Jasmine and Arnica

Nicola was born with a congenital disorder that left her blind in one eye. It was only a matter of time before she lost sight in the other. She shone at school and after graduating from university secured a job with the BBC followed by a place at Journalism College. Less than a year later her world collapsed as she lost her sight completely. Institutionalised and misunderstood she spent the next seven years coming to terms with an issue she had spent her life denying. Eventually she started to piece together her shattered life. She found a flat, was given a guide dog and started day classes where she developed an interest in massage. What started as an excuse to get out of the house and exercise her dog, turned into a lifeline. She set up a clinic specialising in muscle massage and soon had a client base that included many celebritics. Having established a career she began to feel constrained by the structures she had set up to protect herself, when a half forgotten childhood dream cam back to her, she would travel India alone, researching Indian massage techniques and holistic therapy. Jasmine and Arnica is the story of this seminal trip. She has since returned to India many times, ridden a tandem two thousand miles across south East Asia, and rediscovered her passion for writing.. Nicola is now living in London with her husband and baby daughter Poppy.