I started this course when I felt lost and confused. I knew I had to sort out my emotions and thoughts and needed help. I did not want to take medication and also did not want to only pray about everything. Marié invited me at the right time and space.

During this course, I got to remember who I was, apart from my rolls as wife and mother. I realized what drains me and that I must lay down boundaries for my own survival. I realized what inspires me.

Mindfulness fits into the gap between psychology and religion/faith. It is a soft journey of self-discovery. It does not fit into a box and therefor it works. Marie has a lot of love, compassion and patience, often with a twinkle in the eye. I love you Marié

I started this course because I was interested in acquiring skills to cope better with stressful and busy lifestyle.

I struggled accepting failure or rather felt responsible for other people. Moral issues have a negative effect on my emotional well- being as I feel the need to fix things

This course helped me to focus on the present moment. Try to keep your mind clear from distractions.

I would recommend this course if you need to focus and handle stress better. It helps one to ground yourself in a systematic manner.

I started this course because I was interested in acquiring skills to cope better with stressful and busy lifestyle.

I struggled accepting failure or always felt responsible for the wellbeing of other people. Moral issues have a negative effect on my emotional well- being as I feel the need to fix things

This course helped me to focus on the present moment. To become aware of the distractions and how keep my mind clear from distractions.

I would recommend this course if you needed to focus and manage stress better. It helps one to ground yourself in a systematic manner.

Marie turned my world upside down. She taught me what it was to live in the moment, one of the most powerful things one can do, especially in a time of crisis.
She is skilled, compassionate, an expert in her field. I found her constant and faithful input priceless.

A trusted family friend recommended this course to me. Before the course I was in a very fragile place, completely confused about how to proceed in life after having returned from abroad and needed to basically start over with my life back in South Africa.

During the period of the course, I not only found my inner calm and direction, but I could practically use the mindfulness techniques to deal with certain situations in a healthy, completely non-destructive manner, as opposed to how I had immediately dealt with issues in the recent past. I could effectively manage the stress of dealing with unfair employers before settling on the right job, as well as demanding property owners and break away from an unhealthy relationship.

Honestly, this course has helped me pick myself up from a very broken place under a lot of financial pressure. I would wish anyone the opportunity to do the sessions with Marié, who is a very loving, transparent facilitator.

When you introduced the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Program to me last year, I was sceptical of its likely success; my participation in similar programs twice in the past never yielded any long-lasting benefits. Since the dawn of my earliest intelligence, I have suffered an explosive temper and as a result caused many people harm.

Pursuant my emotional outbursts I would unfortunately judge myself harshly and withdraw from society as a form of self-inflicted punishment. This vicious cycle has been my cross for as long as I can remember and also the reason I have sought professional help in the past. Having now completed the program, I struggle to find the words to adequately express my gratitude for the vital social skills you have taught me over the past couple of months. The program and the related activities resulted in tangible differences in my everyday life and has been a game-changer for me.

My blinding road-rage has almost been eliminated entirely; I find myself listening to people where in the past I merely heard them (you have no idea how much this newly acquired skill alone, is changing my relationships with colleagues and friends) and I am gradually able to manage conflict situations with unfamiliar poise. Thank you for your particular commitment to this program and the difference it makes in the lives of others. Your text messages of encouragement and ‘tips-and-tricks’ daily not only enhanced my newly acquired skills but motivated me to persevere as well. I acknowledge your personal sacrifice (without reward) in providing these daily messages and commend you for the unconditional love this demonstrates.

Of all my newly acquired abilities, I am most appreciative of my capacity to assess myself with compassion and my conduct with kindness; thank you (so very much) for showing me that I am special and worthy even when I have ‘fallen.’ I am privileged to have met you and I look forward to our future journey together; you undoubtedly have a lot to teach and I am eager to learn.

I started mindfulness with Marie, as I had already done a lot of my own inner work through yoga and my desire for simplicity led to mindfulness, which I did not realize at the time. Working with Marie was a great form of participating with another in this practice as she is a trained professional and her guidance gave me new tools to use that radically shaped my life. Marie really knows how to hold a safe space for discomfort within the body which was the main reason I enjoyed the course.

