During the School, as part of one exercise, I decided to give away the precious school photographs of my beloved sons when they were five and seven. Much of the story I carried around with me during the School—and indeed during much of my life for the past thirteen years—was about the death of my older son, Peter. The process of giving away those photos was very powerful for me, both in the difficulty of relinquishing and in the blessing of letting go. The full impact of that blessing, however, did not occur until I came home.

When I told my son Matt about the experience of giving away the photographs, he was visibly touched. "Oh, Mom," he said, "it must have been especially hard for you to give Pete's picture away. You always have me around, but with Pete's, well, he's not here for you to see. You can always see me." And he made a funny face.

At that moment I heard, "Is it true it was harder to give away Peter's picture?" And the answer was a resounding "No!" And I spoke this truth to Matt. "No, darling, actually that's not true. It was just as difficult for me to give away your picture. Your picture is just as precious to me as Pete's." And in that moment of recognition and tears when my son whispered "Thank you," the story of my suffering and loss was revealed as the great separator. That story has kept me separate from so many, including myself, and especially from the love who sat before me, beloved Matt. Something very deep dissolved between my son and me that evening, and it has not returned.

I thank you, Katie, from the bottom of my heart, for sharing this amazing work and for your boundless generosity revealed every day in Los Angeles.

Much, much love,
Marcia

Dear Katie,

Just attended the March 2004 School at Pala Mesa. I have never been so deeply and positively affected in my life. Not only was the curriculum the most advanced course in emotional honesty and maturity that I have ever encountered, but the timing, content, and sequence of all exercises were planned with such wisdom and safety that my courage to experience the teachings beyond the theoretical was truly amazing. And as for you, you are a gift to this planet beyond measure. You are a teacher and healer of the highest caliber and integrity. I will follow your example by doing my best to end my internal war.

Gratefully and with love,
Michael L.

"I attended the School for The Work in Brussels (08/03) and I would like you to know that this was the best school or seminar or workshop I've ever attended in my whole life. The content, the organization, the staff, and everything I encountered was not less than perfect. I'm sharing this experience with everybody who wants to know about it. The School for The Work is an immeasurable gift for the world."

— Peter A.

"I've been to many workshops and retreats in my life, and I've never been to anything so masterfully designed, diverse, and profound as the adventure of this course. It is stunning and beyond belief. As a result, I am clearer, cleaner and wiser at living my life. I find it virtually impossible to be a victim anymore, and my skill in facilitating The Work has become razor-sharp. I originally thought the course was expensive, and I see it now as priceless. This kind of love can't be bought."

— M.O., Los Angeles, CA, USA

"The process of the School totally blew me away. I had been doing The Work for five years, but to be led masterfully on an internal process to take a look at my primal unconscious beliefs has shaken me to the core. It stopped my mind cold. Meditating in an ashram in India for a year couldn't do what the School has done for me. Freedom from me."

— M.B., Massachussetts

"Wow! In one word—shocking! I thought that I knew something. Thank God I don't need to know anymore. What peace."

— D.B., New York

"The time and the money involved seemed like a lot to me—I could go on vacation instead. But something in me said to go, and by the end I had to laugh—it WAS a vacation. It literally vacated my mind. And instead of going home with souvenirs and a tan, I went home lighter, so much lighter, and it hasn’t gone away. It just gets better. I learned how to have a happy life! Amazing."

— A.B., California

"The School for me is hard to describe, but the results are not. Now I feel more joyful, and I look at people without stories and junk to charge the energy between us. The world seems more manageable and loving. I am so thankful I had this experience with Byron Katie—she is awesome!"

— M.B.R., North Carolina

"The Work is what I'd been wishing for on a life's worth of birthday candles. Since I returned from the School, I love my partner even more. She's so fine. She's funnier than I thought she was. And I'll talk to anybody now. I answer the phone on the first ring with impunity. Strangers on the street make me laugh. After 25 years of rolling my own non-filter cigarettes, I don't smoke, and I like it. I wink, I walk, I dance, and this is worth remarking, because before The Work I had named the face of the world Medusa and suffered myself into stoic stone. At the School I let myself quit doing that. I'm out from under the chisel. And I really like it."

— G.M., Texas

cancer

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“A spiritual innovator for
the new millennium.”
TIME

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“Katie's laser-like tough love burns away all illusions.”
The Times of London

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“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. The 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.”
Eckhart Tolle
author, The Power of Now

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“Byron Katie is one of the truly great and inspiring
teachers of our time.
She has been enormously
helpful to me personally.
I love this very wise woman.”
Dr. Wayne W. Dyer
author, Inspiration

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In a letter from Helsinki, Finland, J.V. writes:
"...two groundbreaking Stanford University pain syndrome experts consider Byron Katie's approach the best form of Cognitive Therapy. In the new revised 5th Edition of A Headache in the Pelvis (pp. 326–330), which came out in May 2008, Stanford psychologist David Wise, Ph.D., and neurologist Rodney Anderson, M.D., refer to Albert Ellis' Rational-Emotive Therapy and Aaron Beck's Cognitive Therapy and then write (in their italics): 'The best form of Cognitive Therapy, in our opinion, is offered in The Work of Byron Katie, who provides an approach to disarming catastrophic thinking by means of a process that one can do oneself. This is the approach that we recommend.' They then describe the procedure, adding: 'Our description of this process is rarely sufficient to become proficient at it. We discuss this method in our monthly 6-day clinics. Information specifically about this cognitive therapy work can be found at www.thework.com and in the books of Byron Katie." Wise and Anderson are practical, in-the-trenches therapists who work daily with severe pelvic pain and other chronic syndromes. They recommended Byron Katie's method already in the 4th edition of the book
(pp. 298–301).'

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“Byron Katie's teachings
and everyday life
are pure wisdom.
Her Work shows us
the way to inner peace,
and she directs us there,
fearlessly, relentlessly, and
with utmost generosity.
I have rarely seen anyone
—spiritual teachers included— embody wisdom as powerfully as Katie in her passionate embrace of each and every moment.”
Roshi Bernie Glassman

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“Katie’s Work is a
wonderful, transformative practice for anyone interested in spiritual growth.”
Lama Surya Das
author, Awakening the Buddha Within

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“Good Lord! Where did Byron Katie come from? She’s the real McCoy. Her Work is amazingly effective—a simple, straightforward antidote to the suffering we unnecessarily create for ourselves. She asks us to believe nothing, but provides a surprisingly effective and simple way to cut through the tangle of delusions we wrap ourselves in.”
David Chadwick
author, Crooked Cucumber: The Life and Zen Teaching of Shunryu Suzuki

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“Suppose you could find a simple way to embrace your life with joy, stop arguing with reality, and achieve serenity in the midst of chaos. That is what Loving What Is offers. It is no less than a revolutionary way to live your life. The question is: are we brave enough to accept it?”
Erica Jong
author, Fear of Flying

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