Open into Change

Healing Lives of People and Pets

Open into Change

Healing Lives of People and Pets

The Work of Byron Katie


"What you’re believing in the moment creates your suffering or your happiness."

Byron Katie

Byron Katie is a remarkable woman whose work, referred to simply as The Work, has touched millions of lives. It is a profound and deeply transformative process of self inquiry which arose out of an instantaneous awakening experience, where she saw clearly that the root cause of all suffering is what we are thinking and believing.

Picture all of the stories we live our lives by, the harsh judgments we have of others, the grievances we harbor daily and the deep regrets and painful thoughts we're burdened by. Think of all of the ways we live in resistance to what is and of how we project our thoughts, beliefs and fears onto others and onto our future. It's no wonder that we don't live in a peaceful world. We are at war with ourselves. 

I am including in this blog post an excerpt from Byron Katie’s and Stephen Mitchell’s book
A Mind At Home With Itself, which will give you some insight into Byron Katie's extraordinary and sudden awakening.  Read More…

The Beauty of Sight

" The eyes are the window to your soul "

William Shakespeare

If you're like me you may have noticed that sadly, over time, the clarity of your vision has decreased. Perhaps you wear glasses or wear them when reading, driving or performing other tasks. But what if it's really possible to improve your eyesight and increase your visual appreciation of the world around you, which is filled with an immense richness of color, form, texture and detail.

Dr. William Bates was an American physician who practiced Ophthalmology and developed a method known as the Bates Method in the early 1900s. His book, The Bates Method for Better Eyesight Without Glasses, is still available and there are currently many vision teachers who have based their work on the Bates Method, but have updated it. 

About a decade ago, I decided to embark on the journey of improving my eyesight and purchased The Program For Better Vision from the Cambridge Institute for Better Vision. I experienced some results within a few weeks, but unfortunately didn't continue. Recently, as I was noticing an increase in blurry vision, I ordered the updated version of the program and have already seen changes. 
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Finding Your Joy in Challenging Times

"Nature is not a place to visit. It is home."

Gary Snyder ~ American poet

Some say that our planet and all beings upon her are in the midst of a great shift, a great awakening. Others would deny this, but I think we could all agree we've entered a period where the norm of our daily lives has become disrupted, where political polarization is at an all time high, a time where our livelihoods feel tenuous and our lives feel fragile.

Whether we view this as calamitous, or the byproduct of enormous birthing pains, we're challenged to hold onto our center, stay grounded and find ways to nourish ourselves, physically, emotionally and spiritually.
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The Power of Breath

"The importance of breathing can hardly be stressed. It provides the oxygen needed for the metabolic processes; literally it supports the fires of life."

Alexander Lowen ~ The Voice of the Body

Our breath is our companion, accompanying us from the time we first enter the world, to the time we leave it. Yet, how many of us take our breath for granted, forgetting that awareness and regulation of our breath can reduce stress, improve health, increase vitality and even slow down the aging process.

When you observe infants and very young children, you can see their breathing is diaphragmatic and their inhalations and exhalations are full and natural. But soon, due to trauma or simply to familial and societal conditioning, often shallow, more constricted patterns of breathing begin to develop.

As we age, feelings of anxiety and stress continue to create suppression of our breath. And the repression of our emotions, as well as our sedentary life styles add to this pattern. How many of us have noticed, when we put our attention on it, that we have been holding or suppressing our breath at various points throughout the day?

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The Healing Power of Water

If it is said that breath is life, then surely it should be said that water is life also, for our very survival depends upon them both. We live on an incredibly beautiful planet, sometimes referred to as the Blue Jewel, and seventy one percent of Earth’s surface is covered in water. Our own bodies, with our trillions of cells, are also comprised of up to seventy percent water.

Just as we are able to use our awareness to regulate our breath in order to release stress, modify mood and to energize and oxygenate our system, we can use water more consciously, not only to cleanse ourselves, but to enhance our health and well-being.

We have been fortunate in the Western world to enjoy fairly easy access to running water, even if much of it has been chemically treated in ways that can’t be called healthful. Yet, compared to many other parts of the world, where running water and water in general is scarce, we should count ourselves lucky.
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