Let the Learning Begin: The Work by Byron Katie

Found a cool place recently, RUAH.  RUAH is a Hebrew word for "Breath of God". RUAH is also an acronym that founder Ms. Jo named the house she bought and transformed into a healing center - right in my hometown, Naperville. Respite for Understanding, Acceptance and Healing.

Loved seeing it - the lovely backyard, the different rooms for education and healing, the two little dogs running around. The children of different practitioners or visitors playing with the dogs. The different rooms, including a movie room, library, massage room, future yoga room, warmly decorated, available for use by different teachers and trainers to offer a class or course.

Have been interested in using the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) of releasing negative thoughts and emotions through tapping on accupressure points along the meridians. I learned about EFT back in 2002. I've known that my emotions of feeling angry, hurt, jealous, etc. have overwhelmed me and my thinking, decision making, choices, relationships for years, just wasn't sure how to tackle it effectively all this time with all the resources available: prayer, trust in God, exercise, diet, physical and emotional balance, learning to put the thoughts in the right place...

Noble have I created thee, yet thou hast abased thyself. Rise then unto that for which thou wast created.  (Baha’u’llah, Hidden Words, Arabic 22)

Talked with a nice person I met at an EFT meeting there (more about EFT and nobility later), about my goals and she recommended that I learn about Byron Katie's journey and work as well. So that is what I'm doing. I'm listening to her talks and doing a worksheet called "Judge Your Neighbor" in order to acknowledge a painful thought/idea and then learn how to 'turn it around' where you take responsibility for your thoughts and feelings.

 Learning not to concern oneself with the faults of others seems to be one of the most difficult lessons for people to master, and that failing in this is a fertile cause of disputes among Bahá’ís as it is among men and women in general.  (Universal House of Justice, Lights of Guidance, p. 89)

• Introduction to Byron Katie's Four Questions technique to face one's negative thoughts and turn them around for healthy learning and happy responsibility
• Four Questions (see photo)
• Whole ebook
• The Judge Your Neighbor Worksheet
• Sweet example 1 of "Turn Around" - "He lied to me"
• Another sweet example 2 of "Turn Around" - "He won't forget the past"