Tag : Julie Bryant

  • Bespoke Retreats in Paradise – Bali & Lombok

    Posted Apr 2nd, 2016 By in Archives With | No Comments

    Create Your Personalised Retreat in Paradise
    Bali & Lombok
    May & June 2016

    If you’ve ever dreamt of creating your own BESPOKE RETREAT, now’s your chance to design the RETREAT EXPERIENCE of your dreams!

    Come and join me – Julie Bryant – in BALI & LOMBOK this May or June and enjoy some well deserved time out in PARADISE enjoying your personalised RETREAT PACKAGE.

    Whether you choose to travel alone, with a partner, or with a group of friends, I will work with you to create the PERFECT GETAWAY to Restore, Refresh & Revive your Mind, Body & Soul!

    With a huge range of options to choose from including;

    DETOX YOUR LIFE
    YOGA
    MEDITATION
    SPIRITUAL COUNSELLING
    INTUITIVE LIFESTYLE COACHING
    MASSAGE
    SILENCE
    MINDFULNESS
    BODY RESET PROGRAMME
    SOUND HEALING
    CREATING SACRED SPACE

    And so much more…

    If you are interested in finding out more about this UNIQUE NEW SERVICE, let’s start a conversation TODAY!

    In the first instance, please email julie@nakeddragon.co.uk with your contact details and we can begin exploring the idea of creating your BESPOKE DREAM RETREAT this Summer! 

     

     

  • Freedom Lifestyle Retreat ~ ITALY ~ 18th-25th October

    Posted Aug 6th, 2015 By in Archives With | No Comments

    DARE To Join Naked Dragon in ITALY in Partnership with Nat & Jodie of Housesitting World to Mastermind & Action Your Freedom Income Ideas!

    eat-pray-love

    Think of “Eat, Pray, Love” for a moment… In this best-selling book, author Elizabeth Gilbert told her own story of life transformation from mundane unfulfilment, to complete inner and outer freedom.

    It was a journey that commenced in Italy, indulging her senses in the rich culture, the decadent food and the romance of the language. Italy was the start of her story, a story that went on to inspire millions and has been adored by people from all over the globe.

    Would you like to redefine your own story, or perhaps start a new chapter in your life journey… and like Elizabeth, have it all start in Italy?

    This retreat has serendipitously come to fruition and therefore, no doubt this invitation has found its way to you for a reason. Maybe it is YOUR time this time…

    An Introduction to the Retreat from Nat & Jodie

    [youtube]https://youtu.be/XPAFR6ZKs_w[/youtube]

    ONLY FOUR PLACES LEFT!

    So the question is, do you DARE to join us in Italy in October?

    Do you DARE to be relaxed and creatively inspired after spending 7 nights on a beautiful estate on the outskirts of Rome, soaking up the atmosphere of the flagship Villa Property of the StoryGardenz Project, surrounded by like minds, and indulging in the fresh Italian produce, lovingly prepared by the founder of Naked Dragon Events – Juls!

    Roman Villa Silj

    Do you DARE to master the ‘Art’ of lifestyle and life balance? Taking a morning meditation walk around the culturally rich gardens, practising some yoga, cruising around Rome City, reading your favourite novel by the pool – and flowingly mix it all with brainstorming, masterminding, overcoming any limiting beliefs, gaining clarity, and getting all your questions answered by experienced freedom lifestyle travellers?

    About the Retreat

    We will be spending 7 incredible nights in the unique Roman Villa Silj located just 9Km from the historic centre of Rome City. This property is home to the ‘StoryGardenz – Seeing Stories Project’ and has been specifically handpicked for the unique story it too possesses.

    The week will involve a mix of teachings, practical exercises, relaxation time, private sessions, masterminding, and casual chatting… probably with a glass of wine in hand!

    We ask you to bring your laptop (if you have one) to facilitate our work. Some of the sessions will be inside, but weather permitting we will aim to work outside as much as possible.

    We will be dining together (breakfast will be self-serve), with meals lovingly prepared by Naked Dragon CHEF JULS, who will also be joining us for sessions throughout the week.

    Chef Juls!

    We will also take some time during the week to explore the incredible city of Rome together… as a direct experience of what it is like to live a freedom lifestyle!

