When did you start your business?
I started my business 20 years ago.

What was the inspiration behind your work/business?
My inspiration behind my work was to support women in challenging life situations, for example pregnancy, birth, divorce, health problems and so on. Due to my family history, I was interested in psychotherapy and body therapy from a very young age. I have been practicing yoga and meditation ever since the age of 16, always fascinated by the connection between body and mind. The suffering of women in my family, especially the suffering and illness of my mother, brought me to the profession of therapy.
First of all osteopathy, because I love the voice of the body. „Even if you can`t speak for yourself, your body will do it for you.“
With the beginning of my career as a therapist, a great interest in spirituality came into my life. This curiosity led me to practicing Buddhist Meditation, which is my daily basis of life and this preoccupation with meditation brought me to Naikan. Naikan is my big love and for me the best way of bringing women closer to their essence. Also working as a Birth Doula opened up the world of women in sisterhood to me. „During a birth you are very close to the source of life and the power of femininity.“

What are you most excited about in your work/business?
I am most excited about helping women to overcome their limiting believes and bring them back to their essence. I know that every problem in your life is an initiation. An initiation to become your true self and less of what you believe you should be.

What has been the most challenging thing about starting your work/business?
The start wasn`t very hard for me. From the beginning I had enough clients, I truly believe that the universe supported me in every way. My work is my passion and I believe I am meant to be a coach and a therapist. My business was always the place for me to reconnect with my essence and bring my best version to the table. So the start wasn`t very challenging for me, but in 20 years of business, you are confronted with all of your shadows, all your limiting believes and a lot of other stuff. It`s an ongoing process of evolving and blooming into your fullest version of yourself.

What advice would you give to other women thinking about starting a work/business?
Just do it! If you feel the call and you can`t get it out of your mind… do it. You´ll never be properly prepared or truly ready, don`t wait to be perfect before. It´s always a “learning by doing” process. Just start!

Why did you enter the Women Changing the World Awards?
When I got the Mail of the nomination, I was so excited because this nomination was a sign for me that my work is having a positive impact on other human beings. And this is my absolut top value. This event was an opportunity for me to come together with the most amazing women all over the world. I love to be connected with women in sisterhood. I love to be with women who are more connected with their passion than their personal belongings.

What did you enjoy the most about being part of the awards? What surprised you most about the awards?
When women are deeply rooted in their essence, they have the ability to come together in sisterhood. At this event I felt the energy of sisterhood. Often women are living in a silent war, the war against other women. We judge each other, we are competitive and we are afraid of being not good enough. At this event it was totally different and this surprised me the most. There was no war, only love, compassion and connection. Only in sacred sisterhood we can make this world a better place to live.

How did the awards help you in your work/business?
To hear about the stories of the women changed my mind in many ways. It changed some believes I had about life and about what is possible. I´m playing bigger now.

What advice would you give to other women thinking about entering the awards?
Just do it!

What has been the best thing about starting your own work/business?
My whole business is about expressing myself in every way. For me it`s the opportunity to express myself in a creative way and to shape my life freely, I am the leader of my own life.

What’s happening next in your work/business?
I`ve already co-authored several books, two of them compiled by Dr. Tererai Trent, but now it´s my turn to bring my own book to life. I´ve been writing it for the last ten years and this year it will be finished.

What are your big plans for the future?
I`m planning some speaking gigs all over the world and a Retreat in Paris, Marokko and a Naikan Retreat in Japan.

How can we connect with you?

www.elisabethgabauer.at
https://www.facebook.com/elisabeth.gabauer
https://www.instagram.com/elisabethgabauer
https://www.linkedin.com/in/elisabeth-gabauer-82663b228/