My Account

Search
Close this search box.

You Don’t Have to Go the the Sahara to Find Freedom Through It

Sahara retreat
These retreat participants came to the Sahara to find freedom by questioning their attachments to comfort and other things. You can also do the same whether you go or not.

I’m Going to Be in the Sahara Desert in October

I’m looking forward to hosting a week-long retreat in the desert with my friend, and certified facilitator, Margot Diskin. I know that some of you will be joining us to question the stressful thoughts that going into the desert may bring up for you, as well as any other stressful thoughts you may bring.

But even if you don’t join us in the desert, you can still get much of the benefit of this retreat by questioning your resistance thoughts about it.

Here’s How to Do It

Take out a blank piece of paper and write “Reasons why I can’t, or don’t want to, go to the Sahara with Todd and Margot,” at the top of the page.

Then fill up the page with all the thoughts that you can come up with—the thoughts that have that stress of resistance in them. If you can, get really honest with yourself and put it all on paper.

Then go down your list and question each resistance thought with the four questions and the turnarounds of The Work.

I’m Going to Do this Exercise Right Now

Here are my reasons why I can’t, or don’t want to, go to the Sahara with Margot and the group in October:

  • I have fair skin. I’m afraid of sunburn.
  • I’m a vegetarian. I might not get enough to eat when the Bedouins cook for us.
  • I don’t like heat. Maybe it will be too hot.
  • Maybe the group will be too small and I’ll lose money on the trip.

These are some honest reasons why I am still resisting the trip a little on the inside.

Let Me Do The Work on Them

So the first one is: “I don’t want to get sunburned.” Is that true? Yes. Can I absolutely know it’s true? Yes.

How do I react when I think, “I don’t want to get sunburned,” and I’m planning a week in the desert? I see images of family vacations at the beach when I was kid. I exaggerate the pain of those sunburns, I see the permanent sun damage on my nose. I fear skin cancer. I imagine it will be even worse in the desert. I don’t want to go. My whole body feels tight and my emotions are closed.

Who would I be without that thought? Carefree. Trusting. Excited about the adventure. My heart is open. I can’t wait to go.

Turnaround: “I am willing to get sunburned.” Chances are my sunburn would be less than when I was a kid. For one, I’ll have clothes on, not just a bathing suit. Also, I’ll be wearing a shesh (traditional head wrap). I can use that to keep my face in shadow. And who says I can’t bring sunscreen? And even if worse came to worse, if I did get sunburned, it would not be the end of the world for me. I would probably not die of skin cancer very quickly. Also, I can handle a little pain on my skin. I’ve had sunburn many times in my life and lived through it just fine. Sunburn would be an opportunity for me to not obsess so much about my body. That’s a challenge I’m willing to take on.

Turnaround: “I look forward to getting sunburned.” It could remind me of my youth. There are some sweet memories of being sunburned and happy as a kid. And most importantly, I look forward to getting sunburned, if I do, because it’s going to make me dive deep into questioning my fears of getting skin cancer, and my attachment to my health. This is precisely what I am coming to the desert to do.

That’s a Start

I now have my work cut out for me. I’m going to go down my list and keep working each concept. And maybe I’ll find more stressful thoughts to question as I go.

Even without actually going to the Sahara Desert, I am already benefiting from the “experience” of it. It is bringing to my awareness my own stressful thoughts and attachments so I can question them.

I invite you to do the same. This retreat is not just for those who can come. It is for everyone. It is an opportunity to do some work, whether you decide to come or not.

For example, let’s say you have a timing conflict or a money shortage. Even though you won’t be coming in reality, pretend you decided to come and use it as an opportunity to question everything: your attachment to other commitments, your lack of money, all of it. This opportunity to question things, even when you’re not coming, is a sweet gift from the Sahara.

If you are interested in coming, the early bird rate ends on Aug 31, just a month away. If you have any questions, or if you’re interested in going, let me know. Here’s the link for more info about the Sahara retreat.

Have a great week,
Todd

“I once went for twenty-seven days without food. There was no reason for it—I just knew not to eat. And during all those days I couldn’t find a trace of hunger. Hunger was just another myth. My family and friends were fearful for my life, but I wasn’t concerned; I felt healthy and strong; the whole time, I was doing a lot of vigorous walking in the desert. And at no moment did I experience anything but myths about hunger and bellyaches and weight loss. I couldn’t find one legitimate need that didn’t come face-to-face with the fear of death. And then, after twenty-seven days, for no reason, I ate.” Byron Katie, A Thousand Names for Joy

Get two new articles about The Work of Byron Katie every week, plus my checklist for the Judge-Your-Neighbor-Worksheet. Subscribe to the newsletter here.

If you like this article, feel free to forward the link to friends, family or colleagues. Or share the link on Facebook or other social media. If you have thoughts you’d like to share about it, please leave your comments below.

Todd Smith has been doing The Work of Byron Katie on an almost daily basis since 2007. He is just as excited about this simple process of self-inquiry today as he was when he first came across it. He also enjoys writing about The Work, and training others in the subtleties of this meditative process. Join Todd for The Work 101 online course, private sessions, virtual retreats, and his ongoing Inquiry Circle group.