“I discovered that when I believed my thoughts I suffered, but when I didn’t believe them I didn’t suffer, and that this is true for every human being. Freedom is as simple as that. I found that suffering is optional. I found a joy within me that has never disappeared, not for a single moment. That joy is in everyone, always. And I invite you not to believe me. I invite you to test it for yourself.”

That’s a quote from Byron Katie, who pioneered a powerful technique called “The Work” that teaches people the way to inquire into their thoughts.

The technique involves two distinct parts. The first part of the process involves asking yourself four questions about any stressful thought. In the second part you find three “turnarounds” that look at your original belief in three different ways. The process is meditative – it is best done in an atmosphere of stillness and contemplation.

The four questions

1. Is it true?

2. Can you absolutely know that it’s true?

3. How do you react, what happens, when you believe the thought?

4. Who would you be without the thought?

The Turnarounds

Find three opposites of your original thought, and look for real life examples to support each turnaround.

This technique, when applied to any stressful problem, enables a profound shift in mindset that opens the doors to possibilities we may never have seen before. It allows us to heal relationships with ourselves, other people, and the planet, without needing anyone else to change. 

Download my full guide to the process, with specific examples, here. 

When you book a session with me I’ll walk you through the practice, and guide you through the questions in the most gentle and supportive way possible.