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Sunday, August 29, 2010

Yasmin and The Work of Byron Katie

                                                  this a photo that I really like of her

Yesterday Yasmin did The Work of Byron Katie!

To any one who is not familiar with this system, I really recommend it! It's a simple process of four questions and a turnaround that question the beliefs that cause us suffering... transformative!

Isn't it great that life keeps coming up with opportunities to practice spiritual tools?

Yasmin was suddenly distressed. A memory had come up. She had gone to the Youth Movement's summer camp and after one day decided she wanted to come home. Her Dad, my ex, went to get her. I thought it was over and done with.

This happened over a month ago but suddenly, last night, she was overcome with an inexplicable sadness.
(She's 10 just to remind you...)

I tried empathizing. True, it was the end of the day...and I wasn't that focused, and all I managed to say was:" So you were really sorry you went, right? And it sounds like your Dad coming to pick you up really touched your heart, true?" She responded to all this, yet kept on saying: "I shouldn't have gone in the first place!"

To this I began to say, "So why did you" , which ,never helps...("Why?" is a question you can ask much later, after someone's feeling better...)

And suddenly, I remembered BK...and asked: Is it True? And immediately checked if she wants to try The Work. She said yes!

Just for the record, my children have almost an intimate relationship with Byron Katie, since they've been seeing her face on my computer screen for years and have always connected with her image. When she was in Israel a few years ago, I went to the event. Tom, my personal Guru and home version of Byron Katie said: Why do you need her? You don't need her! (He was seven at the time...) His sister, Yasmin, said Ima, are you going to tell her about me?

As it turned out, I did do TW with Katie on stage...about Yasmin and the struggles I was having at the time with her. It was an important experience, and really the beginning of a Journey, rather than some solution or completion to "my problems"...

Back to Yasmin. I said, let's do The Work and see what happens, OK?
 OK!
(All this whilst she is getting into bed)

Me: Yasmin, is it True that you shouldn't have gone to camp?
Y: Yes!!!
Me: Are you absolutely sure, a hundred percent that it's True?
Y: Absolutely!!
Me: How do you feel when you believe that thought?
Y: I'm sad, my heart hurts, I want to cry...
Me: Now, close your eyes, take a deep breath and imagine, how would you feel, be, without that thought?
Y: Better, easier, happier... ( I swear all this is coming from her!)
Me: Now let's turn around that thought, I shouldn't have gone to camp, turns into..?
Y: I should've gone!
Me: Why is that just as true, can you see it?
Y: WELL BECAUSE I WAS CURIOUS TO SEE WHAT IT WAS ABOUT, IT WAS MY FIRST YEAR AND I DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT IT...
Me: So, you wanted to go 'cause you were curious?
Y: Yes!
Me: Anything else? How do you feel now?
Y: Good!

We hugged. I said : It's like magic , this Work, right? Yes!!

And she sank into deep and happy sleep...in fact she's still snoring as I write these words!

Thanks Katie! And thank you to me....:-)

2 comments:

  1. Great article Yael - it really shows the power of language and how useful it is to be flexible in the words and phrases we use.

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  2. Hi Reeta!
    Thanks dear for your comment, glad you enjoyed it...I'm particularly pleased Yasmin is learning this power at an early age

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