No man can live this life and emerge unchanged. He will carry, however faint, the imprint of the desert, the brand which marks the nomad; and he will have within him the yearning to return, weak or insistent according to his nature. For this cruel land can cast a spell which no temperate clime can match.
- Wilfred Thesiger
Danny's Nomadic Journey
For over 40 years, Danny worked alongside nomadic tribes, leading retreats and extended journeys in the Sinai Desert. These were attended by ecological and spiritual leaders, as well as others seeking to witness how the human spirit expands when we deeply connect with ourselves and nature. In 2002, Danny established the Makhad Trust to support the preservation of the natural heritage of Bedouin and other nomadic communities around the world. Danny led the restoration of oasis gardens throughout the Sinai region, built community wells, and founded a school. In the remote Amdo region of Tibet, he worked with indigenous communities to restore the murals in the Lukhang garden, built by Dalai Lama VI in the 17th century, and the Mani Walls near the Terton Chogar Monastery.
Hunting with the San Bushmen in the Kalahari
Danny was invited to accompany the Kalahari Bushmen in Africa on hunting expeditions. It was during these hunts that he witnessed their ability to intuit the presence and direction of animals far beyond his own capacities for sight or hearing. When he asked how they achieved this, the chief led him to a deep pond, where he threw a stone into the water, creating concentric ripples. Moments later, the chief threw another stone some distance away, causing the two sets of ripples to meet and merge. The wisdom conveyed by this simple gesture inspired Danny to explore the nature of the body - and, more specifically, the heart - as a beating pulse that sends out signals, which can be felt and read by those attuned to them. It led him to dedicate his life exploring the human capacity to feel and connect in ways many of us have lost touch with.
Healing
In 2011, Danny became seriously ill while working on a community project in the desert. When local treatments failed, he was flown back to the UK and rushed to the Gloucestershire Royal Hospital. Initial tests revealed that he had set NHS records for liver inflammation, and an emergency liver transplant was arranged. At this point, Danny's belief in the mind-body connection became paramount. Rather than accepting the transplant, he convinced the specialists to allow him 24 hours in a quiet room, disconnected from medical equipment, to "take charge of his body". They agreed, but only under the condition that he would be monitored every hour. After seven hours, Danny noticed that the room was filling with people. To the amazement of his medical team, his liver inflammation had significantly decreased, reinforcing his belief in the body’s ability to heal when we reconnect with ourselves on a
deeper level.
You can read more about his experience in the book, "The Chemistry of Connection: Five Keys to a Richer, Happier, Fulfilling and Meaningful Life", by Patrick Holford (2016), an extract of which is available here.
deeper level.
You can read more about his experience in the book, "The Chemistry of Connection: Five Keys to a Richer, Happier, Fulfilling and Meaningful Life", by Patrick Holford (2016), an extract of which is available here.