    Montage of Rome

    Your Retreat Leaders
    Natalie Smith & Jodie Thompson

    As full-time international house sitters and travellers, with no home and no residency anywhere, Nat & Jodie know a thing or fifty about creating freedom and lifestyle!

    Jodie & Nat

    After a decade of ‘learning’ about consciousness, living a life they love, personal development, and wealth creation through seminars and books; for the past four years they have switched it up and actually gone out and ‘lived’ it, travelling the world together and creating an online business they absolutely love that provides them with more than enough income to continue their travels indefinitely…living their own version of a freedom lifestyle!

    But they did not start out by selling everything and having tons of money to commence their new travel lifestyle and business. In fact in 2012, after losing a business in Dubai and left with just $300 to their names (and no credit cards or savings to fall back on) they took a one way flight to London and started international house sitting as a means to save on rent and survive.

    Through applying what they had learned in their consciousness work, following their inner guidance and taking action, in just 18 months they have secured a $12000 coaching client and positioned themselves as the world’s experts in their niche of House Sitting.

    They have built a tribe of over 7000 house sitters and home owners, developed a Mobile Magazine App for iTunes & Android, created an online House Sitting Academy course, run a Live House Sitting Immersion Experience in Greece, worked JV’s and built strong relationships with other professionals in their niche, published a book, created a merchandise line launching soon, and after being interviewed in the media and on podcasts numerous times, they have now flipped roles to host their own podcast!

    All of these projects are WORLD FIRSTS within this niche!

    Achievements

    Nat & Jodie do not tell you their achievements to impress you, but rather to impress upon you the importance of collaboration (not competition). They want to inspire you to see what can be created from a single idea and achieved through masterminding at this retreat.

    They know with certainty that much of their success has come from mixing and networking with others who have walked before and with them on this journey, showing them new ways of thinking and being, and what is possible for our own lives.

    This retreat week is not about theory, it is about conscious and deliberate action towards creating your freedom lifestyle.

    And this is the only thing that truly matters at the end of the day!

    Nat & Jodie’s Recent Transformation

    Seth Godin BookA fellow digital nomad friend of Nat & Jodie’s whom you may have already heard of is Natalie Sisson ~ The Suitcase Entrepreneur.

    Natalie recently gifted the girls with a wonderful book written by Seth Godin called “What to Do When it’s Your Turn (and its always your turn)” whilst she was house sitting with them in Breckenridge Colorado earlier this year.

    It was the perfect book to read at the time as amongst the pearls of wisdom, it made them realise just how important story telling is in releasing the power within the actual story itself – both for ourselves – and for others…especially when you harness the power of your story, and do not hide behind it or feel guilty.

    Authentic telling of your story is the very thing that makes you unique, inspires people into action, and most importantly connects you to others.

    This book helped them to see the final piece of the puzzle by showing them that they were still holding onto guilty feelings around different parts of their story. They started to see that the ‘bad’ things that had happened were their most powerful stepping stones, and that these were the parts that people were most interested in because it makes us human, vulnerable and therefore relatable when sharing our story.

    The two months they spent in Colorado were literally life changing and although this book played a big part, the greater influence was actually spending time with inspiring full-time traveling entrepreneurs, masterminding with them, getting really creative with their thinking, and ‘spring cleaning’ their belief systems.

    The truth reflections and ‘possibility’ concepts these incredible people bought to them was all they needed to naturally shift those last residual limitations, taking their business, income, relationship, and life on a whole, to the next level.

    Since reading the book, brainstorming with their peers, and diving in deep to see what really excites them in life, they have unleashed their message; their true gift to share with the world… their ability to incite action and move you purposely towards your true freedom lifestyle… not just talk about it.

    And that’s what this retreat is all about!

    It’s about seeing your story, feeling it’s power for yourself and others, and then using it to unleash your unique passion within your idea or project. It is about the absolute exponential power and clarity that comes from like minds all collaborating on YOUR project… something that we can tell you first hand is priceless!

    We DARE you to come and Join Us on this Retreat to…

    • Be immersed in an environment that will fully nourish and develop your story and idea into clarity

    • Explore how you are uniquely programmed to operate and flow, and realise what business/project model ensures you remain in your joy and creativity

    • Mastermind with those already living their freedom lifestyle, traveling the world making money from anywhere (and not just us, but some surprise guest presenters as well!)

