Byron Kathy "The Work"

Part of a meditation routine is enquiry. Questioning your own thoughts. We often think that we ARE our thoughts. This is not true. Thoughts visit us and we have little control over them at all. Most of the time our thoughts are untrue. That's why we question them.
Byron Kathy has designed a series of questions to effectively question ones own thoughts.

- Is it true?
- Can you be absolutely a hundred percent sure it is true?
- What does the thought do to you when you believe it is true?
- What/how/who would you be without the thought?
- Now turn the thought around and see if the opposite is true....

For example:

Thought: I am getting old, my body is getting ugly, I can not show my body to anyone.
Is this true?
Well, ehm, I would never think so cruelly about anybody else's ageing body, so why do I think it about my own body?
So it is not true?
Ehm, no, not really.
Not true at all?
No, in fact, not true at all.
So, what does this thought do to you?
It makes me feel ugly and unwanted.
What would you be without the thought?
I would be free from ridiculous shame.
Now turn the though around.
I am getting old, my body is getting older too, but that does not mean it is ugly.
Or?
I am getting old, my body is getting more and more beautiful.
Is this true?
In a way, yes, it is true.

We did this work yesterday before we went into meditation. There were 4 people involved and all had ridiculous thoughts about themselves.
Then we did some good old metta meditation. We were are own best friend. At least for the duration of the session.