Tag: Chronic Pain

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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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Reiki Session on the beach in Hawaii

Brandy Gomez-Duplessis doing a Reiki Session on the beach in Hawaii.

Being an Empath, I do have a soft heart, I feel things very deeply. My gift often tells me whether someone is being truthful or not. When doing a Reiki session and working on a blocked chakra I experience this strong wet cough. As an empath, I feel more drawn to nature and remote areas so doing Reiki sessions on the beach provides me a calming space.

Because I take in others emotions so deeply is why I became a healer. I’m finally in my life ready to accept what my spirit guides been showing me. My ability to detect the emotions, mental states, and physical pain of another person. My ability has become stronger, and I had to learn how to prevent taking on the energy of others.

When I place my hands on my clients body, I feel an intense warmth and vibration. It feels so good to know that I’m helping and freeing them. Can’t wait to help more of my peers.

Book your Healing Touch Reiki Session with me on Tuesday’s in Honolulu., Hawaii

brandyreikihealer@gmail.com

Namaste 🙏🏾

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My Auto Immune Is Better When Grounding And Earthing

Lately, I been spending a lot of time grounding on the beach. At least 3 times a week walking barefoot in the sand. I always noticed how well I felt when I was on the beach. In the morning my body is like the tin man, I’m so stiff and achy that it takes some time for my body to warm up. But 15 mins in on the beach, I find my body starts to feel good, I’m actually running around. No pain, no discomfort of any sort not even wheezing. On my beach days, I also noticed at night that my husband doesn’t need to tap my back. The inflammation in my back and on my wrist seem to go down and I sleep all night. The next morning, I wake up early and feel well rested. I’m seeing a pattern of this and decided to do some research.

When you have auto immune diseases like myself, I have 4 of them, you will understand when I say we’re always looking for ways to heal our bodies. In what I found I was experiencing is called Grounding and I went in hard wanting to know everything about it.

Grounding is also called earthing, and it’s a therapeutic technique that involves you doing activities that electrically reconnect you to the earth. Activities like walking barefoot, being in water, laying on the ground, and using grounding equipment. I haven’t purchased any because of my beach access here in Hawaii.

The great thing about Grounding is it’s free! You don’t have to order it online you don’t have to go to a luxe spa to receive this service. You can just walk out your door to the mailbox barefoot. You can go in your yard and just step on the grass. If you live near a beach you can go in walk around. It’s great for babies and kids. Get them out of those hard shoes and let their little feet run around free. Watch how relax they will be when they go inside. Definitely helps with crying. Give your body 30 mins barefoot and watch how well you feel. If you want to do it longer definitely go for it.

I just wanted to share this information because I found so much relief from it. If you’re reading this please share it with someone who’s dealing with any auto immune diseases, chronic pains and any other stress or anxiety issues. I think I want to do my sessions with my clients on the beach to help them as we go deep in conversations. This technique can help calm them.

Thanks for stopping by, Namaste 🙏🏾

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Day 2 After Having A Bad Lupus Flare

One of the great things about living in Hawaii is when you are on bed rest the view, the breeze, the exotic birds make for bad days in bed not so bad. Then when you’re ready to leave the house it’s just beautiful anywhere you go. So, let’s go backwards, I started feeling bad about 2 weeks ago. I just assumed it’s a flare up. My body started to go down fast, very fast. I don’t know what caused the flare up but this one took me down. I don’t know if I was exposed to COVID but I was ready for a trip to the ER. I started calling the kids to make sure they know where everything was. I’m serious the body aches was unbearable, I was back to using my breathing machine because I couldn’t breathe. I was going through my inhaler. The day the got me was when I decided to wash all of the bedding. Took everything off the bed, went downstairs to the laundry room came back upstairs and half way up the stairs I fell on the stairs and had to crawl back to the room because I couldn’t catch my breath. I didn’t leave the house I just went downstairs and my body couldn’t handle it. I didn’t have any strength to put fresh sheets on the bed. I just collapsed on the bed.

I know a lot of my peers cannot understand what Lupus is and what a Lupus flare can be like. I wish I had strength to hold a camera to show what it looks like. It’s the worse thing ever for someone to go through. It’s day 2, my left ide of my ribs and back hurt so bad. It feels like I been stomped numerous of time it still hurt to breathe. I feel like I’m going through my inhalers and if it continue then I will make an appointment. As long as I don’t overdue it I can make myself look decent and nobody would ever know what went through. Working from home helps a lot because I can slowly get back to normal at my own speed. Thank God for my hair and makeup skills because I know how to fix myself up.

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I’m What Lupus Looks Like

I may be chronically ill
but I’m also chronically
fabulous!…that’s my tag line!

I know my makeup is pretty but if you look in my eyes you know that I’m not having a good day.
This is how you know I’m having a bad Lupus flare, when my eyes look like this says Brandy Gomez-Duplessis

If you’re a friend or an associate of mine you know that Lupus is one of the 4 autoimmune diseases I battle. If you been around me you know I am a pro at hiding my daily battle with wearing makeup, having big hair, and all my extraness 😂😂 only someone who’s very observant knows the truth when they look at my eyes. No matter how fabulous I dress it up I can’t hide my 👀.