    • Learn what lifestyle means to you, how you work in the flow with maximum productivity and creativity, and balance work and lifestyle

    • See clearly what needs to be actioned and how to do that

    • Take those first action steps with us while at the retreat

    And We Dare You To Leave With…

    • Freedom from any story you are re-running that limits you

    • The ability to see the actual power your authentic story gives you & exactly how this makes your idea/project/business completely unique to you

    • Knowing how to weave that story into your idea to connect with your target audience and build an engaged and trusted tribe with it

    • Knowledge of exactly how you love to operate, your life path challenges & gifts

    • A clear blueprint of the action steps you need to take to turn your idea into reality… and a freedom income.

    • Your own *Conscious Creation Formula* to follow in everything you do in life

    • A magnetic sales funnel system underway for your project, product or service, and ways to make a freedom income right now

     If you are NOT READY to take action, then this retreat is definitely NOT FOR YOU!

    But if you are, let’s take a quick look at the StoryGardenz property where you will be hanging out with us…

    [youtube]https://youtu.be/tWnoNPpdFxI[/youtube]

    WE DARE YOU TO…Action Your Idea and Create a Freedom Income from it!

    BOOK NOW!

    The Price of FREEDOM!

    HERE ARE THE DETAILS…

    If you are ready to finally take action on your ideas, truly explore how to make it viable, and overcome any overwhelm at actually rolling it all out, then you DEFINITELY need to join us in October at our Freedom Lifestyle Mastermind Retreat in the magnificent city of Rome.

    Dates: 18th – 25th October, 2015

    Place: Roman Villa Silj – on the outskirts of Rome

    Cost: £745 – £995pp (based on private or shared room)

    ancient-roman-sarcophagus

    This investment in YOUR FREEDOM LIFESTYLE includes:-

    • A full week of free flowing masterminding, tuition, question time and chatting with full-time international travellers who have built a location independent freedom business from the ground up, earning all of their income from the road. Not to mention the wealth of experience and network from your fellow participants

    • Over 30 years of combined experience and life wisdom in online income generation, internet marketing, psychology, consciousness and living intuitively

    • Access and connections to our vast network of people that can assist you in making your idea a reality

    • 7 nights accommodation at an awesome and authentic Roman property, home to the world’s first ‘StoryGardenz’ project

    • All meals lovingly prepared for you with incredible local produce, and includes unlimited beverages (tea, coffee, beer & wine)

    • A cultural Italian welcome dinner, hosted by the owner Bernard, who will also spend time talking with us about his own creative project ‘StoryGardenz’ and how he has taken it international.

    • Tons of story telling time in a beautifully relaxed atmosphere!

    Extra costs not included: Your transport to Rome, transport to the property from Rome/Airport, and optional trip into Rome City with possible meal out.

    BONUS PREPARATION 

    Upon securing your place, you will also receive a private one-on-one consult prior to the retreat. During this session Nat & Jodie will explore your unique & innate gifts, and potential or current challenges, so they can completely personalise your experience on the retreat.

    Do not miss out on this fabulous opportunity!

    BOOK NOW AS PLACES ARE SUPER LIMITED!

    We look forward to welcoming you to Rome and to your first experience of your new FREEDOM LIFESTYLE!

    For further information of how to book your place, please email; julie@nakeddragon.co.uk or call Juls on; 07958 366555.

    Please contact Juls using the contact details above if you have any further questions prior to booking your place on the retreat.

    Please Note: Although Naked Dragon are working in partnership with Nat & Jodie in terms of promotional activities for this retreat and Julie Bryant  – founder of Naked Dragon – will be your retreat chef in Rome, your legal contract will be with Natalie Smith & Jodie Thompson of Housesitting World.

    Cancellation Policy: All deposits and payments for this retreats are non-refundable

  • There’s a Kind of Touch…

    Posted Mar 19th, 2014 By in Product Reviews, Reviews With | 3 Comments

    Julie Bryant Reviews:-

    Aromatouch Therapy

    I recently enjoyed my first experience of ArōmaTouch with Essential Oils Educator Kirsten Luff.

