Ariadne Thompson
      Licensed Psychotherapist, MFT #87614

                                                   
The Work of Byron Katie:
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I attended my first 9 day school with Byron Katie in 2008 in Miami, and it changed the course of my life.

This is where I learned that the "me" that I had always believed myself to be and the way that I viewed others and the larger world, were all beliefs I'd acquired, rather than being definite truths.

It was the first time I got a glimpse of the possibility of living a life that wasn't controlled by everything I thought, believed, and then reacted to. The Work taught me to take one thought that I believed without question, put it on paper, and mediate into "Is it true?" 

Here are just a few common human beliefs: 
       - I need more money 
       - I should know what to do
       - The world isn't a safe place
       - I'm too fat/old/shy/awkward

Notice what happens when you believe the thought, for example, that you need more money. The body tightens, the heart races, you start to frantically look for solutions, you look to the past and beat yourself up, finding examples of how you failed at saving or having enough money. You compare yourself to others who seem to have money, and know what to do with money. Suddenly you're filled with stress and terror of the future, and you've lost connection to the fact that you're sitting in your armchair at home, drinking your morning coffee. You've been completely hijacked out of the present moment by the thought, "I don't have enough money." 

If we begin to pay attention, we see this happens all day, from the moment we wake, to the moment we go to sleep. 

The Work of Byron Katie helps us take one thought at a time, from the wild swirl of the mind, and put it down on paper to investigate it. 

Extraordinary things happen when we do these explorations, and peace and joy in the moments of our life can become vastly more available through this practice.

Let's look at all of the thoughts that cause you distress, and begin to work with them one at a time.