This has been the most extraordinary year, looking back I cannot believe just how much has occurred and just how LARGE everything was. Nothing was done by halves this year.
At the end of 2018 I had come home from a truly soul nourishing overseas journey I wrote about here
I started my new acupuncture clinic in Kirra at Raw Beauty and ended a relationship that whilst it had been entered into with the best of intentions had highlighted the final ways that I continued to be willing to abandon myself.
So the year started with a house move in February. Yes really, it continues to baffle me but evidently staying settled and anchored in the one place is not something I have been gifted with experiencing. Yet!
As such my word for the year was Anchored. The magical Alex from Violet Gray gifted me with this necklace before 2018 was out. It was also Alex that said, when I moved to Kirra, “that this place will heal your heart” . She knows her stuff that woman.
No-one enjoys a house move but this one really undid me. This was going to be the year where I got to re write my guiding narrative, and understand just how environments and locations get woven into our stories. As we walk past that house and this cafe we subconsciously (and sometimes consciously) remind ourselves of who we are, our place in the world and what we believe is going to happen in the future. Maybe this is not always an ideal thing. And there is power in relocating ourselves to access another thread in our stories.
I had been living in the same suburb for 11 years and SO much of my story had been woven into the surrounding streets, beaches and cafes. It felt like I was being forcibly ripped from the story of who I believed I was, told in no uncertain terms that the future I had been dreaming of there was not on the cards and plonked quite indelicately into a beachside apartment three suburbs south.
Yes, please don’t feel sorry for me, I landed in a very quirky but delightful ocean front apartment.
The story of how I ended up there is dripping in serendipity and quite frankly magic.
Five days before I had to be out of my house and still without a place to go to I went to my hairdresser. Ironically I had been putting off getting my hair done because of course there were ‘more important’ things happening right?
Let me be the first to remind you that some of the most powerful and life changing moments will occur in the everyday mundane and only be recognisable with the gift of hindsight.
I find this heartening to recall because there were times of such overwhelming confusion and struggle this year. But deep down I knew I needed to trust and so trust I did.
So with colour piled on my head Courtney promptly sent me to check out the empty apartment upstairs, by the time I had come back down the owner of the apartment was somehow in the salon and she was wrangling me a deal. Two days later Ruben and I were moving in. Yup. That’s how it can happen.
And whilst I had to contend with noisy neighbours a commercial kitchen literally at my back door and a coffee roaster outside my kitchen window (who else can tell these kinds of stories friends?) I woke up every day to the magic of this ocean view.
It was the most divine way to spend the winter with direct sunlight beaming into my bedroom every morning.
The first book of the year was Women Who Run With the Wolves on my balcony in the sunshine and boy oh boy did it rock my world. It touched me deeply on so many levels but primarily it reminded me of the importance of a supportive female network, especially for the new mothers I was seeing in clinic. Clarrissa Pinkola Estes writes about The Goddess Mothers and inspired my article of the same name .
This article came straight from my heart to yours.
As I worked my way through the unravelling of house moving / life changing grief I shared my health journey covering Adrenal Fatigue ,Under-methylation and so much more. It is so far is the most read article on the site. So many women have sent me emails in response to this piece.
If you’re nodding your head reading it maybe it’s time to book some acupuncture with me or organise a time for a Skype consult and see if health coaching is something I could assist you with.
The rocky start to the year had me re-assessing my relationship with pleasure and fun and had me asking myself what were my metrics for the year going to be? This is such a common thread for the women I treat and coach.
Slowly our collective beliefs are changing. Pleasure and relaxation and a nervous system in ‘rest and digest’ CAN co-exist with productivity and success.
I wrote about my most recent journey with this topic here. Success and Pleasure
I shared how I was learning to value the investment required of my acupuncture treatments in my clinic and confronting those often experienced beliefs that health practitioners should be giving their skills away for free.
Whilst diving into my new clinic I realised that I hadn’t shared the story of how I started studying acupuncture in the first place.
I love this story so much, it was fun to share.
✩
In the same week as I moved house (I do not recommend this!) there were trips to Melbourne to collaborate with Dr Abbie and her Zhong Centre team and later in the year a girls road trip weekend with my bestie to Scotts Head on the NSW north coast. There was so many lady love sleep overs and new friendships this year. And as I reflect on my year I know it was a very big one for so many of you too.
Serendipity was working her secret magic through most of this year as in June I also met a very special man with blue eyes who had been under my feet the entire time. If anyone tells you you won’t meet anyone sitting in your own home alone minding your own business I have the perfect story for you …. but I wont share that here yet! 🙂
✩
In July I hosted my first Womens Emotional Wellbeing Event.
I’ll be taking this on the road in 2020 and I cannot wait! See how the first one went here.
There was a wild (literally) trip to South Africa that happened in August to celebrate my youngest sisters wedding. It was a once in a life time trip and I am still marvelling at the fact that it even occurred. I travelled with my family for the first time in 20 years and survived. If you’re wondering how you too might stay sane and actually thrive pop in and follow my 7 key practices here.
I was home for a very busy 24 days before the passport was once again out and I headed off for a working holiday to Fiji that came out of nowhere. I think we can thank Jupiter in Sagittarius for that one.
And while I was there I wrote about the one thing I believe that stands in the way of women asking for and investing in the help they need. We need to find a pathway to choosing ourselves and I think I may just have the beginnings of an answer here.
When I came home and was trying to catch my breath I had the extreme delight in having a conversation with two women I adore and haven’t had nearly enough time to catch up with.
You can hear the chat with Jema on her Well Woman Podcast and with Lindsey on Her Return here.
The year has begun drawing to a close with a second house move.
Against all odd and certainly against anything that 2018 Keri would have ever believed was possible, I moved in with said Mr Blue Eyes.
Ruben, (my dog) having lived here for most of the year while I was travelling, was delighted that I joined him finally!
✩
November and that deeply challenging Mercury Retrograde in Scorpio saw some very deep healing occur. Sometimes I refer to the astrological patterns the same way I might refer to the days of the week, so take it or leave it if you’re not across (or aren’t interested in) these astro phenomenon.
I have had some of the hardest and most transformative conversations of my life in the last few weeks. It’s seen me step back from hanging out on the socials, downsize my work load and take some much needed time to rest and reflect.
Moving into 2020 I will be leaving so many trauma informed beliefs and behaviours behind.
I know I will write about this soon, there is so many important things to say.
It’s been an extraordinarily healing year. Hard on so many fronts but I am gently excited at how life is going to look as I establish a new fresh and healthy foundation. I look forward to sharing more with you as this unfolds.
✩
And while there is still a few weeks to go and I have no doubt that 2019 has more up her sparkly sleeve yet I will let that be a surprise to share in the new year.
Your end of year Alchemical Ritual can be found here. I’ve updated it this year I would love for you to share your journey through it on instagram @kerikrieger.
You can also listen to most of these articles on my soundcloud if that feels easier for you.
However you’re spending this season, know that as I write this I am sending love and care out in all directions and I’m sure I’m not the only one. Take it gently as you move into the New Year .
I’ll see you there
x
Keri
