance between corporate knowledge and spiritual wisdom as a coach. She combines her skills from each respective experience to better serve her clients that are interested in aligning their professional goals with their spiritual intentions. Jill deeply believes in the power of human potential and the expression of our core selves. Her professional skills play a vital role in supporting her client’s goals and dreams. She connects with this message and offers it as the foundation of her sessions: As a businesswoman who has always taken an intuitive and active approach to her own personal development, Jill attended Spirit of Yoga (a sister school of SWIHA) beginning in 2008. As she implemented yoga philosophy into her everyday life, Jill became aware of her natural gifts and graces – listening to others and empowering them to share their truth. Jill then …
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