Tuesday, February 13, 2007

Byron Katie

Bryon Katie has a new book out with her husband Stephen Mitchell called, "A Thousand Names For Joy". In this book, she responds to excerpts from Mitchell's translation of the "Tao Te Ching" by Lao Tzu. She personalizes each of the concepts to such an extent that it brings a wonderfully refreshing and accessible perspective to these timeless gems of wisdom. Her approach to life is from a place of wholeness. Neither good and bad nor right and wrong exist for her. She sees everything as just right and the present moment as a beautiful gift. Even death is seen with understanding and as a natural part of the whole of existence.

Reading her new book brings chuckles out loud regarding subject matter that would otherwise seem too tragic to laugh about. I was relating one of her stories this morning to my tai chi class. As I mentioned, with a giggle, that as a result of occasional blindness from a degenerative eye disease, she falls down on the floor, one of my students says, “That’s not very nice to be laughing about!” “Oh, but that is just the point,” I said. She falls down and thinks, “Ah, I guess it’s time to rest.” She then proceeds to enjoy the feeling of the cool floor, the melodious sound of the phone ringing and the rhythm of the knock at the back door. She just doesn’t find a problem anywhere.

I had the delightful and truly awesome opportunity to meet and spend time with her, riding in a car, walking together and over lunch. She is beautiful beyond words. Doing her work over the past 12 years has made a phenomenal difference in my life, from thinking I had to create and control myself and others to allowing life to flow through me with a joyful witnessing and gratitude.

If you haven’t had the experience of seeing her in person or reading her books, make it a must-do. As Eckhart Tolle says, “Byron Katie’s Work is a great blessing for our planet. The root cause of suffering is identification with our thoughts, the ‘stories’ that are continuously running through our minds. Byron Katie’s Work acts like a razor-sharp sword that cuts through that illusion and enables you to know for yourself the timeless essence of your being. Joy, peace, and love emanate from it as your natural state.”

Find out when and where you can see her in action, or at least find and read her books. She has three books: "Loving What Is", "I Need Your Love, Is That True?", and "A Thousand Names For Joy". You can also check out her website: www.thework.com

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