When I feel overwhelmed, I hear these words (of Marie) and slowly begin drawing my senses back to what is happening that automatically starts relaxing my fight-or-flight response.
I learned self-compassion, I learned how that is the guiding force for healthy change.
I will absolutely recommend this course to somebody else – I honestly can’t imagine a life without mindfulness, I also believe that it can bring great calm to our nervous system especially as we live in quite a strange time in the global pandemic.

After Marié got involved as agent in the selling of my house and a terrible break up, she offered me Mindfulness sessions to assist me in my grieving process.

With Marie’s guidance through mindfulness techniques, I have become more aware and rooted in the present moment.

Focusing on what I have control over: only myself and my perceptions, and letting go of external disruptions and unnecessary thoughts that are beyond my control. Looking at situations and surroundings with a beginner’s mind has made me more peaceful and centred in myself, and grateful for what I have. A great gift to have in times of high anxiety or stress.

Mindfulness brought a change in my life – I am calmer now and anxiety is no longer my primary driver.
I will recommend this course to anybody else, because we all lose a little of ourselves if we do not live mindfully.
Thank you Marie – you have helped me on with my journey more than you will ever know.

I started the course as I struggled to manage conflict. I wanted to solve problems instantly in my own way. I started off doubting that Mindfulness would really bring about a difference in my life.

Mindfulness taught me new ways to view conflict. I learned that it is normal to experience extreme emotions are normal and there are diverse ways one can look at it. To view everything from a new perspective was so amazingly enlightening.
I am must more relaxed and peaceful and instead of getting extremely upset when I cannot change or control things around me. – I look at the situation from different angles. I learned to let go. I am gentler with myself and grew into liking myself. The Mindfulness course gave me more insight in- and knowledge about myself with the tools and awareness to manage life in a much easier and better way.

From the very first session, I just want to know increasingly more, because it is about myself. I will recommend these sessions strongly, especially to those who feel they do not understand themselves. Also to understand why I do things that I do actually want to do.

I started the course, as I was curious to find out more about Mindfulness..

I learned to look from a different angle to other people and to listen with more insight. I assisted me tremendously in my stressful work environment. I learned to hold space for my emotions which resulted in an improvement in my relationships, especially at work.

I will recommend anybody to enrol in the Mindfulness course. I enjoyed it and learned a lot. The one-day quiet retreat which forms part of the group course, taught me a lot. I learned that I accepted things as self-evident  while I glanced over things instead of standing still and appreciate my surroundings and seeing the beauty around me. I manage problems so much more peacefully and calm. Today on my still retreat day, I enjoyed the peace and quiet in and around me.

I enrolled in this course as I was at a point in my life where I feel the need to become still and realize who I really am, to improve my identity and to strengthen my relationship with God. It goes hand in hand with meditations.

There definitely a change in my life.

I grow in wisdom. I learned to be calmer and to not be concerned about what other people think of my or tell about me.

I will advise anybody to enrol in this course, because at the point where you do not have a good self-image, the course teaches you to be wiser and stronger and to improve your relationship with God.

I see life from a better perspective and I am much humbler after this course

I attended the course to get to know myself better with a group of people I love. The course bring out the beauty in me. I discovered ways to be still which was not part of me in my life. In this group where there was a safe space to be honest and allow my real self to surface. I grew in knowledge about myself which I could also share with the group. The group taught me so much during the process.

This course started a process in me which will continue after the course, especially via the way Marié shared her knowledge with us. I definitely recommend this course to my friends.

The Mindfulness course brought a change in me. For the first time in a long time, I felt safe to take off my mask and allowing myself to show up for who I really am. I am more honest with myself and others. Before the course started, I was never consciously aware of the many things and actions around me and missed so much. The course is a “non-threating” space where you can discover yourself and believe everybody must join this journey by enrolling in this course

I enrolled in this course to invest in myself and to discover more about myself.

After the completion of the course, I am much more aware of everything that happens around me. My awareness opened my eyes for how I treat other people. It helped a lot to learn how to use stillness and be still. I am much calmer and more peaceful, which resulted that I am not so quick to defend myself or attack others. When you are calmer, you do not as much damage.

I learned to tune into the sensations in my physical body.

I used to feel negative about myself, but start to realize that I am not as bad as I thought and started to like myself. I realized that I do not have to humiliate myself in order for others to like me.

I will definitively recommend this course to others, as it is shifting me positively.

