Tag: AUTOIMMUNE

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From Death’s Door to Thriving: How Reiki Transformed My Life

“a brandy experience” picture

Life has a way of pushing us to our limits. For me, those limits came louder and harder than I ever anticipated. From battling chronic illnesses to making life-altering decisions, my journey has been one of survival, transformation, and healing. Looking back now, I see those moments as the catalysts for a profound change—a journey from the edge of despair to a life filled with purpose, peace, and abundance. This is my story, and I hope it inspires you to embrace your own healing journey.

The Breaking Point

In 2018, I faced my darkest days. Living in Connecticut, the cold weather was my enemy, and my autoimmune diseases—Lupus, Rheumatoid Arthritis, and Asthma—were relentless. I was confined to my bedroom, tethered to a breathing machine, and barely able to leave my house. On the rare occasions I did, I had to bundle up in turtlenecks and scarves to protect myself from the biting cold that seemed to sap every ounce of my strength. I felt like a prisoner in my own body, fighting pain and despair daily.

It was during this time, at my lowest point, that I knew something had to change. My life couldn’t continue like this. I began to realize that true healing would require a drastic shift—not just in my physical health, but in my entire way of living.

Discovering Reiki

My introduction to Reiki was a turning point. A nurse, acting quietly behind my doctor’s back, introduced me to this healing practice during an appointment. I was never skeptical about Reiki, and from the moment her hands moved over me, I felt an undeniable connection. When I walked out of that office, I wasn’t the same dying woman who had walked in. My pain had subsided, my energy was restored, and I felt an overwhelming sense of peace and joy. For the first time in years, I danced and sang when I got home. My family looked at me with shock and disbelief—where had this new Brandy come from?

That night, my husband and I dove into researching Reiki, hungry to understand this miraculous shift. The more I learned, the more I knew this was my path. Reiki wasn’t just a tool for healing—it was a lifeline, a way to reclaim my life.

The Journey to Transformation

Reiki became my lifeline, but it wasn’t just about healing myself. It awakened something within me—a calling to help others. I started practicing on fellow autoimmune warriors like myself, people who had been dismissed by doctors and left without hope. As I honed my skills, my spirit guides encouraged me to expand my reach beyond autoimmune patients, especially after the collective trauma of COVID.

Eventually, my journey led me to Hawaii in May 2019, a place that has been instrumental in my healing. The warmth of the sun, the grounding energy of the earth, and the soothing rhythm of the ocean have made me feel like I’m in remission. I immersed myself in the spiritual and healing energy of the islands, connecting deeply with crystals and practicing self-care rituals. I even traveled to Bali to receive attunements from a Bali healer, further deepening my practice.

Leaving the entertainment industry behind wasn’t easy. I gave up the glitz, the glamour, and the financial rewards of working with top celebrities. But I knew I had to prioritize my health and well-being. I chose peace and healing over parties and prestige, and it was the best decision I ever made.

“a Brandy experience” picture

Manifesting My Dream Life

Reiki didn’t just heal me—it transformed my entire life. As I cleared my energy and aligned with my purpose, I began manifesting the life I had always dreamed of. In 2024, I launched “A Brandy Experience,” a business dedicated to energy healing and wellness. I also opened DUO MODERN, a curated lifestyle online store that reflects my journey and passions. Manifestation became my superpower, allowing me to create a life filled with purpose, abundance, and joy.

Today, I have clients from all over the world, including India and Japan, who seek out my unique gift. Whether it’s helping someone manage chronic pain, guiding an athlete to peak performance, or connecting loved ones through energy, I am honored to share this work. Every testimonial, every success story fuels my commitment to this path.

Lessons Learned

  1. Healing Is Not Linear: There will be ups and downs, but every step forward matters. Trust the process.
  2. Energy Matters: Aligning your energy through practices like Reiki can unlock profound healing and transformation.
  3. Manifestation Works: Set clear intentions, take inspired actions, and trust the universe to deliver.
  4. Self-Care Is Non-Negotiable: You can’t pour into others if your own cup is empty. Prioritize yourself.
“a Brandy experience” picture

Inspiring Your Journey

If you’re feeling stuck, know this: transformation is possible. You don’t have to have all the answers right now. Start small. Explore healing modalities like Reiki, set intentions, and be open to the magic that happens when you care for your energy.

Reiki taught me that healing and thriving aren’t just for the lucky—they’re for anyone willing to take the first step. My hope is that my story encourages you to explore your own path to healing and manifestation. You deserve to thrive, and it all starts with believing that you can.

Are you ready to awaken your inner light? Let’s begin the journey together.

Celebrity Reiki Practitioner Brandy Gomez-Duplessis based in Hawaii and California by appointment

Warm Healing Light,
Brandy Gomez-Duplessis
Celebrity Reiki Practitioner | Energy Healer | Wellness Advocate
🌿 A Brandy Experience: Healing Energy for the Mind, Body & Soul
📩 brandy@abrandyexperience.com | 📞 808-321-7615
🌐 abrandyexperience.com

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I’m A Reiki Energy Healer Living In Hawaii

Oahu, Hawaii Reiki Practitioner Brandy Gomez-Duplessis

Yes, I am a Reiki Energy Healer living in Hawaii. With all of the powerful history of the 3rd Reiki Grand Master Hawayo Takata living here in 1937, I personally feel Oahu Hawaii is a perfect place to live and practice this spiritual art form.

