The Three Stages Of Release

• Acknowledgment: the object is seen for what it is
• Approach: the paw moves, the whiskers listen
• Descent: the object finds the floor

These three stages govern every session at Kitty Kondo. They cannot be rushed. A Releaser who skips Acknowledgment is merely a vandal. A Releaser who skips Approach is a clumsy visitor. A Releaser who skips Descent has failed to commit, which is the greatest sin of all.

New apprentices spend their first year learning only Acknowledgment. They sit in front of a stapler for ten weeks. Several have reported that the stapler has begun to speak to them. We consider this a success.