Thank you so much for this course, where I could learn to look honestly and lovingly at myself and not to judge myself anymore

I enrolled in the Mindfulness course, to try and experience peace, to differentiate my emotions, and to understand my brain and moods better.

I learned to breath correctly, to become still and learned to be more peaceful and still while I appreciate my surroundings more. I developed a deep gratitude for Mother Nature, learned to listen more intensely to others and am more peaceful and composed in conflict situations. The experience to eat and drink Mindfully and peacefully changes my appreciation for food.

If anybody wants to focus better, be more aware in their daily life and surroundings, want to learn to be still and learn how to breath correctly, I will strongly recommend this Mindfulness Course of Marié.

After completing the course with Marié, I am more present in every moment. The world and the problems stays the same, but I learned to view this from a different angle.

The benefits of this course is the learning of the effect of breathing techniques, to use the Mindfulness and meditation in my work place and with my own clients, and experiencing how my much softer approach with myself, flow to the people and clients around me. The world would be a much better place if everybody had this level of compassion wat Marié so easily radiate to us.

I am grateful that our paths crossed and after my follow up course, I even learned more.

• How to live in the moment,
• How important part correct breathing plays in my daily life,
• How many benefits the daily Mindfulness application brings in my life.

The way I view other people changed completely, which resulted in more positive attitudes towards situations. I learned more compassion and insight which lead to a less reactive life.

I learned that my body stores emotions and I grew more in the past year with Marié than I learned in the last twenty-seven years. My view on life completely changed and I am experiencing a deep peace, which is difficult to describe. Marié listens with no judgement and with so much patience and love. Every session felt like I was visiting a friend.

I attended the 8 weeks Mindfulness Based Stress Relief with Marie. I was at an exceedingly difficult spot in terms of my own and also my professional journey and really felt backed into a corner with truly little options (that I could see!).

I remember that the first session was difficult as I was so trapped in constant activity (both physical and mental). Gradually (and gently) Marié introduced me to the concepts. Most of all, it was the actual 90 minutes per week that brought a shift. I became more grounded and less frantic. I could deal with demanding situations in a calm and connected way.

“Magically” alternative options became clear. Now, after 2 months I still continue with the basic practices and really reap the fruits of the 8-week programme on a daily basis.

I started this course to shift in focus –like worry to peaceful thoughts and to learn how to relax more and shift from anxiety I learned: · Enjoy nature much more · It helped me to understand people better and allow them to just be themselves around me · I am more calm, can focus more clearly ·

Over time it helps me to process emotions better once you know the route · You learn to pay better attention to your body · I enjoy people for who they are and to also accept who I am around them. I do not stress about trivial things because it does not have to affect me. It has made such an impact on my life to create a balance and enjoy life around me- I would wish that for everyone.

It started as a team building activity for work, I do not think I would have ever given it a go otherwise. After my eight weekly sessions I would definitely recommend the mindfulness course to anyone. Even if it is just the first course.
I found the individual sessions most helpful in diving deeper into myself and realising a few hard truths about my reality. It started to make me think more about looking inwards and checking in with myself, instead of just going along with life and what others wanted. It started to make me realise my motivations of doing everyday things. I came to accept myself more.
I became more aware that I numb my emotions to some extent. I struggled with the emotion exercise in regard to describing them and where I felt these emotions. I was aware before the course already that I suppress these emotions and so when the final stressor appears, no matter how small, I explode with emotion. And so I would like my mindfulness journey to lead me to a place where I can be more aware of the different emotions and not just have a big bundle of them.
My thoughts are mostly negative and harsh towards myself. The mindfulness course helped me to realise to what extent the negativity was.
I am extremely hard on myself, although I thought I was too soft on myself before the course. I do put myself second to others. But not necessarily in a self-less way, but rather in a way to protect myself from responsibility. I would also let other people’s opinions guide my own decisions and so I know to try being more aware of this in my daily interactions.
I became more aware of subtle things in my friendships and other relationships. I learnt to speak up more about what I liked and what I did not like. And subtly through the lockdown I became more in tuned with how I felt in my relationships with the people around me.
I will definitely recommend the course. I feel mindfulness will eventually lead to helping us separate what is us and what is the environment. And how we converse between the two so that we can live in a balanced state.