Living with lupus SLE for nearly twenty years has shaped almost everything about who I am today. And as someone who has walked this path for two decades, May, Lupus Awareness Month, holds deep meaning for me. My journey with this autoimmune disease is the very reason Essence of Ase exists.
Where It All Began
When I was younger, there was a woman in my neighborhood I always admired. She was beautiful, the kind of beautiful that made you stop and look. Sometimes she seemed sickly, but I never understood why. One day, I stopped seeing her around. When I asked what happened, I was told she had passed away from lupus. I didn't fully understand what that meant back then, but that memory stayed with me.
Years later, in my early thirties, my own journey began. I went to an allergist because my skin kept breaking out, and they couldn't figure out what was wrong. They sent me to a rheumatologist. The first round of tests was inconclusive. Possibly an autoimmune issue, possibly just my body. It wasn't until my symptoms worsened- the swelling, the joint pain, the deep aches- that I finally received my diagnosis. Lupus SLE.
When I learned what lupus was, that childhood memory came rushing back. I thought, what if I have the same illness I didn't even understand?
The Turning Point
After years of seeing different doctors and dealing with countless issues, I finally found one who truly poured into me. I'll never forget what she said.
"There are two paths. I can keep giving you more and more medication to manage this, or you can learn practices that will change your body and your mind."
That moment changed everything. I chose to dive deeper into healing myself.
Aromatherapy: Where My Healing Started
I've always loved scents and incense. Even before I understood the science behind it, I would light incense when I was in pain or feeling depressed, and my mood would shift. That curiosity led me to essential oils, and I noticed something profound. When I used certain oils, my body would relax in ways medication couldn't always achieve.
I started researching and learned that scent travels through the olfactory system, directly affecting your nervous system, mood, and overall well-being. Aromatherapy became one of my first true healing tools.
Crystals: Healing Through Energy
As I learned about the properties of crystals, I tested them on myself. Selenite became my go-to whenever I was in pain or my body was inflamed. I would lay it on my joints, hold it during meditation, or simply keep it near me when I was resting. The relief I experienced wasn't imagined. It was real, and it was consistent.
The Birth of Essence of Ase
Combining my love for essential oils with the healing properties of crystals, I started making candles infused with both. I gifted them to friends and people I cared about, simply because I loved how they smelled and felt.
One of those gifts went to a friend who owned a massage studio I visited. She challenged me. Brand it. Make a batch. Let's see what happens.
Eight years later, my candles are still in her store, and Essence of Ase has been growing ever since.
Reiki: The Practice That Saved Me
I had heard about Reiki for years through a friend who was a practitioner, but the time wasn't right to learn from her. Eventually, I attended a workshop, got trained, and knew immediately this was another tool I could use to manage my lupus.
But I didn't truly put Reiki into action until one of the lowest points of my life. After my second stroke and a severe lupus flare, my doctors wanted to do a blood transfusion and drill into my hip for a bone marrow test. I was already in so much pain.
I asked them for one month. Just give me thirty days to try my way.
Every morning at five AM, I lit my candle, meditated, and gave myself Reiki. I did the same every night. I became mindful of what I ate, the energy I put out, and how I moved through my days. For thirty days straight, I committed to my own healing. (If you want to understand what was happening in my body during those sessions, I wrote more about that here: How the Nervous System Finds Calm After Reiki.
When I returned to the doctor, they were in shock. No transfusion. No surgery. No procedures. My body had responded to the practices I committed to.
Meditation: The Practice That Quieted the Storm
Before I fully understood what was happening inside my body, I knew that stillness helped. On the days when pain made everything feel loud and overwhelming, sitting in silence, even for a few minutes, gave me something medication couldn't always offer. A sense of control. A return to myself.
Meditation became a cornerstone of my healing, not as a quick fix, but as a daily commitment. I began using it to regulate my nervous system, reduce the stress that was triggering my flares, and create space between what my body was experiencing and how I responded to it. Stress and autoimmune disease are deeply connected, and I learned that every moment of intentional stillness was an act of healing. If you're living with an autoimmune condition, I want you to know that meditation doesn't have to look a certain way. Check out the video I created below for support.
Thriving, Not Just Surviving
Lupus is part of my story, but it doesn't define me. Through aromatherapy, crystals, candle making, Reiki, mindful eating, and intentional energy, I've learned that healing is possible when you commit to yourself. Even now, on harder days, I return to the same small practices that brought me through that month. A lit candle. A few minutes of stillness. Hands placed gently on my own body. (If anxiety or overwhelm is part of your story too, this post may resonate: Reiki for Anxiety: A Gentle Way to Reset Your Nervous System.
Essence of Ase was born from this journey. Every candle, every product, every practice I share comes from my own experience of finding wellness in the middle of a chronic illness.
This Lupus Awareness Month, I want you to know that if you're walking this path too, you are not alone, and there is so much more available to you than you might realize.
Healing is a daily practice. And you are worthy of it.
With love and gratitude, Camille
Honoring Lupus Awareness Month with the Beloved ASE Community
If you are living with lupus or another autoimmune condition, or you simply feel called to bring more intentional healing into your days, I would love to support you.
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Step into a personal session with me: Book a Crystal Reiki Therapy session
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Bring the practice home: explore my Reiki-infused crystal candles
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Stay close to the community: subscribe to the Essence of Ase email list for monthly healing practices and updates
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This is my personal healing story. I worked closely with my medical team throughout this journey, and I am not a medical professional. The practices I share here supported my wellbeing alongside conventional care, not as a replacement for it. If you are living with lupus or any chronic condition, please continue to work with your doctors and use this story as one woman's experience, not as medical advice.