May is Lupus Awareness Month

May is Lupus Awareness Month. It’s the month that I usually do a lot of interviews, speaking, collaborating with organizations, posting and wearing my purple lipstick “Queen B” that I created for us Lupus Warriors with my makeup line Entitled Beauty Cosmetics

Queen B
All Nighter Liquid Lipstick
https://entitledbeautyonline.com/shop/ols/products/queenb

There is one special person that will always have a special place in my heart in that’s Lauren Kimberly Burnham she attend a Lupus Walk with me because she didn’t want me to be alone. I will never forget that special offer. 💜💜

If you noticed I haven’t been on social media lately because I been on bed rest. Whenever I’m gone for to many days know I’m suffering. But I will be back more fabulous then ever, don’t worry.

If you have any family members or friends with ANY autoimmune diseases be patient with them. If at the last minute they cancel, if they can’t travel, if they don’t accept an invite, don’t take it personal. We only have energy to do just a little. In when we push ourselves we pay the price…unless you’re our caretaker it’s a lot. Sending 💜 to all of my Lupus & Autoimmune Warriors out there. This month share your story, let’s stop hiding. The medical field needs to know they can’t keep pushing us to the side, we’re important! If you wear purple this month please tag me so I’ll know that you’re here for me. 💜
🤙🏾🌸🌺

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Put On Purple Today With Me For Lupus

img_2168Today, May 17th is Put On Purple day to help raise awareness to Lupus. You can rock any of your favorite items as long as it’s PURPLE.

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Be a part of this growing community that’s making a difference. As a Lupus Warrior we need so many more voices to help get our message out. Lupus is a horrible disease, we’re dying from it everyday. We need the right medicine and doctors who know’s about Lupus.

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Continue to wear purple the rest of the month of May. I will be rocking my purple Converse sneaker and purple Alex And Ani bracelet. Let me know how you will be showing your support. Tag on your social media pages your pics using #PutOnPurple

 

 

 

Honolulu Hawaii Makeup Artist Brandy Gomez-Duplessis has 22 years of experience in the Beauty & Entertainment industry. Brandy is located on Oahu island in Ewa Beach but you can find her working doing makeup in Kapolei. Being a top influencer & blogger don’t be surprised to see her writing beauty articles and taking selfies for her 60K followers on Instagram on the beautiful beaches in Honolulu…and YES, there are black people living in Hawaii. 

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Taking My Life Back, My Health Won’t Write My Story.

At home collecting my thoughts 💭 and thinking about this new chapter that I’m about to start. I’m not afraid about taking my life back. My husband and my 2 adult kids, 21 & 26 year old have seen me let my health win to long. This new chapter won’t cure my Lupus, Lyme, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Asthma and High Blood Pressure but it will bring me some relief. I don’t want to be laid up in a house like a 90 year old women anymore because my body is so fragile that cold weather can literally kill me. I’m tired of doing breathing treatments, I’m tired of using 2 inhalers a day, I’m tired of taking prednisone, I’m tired of sleeping sitting up when I sleep because of my lungs. I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired. Today, I fight back and do what’s going to be best for me.

January & February was rough, double pneumonia, mini stroke, flu and my everyday Lupus challenges my body has been through enough. I’m ready to do right by it. Placing it in a place positive energy, better weather, great food and exotic fruits. So much to do but I promise I will share very soon. Let me just lock a few more things down. 💪🏾💜🙏🏾

What new chapters have you started this year?

 

 

 

Hawaii Makeup Artist Brandy Gomez-Duplessis has 22 years of experience in the Beauty & Entertainment industry. Brandy is located on Oahu island in Ewa Beach but you can find her working doing makeup in Kapolei. Being a top influencer & blogger don’t be surprised to see her writing beauty articles and taking selfies for her 60K followers on Instagram on the beautiful beaches in Honolulu…and YES, there are black people living in Hawaii. 

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New Orleans Celebrity Makeup Artist Talk About Who She Is Becoming In 2019

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New Orleans Makeup Artist Brandy Gomez-Duplessis

 

Do You Like Who You’re BECOMING? Chapter 2019, I want to continue to elevate myself to becoming a Global Makeup Beauty Guru. My 22 years in the Beauty & Entertainment industry, I feel like I have so much to share especially to aspiring beauty artists (Hair & Makeup).

I’m not stopping at just doing makeup and having a makeup line, Entitled Beauty Cosmetics. I feel like I have so much more to bring to the table. Makeup for boogie down brown women, mature women, healthy makeup, creating makeup and makeup looks for women who’s going back into the work force.

I also want to bring awareness to my health challenges; LUPUS, LYME, RA, and ASTHMA. I need for our community to understand what invisible illness look like and what chronic pain can do to a person. We get chemo, we deal with hair loss, we need care takers and we need the right meds. So, my goal is to continue to speak on this issue in 2019.

She Ready! Who are you BECOMING?

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.