Discover The Work of Byron Katie
Yes, it has a kinda funny name!
And who is "Byron Katie" anyway? As it turns out, Byron Katie is a woman (she usually goes by "Katie") who suffered from 10 long years of deep depression... Then, unexpectedly one morning in 1986, Katie experienced a moment of immense clarity... She noticed that none of her stories were true! ...a lifetime of assumptions about how the world works ...the stressful thoughts that held her hostage for a decade... NONE of it was actually true! Katie describes that moment as, "waking up to reality," and says, "I awoke to a joy that has never left!" Now, keep in mind that she was not actively searching for a way out of her depression... And, she was not a spiritual or religious person. You could say, "The Work found her." In her book, Loving What Is, Katie explains... "I'm just someone who knows the difference between what hurts and what doesn't, and I'm not a masochist anymore." Through her powerful experience, Katie discovered a simple truth... "When we believe our stressful thoughts we suffer, and when we question them, we don't suffer!" By observing the workings of her own mind - as it moved from chaos into clarity - Katie discovered a simple process to reliably break free from a decade of self-loathing, agoraphobia (fear of being around others) and spiraling suicidal depression. |
How to do The Work
"The Work" - as Katie named her meditative process of self-inquiry - is simply...
"Four Questions and a Turnaround".
Here's how it works!
Step 1. Identify the stressful thoughts you're experiencing in a given situation - anything from your recent, or distant past will do.
It could be that someone cut you off in traffic last week and you reacted with road rage. Or, you have a painful memory from your childhood that still affects you today. Maybe it's something ongoing, like suffering from chronic physical pain or illness, or you have an ongoing conflict with someone you love... all of this you can take to inquiry.
Step 2. Inquiry. This is the heart of The Work - the practice of meditative self-inquiry. And it's so simple it's crazy that it actually works!
First of all, let me say that I'm no meditator... I could barely sit still in silence for 10 minutes when I started. But The Work is a different kind of meditation. You simply focus on a stressful situation, and ask yourself 4 Questions. The power comes from the answers deep inside you.
The trick is to consult your "heart" (or inner-wisdom), and not answer with your well-trained/ conditioned, ego-based intellect. This process is heart-work, not mental effort.
The 4 Questions of The Work
1. Is it true? (yes/no)
2. Can you absolutely know that it's true? (yes/no)
3. How do you react - what happens - when you believe this thought?
4. Who or what would you be without this thought?
The Turnarounds
The Turnarounds are a way to take a look at evidence for the very opposite(s) of the stressful belief you've been so attached to.
The 4 Questions of The Work open your mind to receive the Turnarounds.
And that's The Work! (Simple, right?)
"Four Questions and a Turnaround".
Here's how it works!
Step 1. Identify the stressful thoughts you're experiencing in a given situation - anything from your recent, or distant past will do.
It could be that someone cut you off in traffic last week and you reacted with road rage. Or, you have a painful memory from your childhood that still affects you today. Maybe it's something ongoing, like suffering from chronic physical pain or illness, or you have an ongoing conflict with someone you love... all of this you can take to inquiry.
Step 2. Inquiry. This is the heart of The Work - the practice of meditative self-inquiry. And it's so simple it's crazy that it actually works!
First of all, let me say that I'm no meditator... I could barely sit still in silence for 10 minutes when I started. But The Work is a different kind of meditation. You simply focus on a stressful situation, and ask yourself 4 Questions. The power comes from the answers deep inside you.
The trick is to consult your "heart" (or inner-wisdom), and not answer with your well-trained/ conditioned, ego-based intellect. This process is heart-work, not mental effort.
The 4 Questions of The Work
1. Is it true? (yes/no)
2. Can you absolutely know that it's true? (yes/no)
3. How do you react - what happens - when you believe this thought?
4. Who or what would you be without this thought?
The Turnarounds
The Turnarounds are a way to take a look at evidence for the very opposite(s) of the stressful belief you've been so attached to.
The 4 Questions of The Work open your mind to receive the Turnarounds.
And that's The Work! (Simple, right?)
Katie sometimes says, "It's not called "The Work" for nothing!"
Like anything else you get value from, there is no magic pill.
Inquiry is a practice - think of it as "mental yoga."
The good news is, you can do The Work on demand anytime you feel stressed.
Or, you can establish a regular practice and use it as "preventive medicine" to live a more joyful life and expand your awareness.
Like anything else you get value from, there is no magic pill.
Inquiry is a practice - think of it as "mental yoga."
The good news is, you can do The Work on demand anytime you feel stressed.
Or, you can establish a regular practice and use it as "preventive medicine" to live a more joyful life and expand your awareness.
As a Mindset Coach facilitating The Work, my job is essentially that of a "lion tamer" for the egoic mind. When ego defends with its judgments and rationalizations, you stop answering the questions of The Work, and thus, it stops working - like an on/off switch. Sometimes people claim it's not working, but they fail to see they were just defending their story with "proof" (i.e., another story) -- the ego loves this!
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When you're very attached to your stressful story about a situation - or if you're just starting out in Inquiry - it's best to have a facilitator to support you and keep you focused on the process (that's the meditative part).
The ego mind really doesn't want you to stay focused! It's "comfortable" keeping its very uncomfortable identity.
As you practice The Work regularly - just like learning any new skill, The Work starts working automatically for you at some level.
Inquiry takes on a life inside you!
The things that used to "drive you mad" will barely upset you, as you quickly snap out of the nightmare of your suffering.
Usually, thoughts will stop upsetting you altogether as you befriend them - by understanding them).
And (believe it or not) often laughter and curiosity replace the suffering.
The ego mind really doesn't want you to stay focused! It's "comfortable" keeping its very uncomfortable identity.
As you practice The Work regularly - just like learning any new skill, The Work starts working automatically for you at some level.
Inquiry takes on a life inside you!
The things that used to "drive you mad" will barely upset you, as you quickly snap out of the nightmare of your suffering.
Usually, thoughts will stop upsetting you altogether as you befriend them - by understanding them).
And (believe it or not) often laughter and curiosity replace the suffering.
Ready to make friends with your thoughts?
Let's talk!
Let's talk!