    Kirsten, who is also the founder of The Aromatree Company, has recently begun working with her clients using the wonderful new ArōmaTouch Technique.

    aromatouchtechHaving enjoyed a number of Aromatherapy sessions with different therapists in the past, I had assumed that this would be a similar process of a full body massage using a selection of essential oils.

    However, Kirsten was quick to explain that although this new treatment involves the use of different combinations of essential oils carefully created to address Stress Reduction, Immune Enhancement, Inflammatory Response Reduction and Homeostasis (balance); instead of the oils being used in conjunction with massage oils, the eight different oils are used neat and applied individually along the spine.

    After drops of each of the oils are applied in turn along the spine, Kirsten gently works the oils into the skin using a wonderfully relaxing series of flowing hand movements, starting from the sacrum area and working her way along each side of the spine up into the base of the hairline.

    The Session

    The scent of the essential oils combined with Kirsten’s gentle healing touch relaxed me almost immediately and I felt myself floating away into a world of starry nights and swirls of colour.

    As the session progressed, at one point it felt as though I’d left my body and entered into a world of such beauty that words are inadequate to even begin to describe this awesome experience, other than to say that I was in no hurry to return from happily drifting along enjoying this magical space between the worlds!

    Once Kirsten had applied six of the eight oils and worked these into the skin surrounding my spinal column, she covered my back with layers of cosy warm blankets and proceeded to combine the final two oils and apply these to the soles of both my feet.

    I love having my feet worked on and even though this wasn’t a massage or reflexology session, just having the oils rubbed into my feet in a systematic matter was a heavenly experience that I just wanted to go on and on…and on!

    Once my feet had been treated, these were covered again with blankets whilst Kirsten used the same two oils to complete the treatment on my back before leaving me to relax in my essential oil infused stupor until I felt ready to emerge back into the world and into my day’s activities.

    Although at just 40 minutes, this treatment was slightly shorter than the average therapy session, it was very powerful and effective in terms of creating a sense of relaxation and well being from the outset of the session and the first application of the essential oils.

    Kirsten is a skilled practitioner with a wealth of knowledge and experience in the field of Aromotherapy, as well as being a natural healer. Her innate gift becomes obvious as soon as she lays her hands on your back and you feel the heat and healing vibrations emanating through her and towards the area of your body that requires the most attention.

    At the end of the treatment, as well as feeling totally relaxed and at peace with the world, I also felt wonderfully vibrant and full of energy with a great sense of well being. I’ve not experienced a treatment quite like this before…and I loved every relaxing moment! Even as I write this article in the early hours of the morning, I continue to experience the warm healing glow from our session and I’m looking forward to a wonderful restorative night’s sleep.

    I enjoyed this special treatment so much that I will be joining the end of the long queue of eager clients lining up to experience another session of Kirsten’s wonderful healing Aromatouch!

    CLICK HERE TO READ MORE about the AROMATOUCH Technique 

    About Kirsten Luff

    Kirsten LuffFounder and owner of The Aromatree Company, Kirsten Luff, has created a range of multi-award winning aromatherapy foot creams containing her own unique special blends of essential oils.

    Kirsten is also an Essential Oils Educator, an experienced Aromatherapist, Reflexologist and Kinesiologist.

    You can purchase Kirsten’s foot creams and essential oils from The Aromatree website , or she can be contacted for appointments on…

    info@thearomatreecompany.com or give her a call on 07906 968422.

  • Experiencing I AM

    Posted May 21st, 2013 By in Blog, Reviews With | No Comments

    A Review by Julie Bryant

    Facebook ProfileIt was a real honour and a great pleasure when Naked Dragon was recently invited to collaborate with Team Desai to present Panache Desai at his first ever UK event in London – The I AM Experience – on the weekend of 17th-19th July 2013.

    With guests arriving from 17 different countries, it was a real testament to the quality of Panache’s teachings and the power of his energy to have drawn so many people from around the world wishing to finally experience themselves in the full magnificence of their being.

    A Simple Message

    Panache’s message is a very simple one…

    He describes himself as being an ‘Old Friend’ whom we have asked to remind us that we are NOT broken, do NOT require fixing and are PERFECT just as we are!

    When all you’ve ever wanted is to be fully embraced for who and what you are, Panache will say, “YOU are NOT the Problem. YOU are 100% Loveable. Get used to it!”

