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The Work in Russia

Dearest Katie,

What a joy and privilege to be in the room with you and all the beautiful people here at Omega Institute. I want to give you the love and gratitude of many many Russian-speaking people doing The Work daily.

I’m so thrilled to tell you more about the Russian-speaking School of Consultants of The Work that has been going on now for two and a half years:

  • There are twenty-eight participants.
  • The program has provided more than a hundred hours of free volunteer sessions to anyone who wants to know more about The Work.
  • It now includes 350 hours of teleclasses, one-on-one sessions, and in-person workshops.
  • Four graduates now are offering teleclasses and workshops in The Work.

Below is a letter from one of the Russian participants:

Dear Katie,

My name is Konstantin. I am forty-one years old and a Russian Orthodox monk. I originally came to the monastery because of depression and alcoholism. Recently I started to use The Work as a practice.

Asking the four questions and the turnarounds, I was able to experience clarity, happiness, and peace. Pen and paper became my close friends; I wrote down situations I found stressful, my mother’s phone calls, conversations with friends, and so on, and I worked on everything I could. I soon realized that I could not go as far along as I wanted to with this practice, so I joined the school of consultants led by Olga, and I received the support that I needed.

I also started using the Work with the parishioners. When I listen to people’s confessions, I sometimes notice, with sadness, that after they confess they leave with the same despair. When I notice that someone might be open to it, I offer them The Work. In the Russian Orthodox Church, the sacredness of the confession allows a person to relieve themselves and tell their stories to their confessor. The Work complements religion in this way, providing the other oar to the boat.

For a long time I have been looking for a tool that will support me spiritually, any time and any place, and The Work of Byron Katie has become that for me. The goal of religion is to join with God, and The Work allows the opportunity to be with him. In the Gospel it says “…do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will care for itself,” and just like that The Work of Byron Katie brings us to the here and now. I have used it—four questions and turnarounds—with several people, and they were quite stunned.

Right now I regularly attend classes at the school of consultants, and I live in a much more peaceful state of mind. Sometimes I spend the whole day sitting by the window, just looking out. I need nothing in those moments, because I have everything I need inside me. And when I feel bad, I know that I haven’t been using my pen and paper for a long time. The deep contemplation with the Worksheet allows me to enter the most exciting adventure within myself. I am so happy to have an opportunity to be in the program, and I will continue sharing The Work with others.

Dear Katie, from the depth of my heart I would to thank you for The Work.
Konstantin

Olga B.

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