School of Natural Medicine Naturopathy Graduate, Ally van de Pol, has moved her practice from Hong Kong to Wales. Here she shares her journey!
A Tale of Two Dragons
Here is my story; from my studies in Naturopathy in Hong Kong, to practicing and a new life in Wales.
I first started studying with the School of Natural Medicine back in 2019 when I lived in Hong Kong. I had been a Strength & Conditioning Coach for three years at that time and I’d also completed a Nutrition Course but was looking for something ‘more’. That something might have been functional medicine (but I didn’t have the prerequisites (luckily) and it also might have been yoga. I also looked into in-person courses but there was nothing that fit the bill in Hong Kong.
And so, the universe pushed me towards Naturopathy and the School of Natural Medicine and starting the course changed my life…
I’m sure it was not coincidental that I was studying during Covid; in some ways the studies and the knowledge that it imparted pushed me towards kept me sane and also gave me an understanding of what was really going on in the world.
My Naturopath Diploma course was modular and I chose the School of Natural Medicine course for just that very reason so that I could get certified and apply my learnings as I went along. And so my studies began! First up was Healing Diets which spun a whole new way of looking at nutrition, with much self-experimentation and many cleanses! Boy was I clean during that module! Ha! I thought that I’d never complete it but of course I did and then onto Iridology which I still love and use clinically and find endlessly fascinating and useful (if only there were more hours in the day to do deeper study). It was also very therapeutic as there was much drawing to be done and I used my colouring pencils a lot!
Next up was the Beast!! Herbal medicine! I knew it would be long and arduous, but when I started it, at the back end of 2022, I wasn’t in the right headspace. I started the first few modules, then drew some herbs for the Materia Medica, then put it down, considering if I really had the time to finish it. So, instead I took a digital marketing course, wrote an ebook, and did some research into Chlorine Dioxide and DMSO. I certainly wasn’t wasting my time but I was also procrastinating at the same time. I decided then (with the help and advice of Bonny) to do the Naturopathy module next. I needed some study that I could do while I was traveling in the summer of 2023 and botanical drawings with colouring pencils was not practical in airport lounges. I also needed to clear the decks (in my head) to then make a good run again at completing Herbal Medicine.
So, at the end of 2023, I resumed Herbal Medicine. This module was an exercise in patience and taking one step at a time, as well as worthy study in itself. It took me a dedicated 10-months to complete on top of the couple of months already completed. Everything that I studied and practiced was valuable and I use much of it to refer to today, continuing to grow the materia medica as I go.
From a practice perspective, because of the modular nature of the course, I was able to add my skills to my work with clients as I qualified in each module, thus exposing myself to more clinical practice, than if I had just waited until the end of the whole course to use my knowledge. Many of my clients were also Personal Training clients and being able to offer them this extra aspect of health care has helped improve scores of my clients’ health and their lives to date.
In late February 2026, I moved to a smallholding in rural Carmarthenshire with my husband and four dogs, with the aim of becoming more self-sufficient for food and herbs. My aim here is to create a new client base in the UK and the local Welsh community, helping to make people just all round healthier; the farming community tend to work hard and don’t take much time for themselves and I’m hoping I can help make a difference. As nobody knows me here, I plan to hold talks and workshops and (hopefully) make the most of the holistic leaning and connection with nature that this area has. I’m also looking forward to being a helpful and functioning part of the community! Wellness Walks are on my radar! I am consulting from Parc Dewi Sant in Camarthen, plus I’m looking at other possible locations, and of course I have always been able to consult via Zoom.
I feel privileged to be one of those leading the charge in holistic and natural medicine, when the health of the world is on its knees. I aim to collaborate whenever possible with Western Medicine as well as Holistic Medicine Practitioners and I’m very excited about the upcoming opportunities and to help a whole new swathe of people. Equally I’m happy to be back home and to explore all that Wales and the UK has to offer, of course with my dogs-in-tow!
You can follow Ally via the following Social Media:
Dragon Wellness:
My Smallholding FB page:
IG for Dragon Wellness:
Ally can be emailed at:
ally@dragonfitnessandcoaching.com
Her Company is Dragon Wellness Limited and her website is www.dragonfitnessandcoaching.com
