Bow Wow Bliss: Five
Ways to Meditate with Your Dog
By James Jacobson and Kristine
Chandler Madera
Meditation is as simple as a walk in the dog park.
Imagine sitting down with your dog. As you both begin to relax, your
breaths become longer, less hurried. Your thoughts slow down until
it seems like you are not thinking at all.
If you and your dog already share moments like these, then you’ve
glimpsed the bliss of meditation.
Meditation is great for dogs. Not only does it improve a dog’s
health and well-being, but excitable dogs become calmer, aggressive
dogs become more loving, and dogs that once whined and howled for
attention become quieter and more content. Meditation is great for
you, too. It relieves stress and sharpens your mental focus.
Here are five ways to get started on a non-dogmatic meditation
practice.
Schedule a regular time. First thing in the morning is a great time,
or right after you get home from work but before you get into your
evening activities. The more consistent you are, the more you and
your dog will be able to ease into meditation.
Develop a ritual. Ritual helps to prepare you and dog for
meditation. Light a candle, burn incense, put on quiet music, or sit
in the same place and position each day.
Let go of expectation. If you have a pre-conceived idea of what your
meditation experience will be, you’ll just get frustrated. Your
experience will not be the same as someone else’s and chances are,
will be different for you from day to day. Enjoy your meditation,
however it turns out.
Connect with your dog. When you sit down to meditate, your dog
should be either lying next to you or on your lap. Put one or both
hands on your dog. This connection is soothing to him. Your dog may
get up. That’s okay. Just stay quiet, and when your dog returns, put
your hand or hands back on him.
Conclude your meditation the same way each time. This signals your
body and mind, as well as your dog, that it’s time to move on to the
next part of your day. The transition should be gentle rather than
jarring. Pet your dog slowly, lengthening the stroke from short to
long; whisper or say aloud an affirmation, quote, or prayer; or roll
your head from side to side.
Meditating with your dog is as individual as your relationship with
your dog. Be patient. Try different things. There are few rules
about meditation. The perfect meditation is whatever brings you and
your pooch bow wow bliss.
See Also:
Golden Years: Nine Ways a Dog Boosts Your Health
What if there was a simple way to reduce stress,
prolong and improve the quality of your life, banish the blues, and
best of all, decrease the number of doctor visits? There is! Get a
dog. Here are nine ways that having a dog can boost your health.
Canine MD:
Six Ways Your Dog Can Save Your Heart
Science has finally caught up with what dog lovers have known for
years—that having a dog is great for your health. Here are six ways
science has proven that living with a dog promotes better heart
health.
Active
Compassion in Times of Crisis: How Your Dog Can Help
People have a special connection with their
pets. This sacred bond of unconditional love is a natural starting
place for healing after tragedy, for the victims and for the rest of
us, too.
Dogs - Man's Best Friend
Owning a dog can be a positive, enjoyable experience for the entire family. Keep in mind however, that the decision to own a dog is an important one that should not be taken lightly.
If You Want a Friend, Get a Dog!
Dogs as pets date back at least as far as the days of Pompeii, where the remains of a dog stretched out next to a little boy were recovered from the rubble at Pompeii.
James Jacobson and Kristine Chandler Madera are
authors of How to Meditate with Your Dog: An Introduction to
Meditation for Dog Lovers, which presents a non-dogmatic approach to
meditation. To fetch a free chapter from the book (chapter 3 “The
Three Un-Dogmas”) and the introduction from the audiobook go to
http://www.DogMeditation.com .
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