I was introduced to Reiki by a nurse at my appointment with my Rheumatologist. She pulled me to the side because she saw that my doctor wasn’t understanding what my body was going through with Lupus, RA and Asthma. As soon as she place her hands on me, I instantly felt something. I didn’t understand it but I felt my body doing things. She explained to me to go home in relax. Well, I did the opposite. I went home, started dancing and having a good time. I haven’t felt good like that in years. I don’t know where that energy came from. My husband finally got me to listen and I showered and got in bed. By then we both were sitting in bed researching “REIKI” and everything I felt we were reading.

So time went by and I kept thinking about Reiki and what it did for me and how great I felt. Because I was mostly at this time on bed rest due to my health. I had the time to learn more on how I can receive this gift in my hands. I always knew I was an empath and that I always spoke to my Spirit Guides & Angels. Once they saw that I was ready to commit to this way of living they made the transition an effortless one. I started with completely changing my lifestyle, I got stricter with my diet, I was already releasing peers from my life so a few more I had to remove. Actually it’s not hard to do. When you start making changes you will see your peers separating from you as well.

Now I’m living in Hawaii, practicing Reiki on myself everyday. I’m going through my Spiritual Awakening and I’m now helping all of my Lupus warriors and other autoimmune warriors. I know what Reiki did for me and my body that I knew it’s my mission to help my peers. So I was happy doing just that.

Then in 2020, like everyone else was living in a pandemic and my guides shared with me that I needed to now help more people. That I am needed to use my gift for peers that is going through many life challenges. So before I started adding more energy to my body I needed to get myself as strong as I could because the energy is going to be different than what I was use to.

Brandy Gomez-Duplessis, Reiki Practitioner in Ko’olina Hawaii.

For me, being a Reiki Energy Healer is not a trend. It’s something that I’m passionate about. I always enjoy helping others and my Spirit Guides said you been saying you want to help, well we have a big task for you. I’m loving my journey. I wish my body could and would let me do Reiki on 10 people a day but I can’t. When the time is right, I will travel, I will speak at events and touch as many people that I can. My guides sends people to me it’s not forced. So when I do get clients from the mainland it’s because their guides connected that client to me.

Reiki Practitioner in California doing Reiki on client
Reiki Practitioner in Hawaii on the beach with client

I only offer Healing Touch Reiki sessions and Crystal Healing sessions on Sunday, Tuesday, and half day on Friday’s. Book your appointment with me at ” a brandy experience ” website.

Namaste 🙏🏾

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Purple Is The Color For Strong Women Who Fights An Autoimmune Disease Not Just A Power Color At The Inaugaration

Wednesday at the Inaugaration for President Biden and VP Kamala Harris, the color PURPLE was a choice amongst the ladies. Purple has always been a color of choice for myself due to my health. Being a Lupus and Fibromyalgia Warrior I have always worn purple for strength. It was nice to see the ladies at a special and important events wearing different shades of purple. Each one of these ladies are strong and powerful in their own rights.

As you know I have my own makeup line called Entitled Beauty Cosmetics that I started with my bestie and business partner, Johnny Lumoa. When we were creating colors for our All Nighter Lipstick Collections, I knew that I needed a bold and sassy color for us Autoimmune Warriors. During our Awarness days I wanted all of us warriors to have a lipstick that we could wear. A lipstick color that was created by a warrior, someone who is living with this nasty disease. So, I created “Queen B” and I named it that because it seem to be a name that peers call me.

Co Founder Brandy Gomez-Duplessis of Entitled Beauty Cosmetics

Quuen B All Nighter Lipstick from Entitled Beauty Cosmetics

Co Founder Brandy Gomez-Duplessis from Entitled Beauty Cosmetics

Wearing my Lupus wristband and Alex and Ani bracelet
At the Lupus Walk in Connecticut with Northeast Region Director Sue Gloor

If you know of anyone with an autoimmune disease and you would like to gift them something special gift them one of my “Queen B” All Nighter Liquid Lipsticks. It would mean a lot to me to support my makeup line Entitled Beauty Cosmetics. I know they would love it to wear on Awarness Day.

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New Orleans Celebrity Makeup Artist Talk Living With Lupus With Caribbean Posh Magazined

 

Actress Kerry Washington makeup by Brandy Gomez-Duplessis
New Orleans Makeup Artist at Sundance Film Festival

A lot of people in the Beauty Industry told me if I keep sharing on social media that I have Lupus that I would lose a lot of work. But how can I hide what I’m battling everyday. It’s my life, it’s what I’m going through everyday. So why should I hide it because it makes my peers uncomfortable and with many not really understand what Lupus is I have to educate and help bring awareness. For so long, I kept it hidden and I finally decided that I want to speak out, that I should use my platform to help bring awareness to Lupus. So I selected to share my story with Caribbean Posh magazine readers and hopefully my story can help someone who’s battling some form of an auto-immune disease.

