I am back … after having been turned upside down..!

Hi, it’s been a long time since I have posted here. I decided to take some time out to focus on my Naturopathic studies and my yoga teaching/practice and come back once I had finished my studies.

So, yes, I am now a qualified Naturopath and very excited to continue my journey of learning and sharing. It’s an exciting time! I will be posting a lot more here and also taking consultations but I won’t be shy in admitting it’s also a very scary time! 🙂

In fact having completed my studies, I took a month off to go to Brazil to just have some time out. It was such an amazing trip but also pretty testing at times… and I must admit to being a little surprised at how exhausted I have felt since returning as opposed to feeling all recharged and ready to go!

The time out was really important for me as I suddenly had time to stop and reflect on the last 5 years when I started the course. In this 5 years I have kept myself very busy, and my lovely Kinesiologist once told me that I actually haven’t properly taken on life’s lessons or processed them since I always keep myself so busy. I think many friends and family can attest to that! One lovely work colleague once said, “When I think of you Chrissie, I think of movement!” Classic!

Every little space I managed to make in my life, I no sooner filled it with something else. I soon realised it was often to cover up emotions or grief so as not to have to face any pain or loneliness.

Advertising was a full on career taking up much time and energy and long 12 hour plus days… after which I would jump on my bike or run home since I had not exercised that day.. mm, yes, I used to be more crazy than now! 🙂 Needless to say, I burnt out and left Advertising after being made redundant.. but which brought me on this beautiful journey of natural healing and yoga!

At the time however, it was an amazing yet terrifying feeling!! I lost my job, my visa, my relationship, my gorgeous twin moved home to UK and my flat got sold. I moved and then got asked to leave after 1 week and all my belongings were stolen…. all in the space of a month or so. I wasn’t sure whether to laugh or cry.. !!

It was a low period of my life, but I now can look back on that time as such a potent time in my journey to where I am now. And, I am now a citizen (albeit without a Australian passport as yet which meant I nearly couldn’t leave Brazil.. not such a bad thing in hindsight!) 🙂

However, now, having finally found some space, I realise it is not always a particularly enjoyable experience, especially when trying to relax on a Brazilian beach and my monkey mind would not stop beating me up, telling me I don’t deserve to just lie here doing nothing but sun myself and have another caiprinha or samba with a cute Latino! 🙂

It has been a very intense 3 months for me, so I was actually relieved to read how powerful and intense the last month or so has been for everyone astrologically with the Grand Cross and some other very powerful Celestial transformations and alignments. So it wasn’t just me! 🙂 I have felt a little like my life has been turned upside down. However, even though it was really hard, I knew it was for my good and just tried to ride it.

Having a bumpy ride too? Here is a great link for more information on the astrological craziness over the last few months.

Really old, suppressed patterns of emotions and thoughts from childhood were resurfacing to test me as to whether I was going to let them go for good this time and allow a deeper healing to occur, or carry them around with me forever! I hope I passed….

And for the first time ever, I was really craving space to be alone. I have never lived alone but just felt this need to hide away from the world to process whatever was coming up for me and to overcome the exhaustion.

Not having an apartment, as I sold everything and moved out of my flat to go to Brazil, I have never squealed so much with delight as when a friend of a friend sublet their gorgeous Ben Buckler apartment to me, very generously, with a view of the ocean and beautiful sunsets every night. I was in bliss! It felt like it was exactly what I needed. It was full of sunshine – light, airy, and just so me… I sat on the floor, door wide open, sun streaming in, yoga mat laid out, realising that no one but me was in this flat..  I am full of gratitude! Thank you Universe, Mark, Amy…!

This made me feel strongly that it’s time for me to lay some roots and to ground myself, as my nomadic ways are maybe not so good for this little Vata hippy chick anymore! I don’t think I will ever stop travelling – but I am certainly really craving stability, a partnership, community, close friends, smiles, laughter and a simple life. “About time” I hear you say! 🙂

Apparently we would have felt the intense energies most in areas such as personal and professional relationships, career, local environment, life purpose, and self-esteem. That covers quite a lot… 🙂 I hope you have all coped with the roller coaster too.

So it should all be plain sailing now we’re into May, surely?!

I believe we are now moving into a quiet introspective period that follows such intensity, allowing us time to reflect, but which can also bring up a whole host of emotions from confusion, exhaustion to relief and joy.

Again, this was music to my ears, having felt a little lost and confused with lots of self-doubt rearing its ugly head about starting my business, my abilities as a Naturopath and yoga teacher and most of all marketer of myself… which always brings me dread, despite the many years spent as an adrenally-depleted, highly strung Account Director in Advertising being told I “wasn’t hard enough”.. thankfully! 🙂

Apparently, this is just an adjustment period.. phew! And it’s very exciting to now embark on my next journey leaving old emotions and habits behind.

I should perhaps even be proud of myself for coming on this journey and taking a leap of faith. Something I, of course, didn’t even consider. It took friends of mine saying how proud they were of me, being single, without any family here, getting on (mm, wasn’t so sure I liked this comment)… and yet took the risk to leave a 10 year career to work in a health food shop and start studying again.. 🙂

Yet it is my passion. I am just so happy I have something I have always wanted to do and finally did it! It can be done…. we spend too much time in our work to be doing something we don’t enjoy or feel passionate about. Live your dreams!.. no matter what others think.

I remember among the doubts of friends and partners at the time, I could not have been happier my first day at the Health Emporium, which took me under its wing, heart-broken, retrenched from my job, missing my sister, flatless… and I was welcomed with hugs! And as I stood at the door basking in the sunshine with fresh air on my skin, stacking the shelves with Herbies spices, I felt the happiest gal alive!! I felt free, happy and like I had finally achieved my dream – to walk to work avoiding the city commute and to be able to enjoy a beautiful sunny climate and ocean more than 2 weeks a year when on holiday! 🙂 Yah!!! 🙂

I have a long way to go. This feels like almost the start, but it’s great to enjoy the journey.

Sorry, I didn’t intend to write such a long post. I just realised how little space I actually had given myself to look back and process where I am at.. it’s a little like verbal diarrhoea but I hope it inspires you to do what you love and to also be kind and realise when you are having bad days with lots of self doubt, it’s ok!

I hope to see a lot more on you here where I will be posting healthy recipes, healthy insights, Ayurvedic tips for Winter and more. I am also at The Health Emporium as the retail Naturopath and will be doing consultations too in the Eastern Suburbs, and still teaching Yoga at Wylies and Icebergs. Please feel free to contact me for more information.. 🙂