Conscious Touch at the Academy

Since its inception in 1981, the New Mexico Academy of Healing Arts has provided quality education to students from all walks of life whose common call is dedication to well being. Learning takes place on many levels—one might say, “the Academy is the curriculum.” Our cutting-edge courses weave aspects of growth and healing into the living, breathing fabric of the Academy as a learning community. We graduate artistic and resourceful therapists into the dynamic healing arts profession.

The Academy strives to provide a rich and challenging learning environment, while remaining small enough to ensure personalized instruction. We enroll students without regard to race, color, gender, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin. Approximately 70% of our students are from out-of-state, and 10% are from other countries. Students bring to the community a variety of cultural backgrounds and beliefs, as well as a wide range of ages.

Our core philosophies

MINDFULNESS:  Mindfulness practices—such as meditation, community service, and commitment to well-being—are essential cornerstones of
the Academy. We invite students to know and heal themselves so they may see and understand others. Mindfulness practices are at the heart of this process. From a state of mindfulness, our natural, inherent health and well being can arise and expand until we become freer to serve in the healing process of others.

COMMUNITY:  The Academy is an organic, evolving community. Our intention as a community is to nurture a strong and flexible learning and working environment, one that embraces differing points of view and life experiences. Being present with one another and actively learning together is a challenging process. The Academy demands a level of fearlessness and emotional "intelligence" from students who are asked to engage with one another and the faculty as agents of change and transformation.

SERVICE:  To share our experience of community with the larger Santa Fe community, the Academy operates a student clinic that offers affordable treatments to the public. Over the past fourteen years our clinic has become one of the most valued aspects of the school, as students have the opportunity to practice their new profession throughout their training.

Massage and polarity therapy offer meaningful work in a wide variety of environments. Therapists can earn a good living and set flexible schedules to accommodate their individual lifestyles. Many therapists travel extensively as their skills and talents are sought cross-culturally. We often hear from graduates how grateful they are to be working in a field that is so rewarding.