    The I AM Experience

    IAM-Slate3smallOver the course of the weekend, I came to understand exactly what Panache means when he says that I am not broken and there is nothing about me that I need to fix. I now realise that I have spent my whole life searching for the road that would lead me back home to myself and that I AM the ONE that I have been patiently waiting for all this time!

    Panache’s work is highly experiential and works on many different levels. For those of us who spend much of our time stuck in our heads, it was such a relief to let go, relax into the experience and to enjoy the simple pleasure being immersed in the beauty of our own being.

    The I AM Experience was rich and joyful with Panache sharing so much wisdom and universal truths in rapid succession that he hardly had a chance to draw breath before he was expressing yet another life changing statement!

    Panache is an embodiment of a Descended Master who has known his destiny from a very young age and his message is beginning to ripple outwards to reach into every hidden corner of the globe.

    Being in Panache’s presence,  I had no choice other than to recognise that the entire universe resides inside of me and that as I allow the full light of my luminosity to shine, the beauty of my soul and the magnificence of my being  is reflected back to me. Panache says that as we recognise the energy we are projecting, the mirrors will simply break into pieces as they are no longer required!

    In the past, I have often repressed my emotions resulting in the creation of many blockages in my energy field causing all kinds of challenges to my sense of well-being.

    To begin releasing these blockages, Panache explains that we need to be willing to be courageous and vulnerable. He encourages us to feel safe with who we are and to be ready to embark on a vibrational journey towards a state of grace.

    From this state of being, we can allow all of our emotions to arise knowing that everything in time passes and that everything washes through. In order to continue raising our vibrational levels, we need to keep releasing our emotions, none of which matter or have any power, unless we make them matter or assign a meaning to the feeling, because the light that we are never changes.

    Panache describes being Naked as stripping away everything to get to a place of NO-THING-NESS. And from this place of no-thing-ness, we understand that we are…

    A NO-Body, Experiencing NO-Thing and Going NO-Where!

    The road to madness is to drive ourselves crazy as a result of Wanting to be SOME-One, Experiencing SOME-Thing and Going SOME-Where!

    As we continue being a NO-Body, everything happens spontaneously through us. Panache asks us to be available, to be present and to watch what happens. When we are willing to be open, the universe will do the rest as the Divine’s version of our life is always better than our own!

    By being who we are, our light becomes so strong that we remind others of their own light and who they really are. Our gift to the world is to find our own expression in whatever we are doing and whatever it is, to do it our own way. The world is how WE see it; and we need to have the courage to see the good in everyone and everything.

    It is time to make LOVE the New Normal as everything we do that takes us away from being open and available for life is a distraction. As we become more of ourselves than we have ever allowed ourselves to be and as we begin working with spirit, there is no longer a need to hold onto our modalities as God is going to start talking to us througH EVERYONE!

    No Lessons – Just Experiences!

    Panache-Head-Shot-Real-TalkEven though Panache believes that we are here to have experiences – not to learn lessons – he is nevertheless an engaging and entertaining teacher who had us all laughing and crying in equal measure throughout the course of the weekend!

    Panache raised the vibrational levels in the room to such an extent that by the Sunday morning I could feel the waves of energy flowing throughout my body as I began clearing not just my own ‘stuff’, but many lifetimes of fear based belief systems from seven past generations of family members. By clearing these huge blockages of fear stuck in my energy field Panache explained that I had also freed the negative energy blockages from seven future generations of my family; all of which all sounds pretty cool to me!

    Having been immersed in this hugely transformational experience with Panache, things have begun to change for me on many different levels already. At the time of writing this piece, two days after the I AM Experience, my body is beginning to catch up with the shifts in my energy field and I am now feeling much lighter, freer and in a greater place of self-love than I have ever experienced in the past.

    Panache’s message might be a simple one but the shifts in consciousness that he facilitated during the course of the weekend are truly powerful beyond measure.

    It feels wonderful to be part of this rapidly expanding global Desai family and as Panache rightly says, there is no need to come back for another such experience as we now truly understand that there wasn’t anything to ‘fix’ because we were never ‘broken’ in the first place!

    However, if we do chose to attend another event in the future…and I can almost guarantee that many of us will… it will be because we have chosen to experience some more of Panache’s good vibrations; to have fun meeting some of our ‘old friends’ and to enjoy seeing the beauty of ourselves being reflected by a group of people representing our fellow 7.2 billion beautiful beings on this planet!