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In 2000-2005, I knew something was going on with my body. All of my doctors kept telling me that I was just stressed because of my career, working with celebrities and traveling around the world. So, I believed them because what did I know, I’m just a makeup artist. But in August 2005, as I stepped inside the elevator at New Orleans City Hall. I received a call from my new doctor and she said, “I need to see you right away because your numbers were elevated and I’m very concerned”. I’m never going to forget that day and that call. I went in to see my doctor, she told me she wanted to do more testing on me but she was afraid that I had Lupus. I knew what it was because my mother twin sister died from Lupus complications very fast after being diagnosed. Fast forward, Hurricane Katrina happen, that I put that news far far away. I didn’t have time to deal with that. So, I went through life in extreme pain and was always exhausted as I rebuild my life. In 2014, I’m now living in Connecticut and I couldn’t tolerate what was going on with me anymore. This superwoman couldn’t bare being miserable so I went to see a doctor. After the first blood work came back she immediately said you have Lupus and I’m going to refer you to a Rheumatologist.

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Fast forward again, I learned that moving up North to an extreme cold climate it trigger a flare up that refuse to go away. I’ve had so many scary challenges from an enlarged heart, kidney problems, blood clotting, stomach problems due to the prednisone, blurry vision, lost my sense of smell and taste and now pulmonary challenges that I’m relocating back to New Orleans for a few months during the winter so that my lungs can heal and so I don’t have to use my breathing machine 2x’s a day.

In 2019, I plan to work hard at bringing awareness to Lupus. Yeah, a lot of beauty brands and companies have released me from working with them but they can’t stop me from doing makeup. I’m going to always be a talented makeup artist and they can’t take that away. No, I don’t look sick but know that living with Lupus is a lonely disease and it’s a disease that you have to be a fighter because it’s a horrible disease. The things your body goes through is hard and doctors give us meds that’s not the right meds, it’s something to help with a similar symptoms.

I launched a makeup line in 2017 called Entitled Beauty Cosmetics that keeps me busy along with loyal clients and production companies. Ladies, if you feel that something is going on with your body, something is. Fight until you find a doctor that will listen to you. If you have to lose, family, friends and co-workers it’s ok, don’t let them tell you that nothing is wrong with you. Cuz if your body is going through something you need to be stress free, so take a break from people who bring stress to your life. Cuz it’s the last thing you need.

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As a makeup artist living with lupus, I often turn to mineral makeup. My must-have items include color correctors to help with discoloration and hyper-pigmentation; a primer with a brightener to bring radiance to my dull skin; mineral mascara, which is good for sensitive eyes; and foundation and moisturizer that’s loaded with SPF. My focus is always finding great skin-care products that will not cause inflammation of the skin.

Here are 8 beauty items that as a Lupus Warrior I can wear on my skin and it doesn’t trigger anything.

1. FIRST AID BEAUTY Hello Fab Coconut Micellar Makeup Melter
2. HOURGLASS Veil Mineral Primer
3. LAURA MERCIER Mineral Powder
4. ALGENIST Splash Hydrating Setting Mist
5. TARTE Gifted Amazonian Clay Smart Mascara
6. STILA Stay All Day Foundation + Concealer
7. ENTITLED BEAUTY Spotlight Highlighters
8. CAUDALIE Vinoperfect Radiance Serum

 

New Orleans Makeup Artist Brandy Gomez-Duplessis has 22 years of experience in the Beauty & Entertainment industry. Gomez-Duplessis is a wife and a mother of 2 adult kids living in Connecticut. In 2014, Brandy was diagnosed with Lupus, Lyme & RA.

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Walk To End Lupus Now In Norwalk, CT

img_2876Will you join me on Sunday, Oct 14th for the 2018 WALK TO END LUPUS NOW, CT-NORWALK. Come rally with me by walking 3 miles, rain or shine to help bringing awareness to this brutal disease. Let’s raise money for Lupus research this weekend. Let’s make some noise for us Lupus Warriors, and share with our peers how strong we are. 
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Location: Calf Pasture Beach
Calf Pasture Beach Rd.
Norwalk, CT 06851
Check-in: 2:00 p.m.
Ceremony: 2:45 p.m.
Walk: 3:00 p.m.
Route Length: 3 miles
Contact:
Antonella Leone-Giamei
(203) 399-7305
leone-giamei@lupus.org

I’m wearing on my lips “Orchid” from my makeup line Entitled Beauty Cosmetics. I wanted a lip color that my family, friends, peers, and Lupus Warriors could wear during Lupus Awarness. Thanks in advance for purchasing one.

 

Entitled Beauty Cosmetics

"Orchid" All Nighter Liquid Lipstick

$19.00

 

New Orleans Makeup Artist Brandy Gomez-Duplessis has 22 years of experience in the Beauty & Entertainment industry. Gomez-Duplessis is a wife and a mother of 2 adult kids. She also has a home in Candlewood Lake in Connecticut. In 2014, Brandy was diagnosed with Lupus, Lyme & RA. She uses her platform to help bring awareness about her health.