Active Compassion in
Times of Crisis:
How Your Dog Can Help
By James Jacobson
We all watched the recent tragedy of hurricane Katrina, most of us
from the comfort of our living rooms. The devastation of so many
lost homes and shattered lives was heart wrenching. But the part
that made me hug my dog tight was watching the agony of people who
were forced to leave behind their pets.
People have a special connection with their pets, as evidenced by
the thousands who would not leave their dogs and cats behind in
order to evacuate to higher ground. 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.
After you send in your money, donate clothes or open your home,
there is one more thing you can do to help: meditate. Even more
helpful, you can meditate with your dog.
Meditation is compassion in action, and it isn’t just for the
esoteric few. Meditation is a profoundly practical tool that
enhances everyday life. It decreases blood pressure, heart rate, and
the production of stress hormones, promotes relaxation and sharpens
mental focus, all of which are of great help in modern society. But
regular meditation has the power to transform panic and
powerlessness into healing on a global level.
Scientists have recently studied distance healing, the practice of
using intentional meditation to promote physical healing for a
person, animal or plant that is miles or even thousands of miles
away. They’ve found that distance healing works. In the same way
that meditators in the studies improved the health of people with
heart disease, meditating with the intention of improving the lives
of the hurricane victims can help the continuing recovery effort and
affect victim’s lives beyond meeting their material needs.
There is no one right way to meditate. Many meditation traditions
utilize single-minded focus, or devoting full attention to a
particular thing such as the breath, a word, or the light of a
candle. The Dalai Lama meditates on compassion, and that is why
compassion seems to emanate from his pores.
One of the most powerful ways to meditate is in a group. When two or
more are gathered together united with a single intention, their
efforts combine synergistically, meaning that together they have a
greater effect than each person meditating alone.
But what if you don’t have another person to meditate with? James
Jacobson, author of How to Meditate with Your Dog: An Introduction
to Meditation for Dog Lovers, presents a simple, non-dogmatic
meditation method that shows how to use the love that a person has
for his dog as a synergistic force in meditation. When doing an
intentional meditation like healing for the hurricane victims,
sharing your meditating time with your dog creates a stronger
intention than if you were to meditate alone.
Does meditation replace donations of money, time or work? Of course
not. But it augments them. Regular meditation enriches our everyday
lives and provides hope and healing in times of crisis.
See Also:
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.
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: Eight Ways a Dog Improves Your Child’s Well-Being
Some of our favorite childhood memories involve dogs. But did you
know that warm feeling is based in good science? Here are eight ways
a dog improves your child’s health and well-being.
Bow Wow Bliss: Five
Ways to Meditate with Your Dog
Meditation is as simple as a walk in the dog park.
Here are five ways to get started on a non-dogmatic meditation
practice.
The
Power of Pets
There's something between animals and
owners that can be magical. While children may grow into ornery adolescents, pets don't
have mood swings or meltdowns, and they never talk back. They're loyal and lovable; and
even if we're irritable, they adore us unconditionally.
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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