    It was a priceless gift to have experienced this very special weekend with Panache in such an intimate setting. I truly believe that he will soon become a household name and that the next time he is back in town, he will be speaking to crowds of hundreds – if not thousands of new fans!

    Such is the power of his gift to reconnect us to our true selves that everyone will be wanting to ‘Meet their Old Friend – Panache Desai.’

    Panache Live

    Panache’s next live event is Living in the Heart of Possibility at the Global Gathering in Florida on 21st-23rd June.

    Living in the Heart of Possibility – Global Gathering: June 21-23 from Panache Desai on Vimeo.

     

     

  • Three Magic Keys to Unlocking our Soul’s Purpose

    Posted Mar 6th, 2013 By in Blog With | 1 Comment

    Three Magic Keys

    Witnessing some of the changes that other people are going through during these times of great change inspired me to identity these Three Magic Keys and to explore how we can use other people’s experiences to begin Unlocking our Soul’s True Purpose.

    FIRST KEY ~ LET GO

    article-1179969-021046A1000004B0-742_468x383TEN years ago I was offered an amazing work opportunity in the Middle East which involved having less than two weeks to pack up my home; say goodbye to my friends and family; let go of almost all of my possessions – and leave behind my life in the UK.

    With very little time for my fears and doubts to take hold, I followed the guidance of my heart and a couple of weeks later I was sitting on the plane feeling lighter and freer than at any other time in my life. It turned out to be one of the best experiences of my life and was a great lesson in the joys and benefits of travelling light!

    The wonderful music maestro, Tim Wheater, recently announced on Facebook that he had reached a “Milestone Zen Moment” and had decided to really let go by selling his house and nearly all his possessions to create the space his soul required to follow his path of creativity to seek and develop a new language of sound that will vibrate globally.

    His words seemed to resonate with many of his fans as the response to his heart felt words created a wave of good wishes and expressions of longing to find the courage to take their own first steps towards personal freedom. Tim also reminds us of a quote from the  inspirational writer, Julia Cameron, when she says, “Take the Leap and the Net will Appear.” And so it will when we trust in the universe to support us as we choose to simply Let Go…and Let God!

    SECOND KEY ~ LIVE SIMPLY

    R4630-may-i-liveLIFE is so much more enjoyable when we stop chasing our own tails in pursuit of whatever it is that we think is missing in our lives – or what we believe we need more of. Once our basic needs of warmth, food, shelter and community are taken care of, anything else we may acquire or experience is just the icing on the cake!

    Last week I had the pleasure of hearing Rev Peter Owen Jones talk at Alternatives in London when he shared his story of How to Live a Simple Life; a process that he demonstrated during the BBC TV series of the same name after being given the challenge of following in the footsteps of St Francis of Assisi and living for three months with no money, no home and no obvious means of support.

    His story is a real inspiration and one that you can hear for yourself during his talk at Naked Dragon next month.

    THIRD KEY – LOVE YOURSELF

    cute girlWE can only truly express Love when we understand what it means to Be Love. And this starts by learning how to love and accept ourselves unconditionally.

    Without a strong and healthy sense of Self-Love we can become needy and form attachments to other people in a mistaken belief that their love for us can fill a hole in our hearts which only the power and grace of self-love can truly heal.

    One of Naked Dragon’s favourite speakers, Dr David Hamilton, has recently turned his attention to exploring the health benefits of Self-Love with his new course, I Heart Me: The Science of Self .

    David’s scientific research into the power of our thoughts to heal our lives has led him to believe that Loving Ourselves is the most powerful and transformative thing we can do for ourselves.

    Living from the Heart

    Since identifying these Three Magic Keys and starting to Unlock my Soul’s Purpose, I have begun to experience some wonderful shifts within my inner and outer worlds.  There is a real sense of ‘coming home to me’ and it feels really good to know that I am finally on the right path towards Living my Life Simply…and From my Heart.

     

  • Dancing with Dystonia

    Posted Dec 2nd, 2012 By in Blog With | No Comments

    What is Dystonia?

