mystory

My Story

My name is Mariana den Hollander and
I have been overweight since I was
12 years old.

Throughout my high school years I
tried diets, nutritionists, sports, cold
bandages, you name it. I always felt
inappropriate. I always wished to be
the thin one, the pretty one.

When I was 19 years old I started playing with purging myself after big meals. I lived from then on with
bulimia for seven years.

These were years of my life where I hated my body and believed that to be happy all I needed was to lose
weight. The Work came into my life to question every single thought that was truly hurting me. Making me
sick! I was able to finally make peace with the mirror and love its reflection.

To heal I worked with many thoughts that made me miserable which did not relate to my body and image:
family conflicts, economic uncertainty, relationship issues, work issues, false expectations of how my life
should be, etc. This work with myself has given me the opportunity to work in the present with people who
suffer the pain and stress that these subjects and many others cause in our lives.

Currently I am a certified facilitator & trainer of The Work. I work as a staff member
once or twice a year in the Nine Day Schools for The Work of Byron Katie. The Schools I've
attended are:

Participant: Brussels 08/2004
Staff: Los Angeles 10/2004
        Los Angeles 03/2005
        Los Angeles 03/2006
        Miami 06/2008

For the moment I live in Costa Rica and travel between countries sharing
The Work in Spanish and English. I work giving individual sessions,
workshops in companies, and group workshops. In the section of
"Workshops" you can find more information about my work.