Hello, I am Marisa Garau...
... and I'd like to help you reduce your stress and enjoy a more balanced life with my down-to-earth approach of mindfulness. My method is different because you don't need to do any time-consuming meditations.
If you want to create a more fulfilling and colourful life in an easy and responsible way, my unique approach is the right choice for you.
Mindfulness has changed my mindset dramatically and I believe that my mindfulness approach can help you to create the life you deserve. Thanks to mindfulness I now have a new career and I live in beautiful New Zealand — something I had never dreamed about in November 2005 when burnout struck...
Stress junkie
I had been running my own advertising agency in Amsterdam for 10 years. My career had given me a generous income — but chronic stress as well, resulting in thyroid problems, eye complaints, muscle cramps, skin disorders, exhaustion and severe depression while even putting a stop to my menstrual cycle for several years.
It wasn’t until the final year of my career that it started to dawn on me that my work stress and my perpetual visits to psychologists and hospital specialists must somehow be related.
That historic day in November 2005, I decided that enough was enough.
I quit my company and with savings in the bank to survive for at least a year I was beside myself with joy: free at last!
But that relief was short-lived. It wasn’t long before I relapsed into my old habit of entertaining negative thoughts about myself and my life which now of course — with no work, no prospect and no social status — would never come ‘right’ again.
But right in that darkest hour I had a revelation. I suddenly realised that I myself was the cause of all that stress… not the circumstances of my life.
Mindfulness expert
And that’s how I signed up to the standard mindfulness training course and set my head to rights once and for all. Did it work? You bet it did!
Since the mindfulness training, my life has changed beyond all recognition. All my afflictions have vanished and I never lose myself in drama and stress anymore. My life is easy and relaxed, and I have a perfect balance between work, relations and me-time.
Mindfulness has been so effective for me, that I want to share all the goodness of mindfulness with as many people as possible.
And so I make my experiences, knowledge and advice available through my own website. It’s a petite but fine business. If you have a question, I’m the one answering it so you’ll always get in touch with me directly – and not with some web content manager, sales person or call center employee in Calcutta :-)
I write truckloads of articles and blog posts for other websites and magazines as well. This is something I always do free of charge as I want to make as many people as possible aware of the possibilities of mindfulness.
I’m an internationally published author since my two books on mindfulness are bestsellers both in Europe and abroad.
I have also developed Karma Kickstart, a super affordable digital mindfulness course which helps people to profit from mindfulness without turning it into yet another task on their to-do list.
I provide personal guidance to help clients implement profound changes in their lives in a responsible, mindful way. And last but not least: I've written a historic fiction novel, something I had dreamed of doing for many years.
If you’d told me that I would do all this when I was still struggling in my advertising career I wouldn’t have believed you. But here I am: full of energy, bustling with creativity and doing work that fulfils me and adds value to other people’s lives.
Still, mindfulness is no magical pill
Mindfulness is a practical tool to help you respond sensibly to challenging, stressful situations. Mindfulness is the opposite of impulsiveness, impetuousness and allowing emotions to run rampant.
The real power of mindfulness
If you practise mindfulness, you will
reduce the intensity of stress
build up a healthy stock of self-esteem
respond to potentially stressful situations at home, at work and even in a crowded supermarket with a clear head and a calm heart
The only thing you have to do is pick up this tool and make it work for you.
You don’t have to meditate to be mindful
My approach doesn’t take up any extra time and is super effective.
As I have learned from personal experience, the power of mindfulness lies in its practical application — not in lofty meditations and intellectual Zen-dogmas.
You can simply learn to apply mindfulness to everything you do. And that’s why my mindfulness method doesn’t require you to free up time to meditate. Instead, I will teach you how to practise mindfulness while going about your daily business.
Why my method will work for you
My approach will work for you, because I know exactly what your life is like. I’ve been there too, you see.
I worked in my own advertising agency for six days a week (because when running your own business the work is never done). In the evening I hurried to the shops to get some food and cook up a decent meal. Then I would work some more while doing the laundry. The weekend would be spent cleaning, shopping for groceries or catching up with friends and family. Two times a year we would plan a short holiday to catch our breath. We would travel to some exotic destination, sleep as much as possible, meanwhile managing unexpected dramas at work with our business partners and maybe squeeze in a visit to a museum or a national park. Then race home again and get right back to work. After just two hours back at work I felt as if there had never been a holiday and I was as stressed as before.
And we had it easy… not having to care for children. I can’t even start to imagine the pressure on working mums and dads!