    Dystonia is a malfunction of the part of the brain (basal ganglia) that controls different muscle groups. It is a movement disorder that causes the muscles to contract and spasm involuntarily.

    The neurological mechanism that makes muscles relax when they are not in use does not function properly and opposing muscles often contract simultaneously as if they are ‘competing’ for control of a body part.

    These involuntary muscle contractions force the body into repetitive and often twisting movements as well as awkward, irregular postures. There are approximately 13 forms of Dystonia, and dozens of diseases and conditions include Dystonia as a major symptom.

    There is also thought to be a link with Parkinson’s which originates in the same part of the brain (basal ganglia).

    Watching this interview with Michael J Fox (who also suffers from Parkinson’s) as talks about his facial Dystonia, I felt huge admiration for Michael’s courage in sharing his story in such a public way. I am very grateful to him for doing so, as he has given me the confidence to stand up and begin sharing my own story.

    [youtube]http://youtu.be/Wjy0bkki89M[/youtube]

    The Numbers

    Unbelievably, there are more than  70,000 known sufferers of Dystonia in the UK alone – the same number as Clinically Obese people – and yet very few people have ever heard of this chronic condition that affects so many lives.

    There are also many thousands of others who have been misdiagnosed due to the current lack of knowledge about Dystonia.

    In North America there are known to be 550,000 people diagnosed with some form of Dystonia; although it is believed that the real figure is more likely to be in the region of 1,000,000.

    That is a huge number of people to be suffering from a condition for which there is currently no effective treatment – or hope of a cure – from a medical establishment that really knows very little about the condition.

    Funding is also very limited thereby affecting the amount of research taking place. The main reason for this shortage of funding is a lack of awareness. 

    Dancing with Dystonia – My Story

    My personal Dance with Dystonia began in 2008 whilst I was working in Europe. My position as head of a team of operations staff carried a great deal of responsibility and often required a great deal of hand written work.

    During the first week in my new role, I noticed that I was beginning to experience problems holding my pen. It kept slipping out of my hand and across the page, requiring me to re-write many pages of work.

    As this began to occur more frequently, I became very self-conscious as I couldn’t understand what was happening – or what I could do about it.

    My hands continued to misbehave for the next couple of weeks before beginning to ache like crazy. I would awake in the mornings with both hands curled into a ‘claw like’ grip and it would take best part of an hour for them to uncurl.

    I was unable to lift the kettle to make a cup of tea, get myself dressed – or even wash my hair. Basic manual tasks were almost impossible until I regained some sort of control over my hands and the reflex spasms that were causing me to lose my grip on simple objects.

    During the day, my hands would begin to shake and I would have to walk away from my desk and do another task before my colleagues began to notice the spasms and start to question my ability to do the job.

    I was becoming very distressed, particularly as hand-written creative writing is one of my passions and my growing inability to write more than a few words was beginning to rob me of one of my greatest pleasures and joys in life.

    Obviously something wasn’t right…but as the symptoms didn’t fit within my limited range of medical knowledge…I just tried to ignore them in the hope that they would go away.

    Sadly that wasn’t to be and over the next three months – as the discomfort and pain became steadily worse – I decided to return to the UK to be referred to a neurologist.

    The Diagnosis

    I was finally diagnosed with Focal Dystonia in November 2009 – a condition for which there is currently no known cure – and only limited options for treatment – most of which are pretty ineffective.

    It was the first time I had heard the term Dystonia, even though my younger brother had been suffering from Cervical Torticollis for the previous five years – a different form of Dystonia which causes his head to be permanently twisted to one side.

    Not once had I heard my brother refer to the condition as being called Dystonia, so it came as a real shock to find that we were both suffering from the same condition. He has now been in agony for many years as his body continues to twist and distort and pharmaceutical treatment has so far proved to be totally ineffective.

    It is hard to observe my brother suffering in this way and even though he tries to stay upbeat I can sense him smiling through the pain. I have so much love and admiration for his bravery in agreeing to be a ‘guinea pig’ for the medical establishment by giving his consent to try out new drug treatments for a condition they still know very little about.

    Sadly, none of these treatments – including the most common form of treatment –Botox injections – have had any beneficial effects and he has now drawn the line at subjecting himself to DBS – Deep Brain Stimulation – which is often offered to sufferers as a last resort due to risks involved in the procedure.

