Karen Ruimy is a woman with many labels. Campaigner. Flamenco dancer. Businesswoman. Recording artist. Author. Karen divides her time as an author, singer-songwriter, dancer and creative director of the lifestyle brand KALMAR. She is also the founder of a global women’s foundation, the GREAT Initiative (Gender Rights Equality Trust) with Mariella Frostrup and Jason McCue. Karen is the co-founder of the Marrakesh Museum of Visual Arts and Photography which opened 2013.
Born in Casablanca, Karen moved to Paris as a seven-year-old. In Paris she rapidly climbed the competitive ladder of the banking industry at HSBC and by just 28 years old was a board member of brokerage house Finacor. Despite the high-flying career Karen felt she was on the wrong path and left behind her career and became a writer. In 1999 she shared her spiritual awakening in her first book “The Angels Metamorphosis”, which saw her diving deeply into the sphere of spiritual wellness. A second book was published in 2012 entitled The Voice of the Angel.
At the age of 35 Karen became a professional flamenco dancer. She has since produced and performed in shows in Paris, London, Marrakech and India – where her latest show ZIKR was born. The show charts the journey of flamenco from India to Seville and has been created with Karen’s musical collaborator Youth (Pink Floyd/Sir Paul McCartney). The music from Karen’s shows have inspired her own single and album releases. In 2012 her first album Essence de Femme featured songs initially created for her Paris shows and Come With Me accompanied her show Sangré, the remix of Come With Me by Paul Oakenfold was a club hit reaching #2 in the dance charts. A double album entitled ZIK’R was released Summer 2015 to mark festival appearances across the UK and the South of France. Karen has also recorded an album with the late great Phil Ramone due for release 2018. As a private collector and patron of the arts, Karen has been invited to sit on the board of the Tate, Outset and the ICA and is a patron of the Serpentine. After launching KALMAR, resort wear in 2017, built on the values of self-care, sensuality and spirituality, Karen is now further extending her eponymous well-being brand and is currently developing a new range of beauty/well-being and lifestyle products to hit the market in 2018. KALMAR is available in Harrods, Matches and online.
Karen continues to write her blog and delivers regular Podcasts under the topic ‘Goddess is Speaking’. Her Oracle card app ‘The Goddess is Speaking’ is available on all devices. Her soul’s calling is to show the key to true wellness is to listen to your heart’s whispers. Whether that is moving your body through dance, being still and meditative in a beautiful secret garden or through the exhilarating beats of music. To truly fall in love with oneself is the key to becoming your own healer.
1) What is your name and where do you live?
I am Karen Ruimy, and I live mostly London, sometimes Paris…
2) What is your favourite soulventure?
I have two favourite soulventures. The first is when I go deep within. I love to discover my more spiritual self, for me there is nothing more powerful than discovering a piece of yourself, it really is a magical moment. This can be accidental, where life has brought you a lesson or when you silently venture into yourself, unlocking something that brings you into the moment. My favourite physical soulventure is to travel different lands. I have a very strong connection to Arizona where I like to climb mountains and be one with mother earth. I also love to discover the vastness and expanse of the sea and the desert.
3) What’s something that no-one would guess about you?
I feel deep down in myself I am very young. I have a young outlook on life. I have a curiosity of a woman younger than my years. In fact, my dance partner who is one of my best friends is 25 years younger than me and I love that we are on the same level. I love to learn, and I listen to my inner child often, I suspect no one would assume that if they met me in person. I am always in nature and one of my favourite things to do is visit a Secret Garden in the city I live. It’s a piece of paradise in the hustle and bustle of the city.
4) What single thing would improve the quality of your life?
I would love to spend more time in nature.
5) If you could be doing anything, anywhere, right now, what would it be?
I love this question we should ask ourselves this more. Because we should be doing that thing, if it’s possible, it’s the key to a happy life. Me, I’d be hiking in Hawaii, then swimming in blue waters followed by a simple meal – and then take time out to converse with Mother Earth.
6) Of what are you most proud?
I am most proud of my children – my family is a source of great love. I am also proud of my spirituality – how I now embody my connection to spirit, how it feeds me and my resulting business achievements. Through my connection to spirit I have been able to create two beautiful books, my podcast and app ‘The Goddess is Speaking’ which is now available for download on any device. The app holds 77 beautiful oracle cards, which I created through channelling the Goddesses wisdom. It is an ideal source for those who are seeking guidance and support on the go.
7) Who do you most admire and why?
I find today it is hard to stay positive and connected to the truth in today’s world. I admire anyone who can do that. If I was to name a person who embodied that it would be Simone Weil, who came through hell, was an inspiration to many during her time, and throughout it all she was able stay positive and true.
8) Best kiss of your life?
I believe life has ‘kissed’ me a lot. My husband of course has given me some of the best kisses of my life.
But I would like to share with you a story, which was quite amazing. I was at a retreat in the South of France. I was relaxing with a cup of tea one afternoon and I had no makeup on. I tell you this because something quite amazing happened next. I was meditating and then when I went to pick up my cup to drink, I noticed a very clear red lipstick mark where someone else had drunk from my cup. A lipstick kiss. I believe that day the Goddess ‘kissed’ me that day and it was probably the most enlightening experience of my life.
9) What is a new skill you’d like to learn (and why?)
I would love to learn sculpture, I have a fantasy to become an artist using my hands and the earth. Watching someone work with clay is very sensual.
10) Woods, mountain, city or sea?
I love them all – the challenge of the mountain, the earthiness of the woods, the buzz of city and the vastness of the sea. I love the city though it can become stuck for me at times, so it would be out in nature. Nature is essential to my life.
11) If you could say one thing to lots of people, what would it be?
Be yourself – truly.
12) What makes you happy?
When I am 100% in my own energy. Being in nature. When all my senses are aligned with the universe. When I am dancing, listening to music, singing and writing.
13) What is your guiltiest pleasure?
Dark Chocolate and relaxing with a cup of tea in the afternoon.
The Goddess Is Speaking is available now from iTunes / Android for £3.99