I know how full your days are...
... and how you always seem to be caught in a race against time, how torn you feel between work obligations and the emotional needs of your partner and children, how you have to juggle time-consuming situations and still keep everyone happy…
But there's a huge risk
The big pitfall however is that you forget to take care of yourself and recharge. No wonder so many people — who combine a demanding job with caring for a family — burn out. You’re expected to give and plan and make things work 24/7. But if you fail to care for yourself, someday you’ll pay the price.
Why not invest in yourself?
Wouldn’t it be better to prevent this from happening? To come to your senses and start investing in your own sanity and wellbeing before it’s too late? Although burnout seems a rather common affliction nowadays since so many people get it… it’s extremely damaging to the nerve system and to your self-confidence, and most of us never fully recover from it. Imagine the impact on your life and your loved ones if you fall victim to a chronic disease... isn't that something you'd want to prevent?
Start turning things around today
So be brave, and start your mindfulness journey today. You don’t have to wait until you have time or attention… mindfulness proves its worth in the turmoil of everyday life.
You can take the very first step towards a more fulfilling, balanced and loving life by getting my free e-book In The Flow Of Mindfulness – Without Time-Consuming Meditations.
In this e-book I explain everything you need to know about the practical applications of mindfulness and how mindfulness will change your life for the better.
Success Stories
Your e-programme has liberated my mind and soul.
carmen gurillat, business owner
“Since I followed your e-course I realise how I love working in my own business. And that shift (loving what I do) only happened through your mindfulness e-course. It has liberated my mind and soul because I try not to be judgemental and not to blame others. I am sure I’ll be very successful with my new way of thinking. Thank you so much!”
Your no-nonsense approach is perfect for all who shy away from airy-fairy stuff.
Astrid dEJONG, editor
“Dear Marisa, I am a true fan of yours and I think it’s about time to share this with you because I’d like to thank you for your great work
I have followed Karma Kickstart and I have read your books and blog posts, and I want to compliment you for all this work. It’s brilliant and it really works! I practise your lessons from Karma Kickstart on a daily basis. It’s such a down-to-earth e-course! After that, I’ve read your book, and I still go through it regularly to remind myself of mindfulness. It’s so valuable to keep on practising.
So… thank you for your wonderful work. It’s perfect for all those perfectionists who shy away from airy-fairy stuff, but do want to create more inner peace and contentment within their lives.”
Marisa's style is refreshingly alive and accessible.
Stephen Archer, Wellness Solutions New Zealand
"With a growing interest among New Zealanders in the benefits of mindfulness training, Marisa’s work is a timely resource. Her style is refreshingly alive and accessible as she shares her own experience and understanding. I recommend her approach for anyone seeking to develop mindfulness as a tool for well-being."
Marisa is down-to-earth, but still includes the spiritual side of mindfulness.
Ingo Lambert, senior clinical psychologist auckland
“Marisa has a good way of bringing across ideas and thoughts with metaphors that are rich in possibilities. Although her style is down-to-earth, she is not afraid to explore the spiritual side of mindfulness."
I now know how to focus and listen without judgement.
JOYCE Bennetts, managing director
“Dear Marisa, I want to say how much I am enjoying your e-course. I have both wins and challenges. My big win is committing to the cause and buying a gorgeous diary to jot down some successes in!
I enjoy focusing on one task and not judging and find that whilst I'm not successful at every attempt, I can take a step back after any interaction and look where I could have improved.
When someone is behaving or speaking in a way that I don’t agree with, I now practise awareness and this allows me to listen without judgement.
I’ll keep on practising with your wise lessons of Karma Kickstart!”
Meditating is too hard for me, that's why Marisa's approach is perfect. I feel so much better now.
Sonia van SoOLINGEN
“I suffer from chronic pain due to a severe disorder. I'm also blind and depending on a wheelchair. Because of the constant pain I started to isolate myself and refused to meet new people, feeling more and more lonely.
Only then I heard about Marisa’s approach which doesn’t demand that I meditate. It’s exactly what I was after because meditating is too hard for me. I followed Karma Kickstart and I think it’s a very clever mindfulness course. The exercises give me the inner peace I need to be able to do my daily chores with awareness. It means that I have less time to focus on the chronic pain I feel.
Now I can finally cope with it. I’d become very negative about others, but I feel a lot calmer now and like to open myself to other people. I also notice that I am more in control of my feelings: I now refuse to be sucked into negative thoughts.
Thanks to Marisa's digital programme I practise every day and am happy to say that I feel so much better!”