    We have also recently come to understand that our Mother’s long standing throat condition could be due to Vocal Dystonia.

    The On-Going Journey

    My personal journey with Dystonia has progressed since my diagnosis three years ago and the condition now affects my eyesight, my neck and right shoulder – and just recently my stomach muscles have decided to join in the dance!

    As I strongly believe that the body has the ability to heal itself, I have refused all offers of the same type of treatment as my brother, as it is my belief that a natural cure – or treatment – for this distressing and painful condition will be found in the near future.

    Since the diagnosis, I have been exploring a natural and holistic approach to managing my condition; whereas my brother has chosen to walk the pharmaceutical path – so far without any noticeable success.

    I am now on a personal quest to explore the many holistic approaches to self-healing with the intention of discovering a natural and non-intrusive approach to managing and ultimately finding a cure for this extremely debilitating condition.

    A Natural Approach to Managing Dystonia

    Having explored many different therapeutic forms of treatment, the most beneficial approaches I have so far found for managing and REDUCING the effects of my condition have been;

    1. The McTimoney Technique – a gentle Chiropractic treatment 
    2. Sound Healing – powerful healing sound vibrations, particularly with The Gong
    3. Reflexology sessions – combined with the use of a range of hand-made, aromatherapy based and kinesiology tested Natural Foot Creams
    4. Vegetarian Diet
    5. Homeopathic Treatment
    6. Daily Yoga, Meditation and Mindfulness – nourishing my body and mind with positive loving thoughts
    7. Researching and implementing the findings of some of today’s leaders in the fields of Neuroplasticity, Quantum Physics and the Re-programming of the Mind,

    This includes the work of…

    Dr Joe Dispensza
    http://www.drjoedispenza.com/

    Dr David Hamilton
    http://drdavidhamilton.com/

    Dr Deepak Chopra
    http://www.deepakchopra.com/ 

    …amongst many others.

    With the amazing work these people are doing, my intuition tells me that their valuable research will ultimately hold the key to unlocking the mystery of Dystonia and other similar neurological conditions.

    Moving Forward

    It is my dearest wish to play a small part – on behalf of my brother, my mother, myself – and the millions of other sufferers worldwide – to raise awareness of Dystonia and to fulfil my dream of moving us all towards Dystonia Free Life.

    It is my hope that by continuing to share my story, someone else with a similar condition will be inspired to find the support and encouragement they need to take charge of their own healing and to improve the quality of their life in some way.

    After all, Miracles DO Happen Every Day!

    Dancing the Dance

    During 2013 I will initially be blogging about my on-going exploratory journey to find effective ways of managing my condition, before launching a not-for-profit organisation called ‘Dancing with Dystonia’ as soon as the support and the funding is in place.

    The organisation will share knowledge and the latest scientific research, as well as promoting a holistic approach to managing and ultimately – finding a natural cure – for this debilitating condition.

    It will help to build supportive online and local community groups, and provide an educational resource for those affected by Dystonia and other similar neurological conditions.

    THANK YOU – for reading this far – and for giving me the opportunity to share some of my story with you.

    I would love to hear from you if you know of any effective natural therapies – or treatments – for this condition…or of any other pioneering work being done in this field.

    If you would be interested in playing a supportive role in helping to create the new organisation, please email me at: julie @nakeddragon.co.uk and we can start the conversation!

    Or if you are affected by this condition, know someone who is…or would just like more information on the different approaches I am using to manage my condition, please feel free to contact me on the email address above and I will be delighted to help.

    A Little Reminder that The Dance resides in All of Us.
    Look out for the Dancing Sheep half way through this great video!

    [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEAIJV6CmtA[/youtube]

    Support Dystonia this Christmas

    Naked Dragon’s special Christmas Concert with the Voice of 100,000 Angels – Lucinda Drayton – on Sunday 16th December, is being held in support of The Dystonia Society and MacMillan.

    If you would like to join us for this evening of beautiful music, please book your ticket asap as these are selling out FAST!

    Further details of this magical event can be found HERE

    We will also be holding a raffle on the night to raise additional funds. A full list of our fantastic prizes can be found HERE

    Further Information

    Further information about Dystonia can be found from The Dystonia Society

    http://www.dystonia.org.uk/

     

     

     

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