You have likely heard the term “mindfulness” in one form or another in recent years. The current buzz is all about practicing mindfulness, being more mindful, learning mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), utilizing mindful eating, engaging in mindful walking. So what’s this all about? Mindfulness is the practice of awareness, in which you bring intense focus to what you are sensing and feeling in the moment, without providing any interpretation or judgment. Practicing mindfulness can help develop emotional resilience, improve inner peace and happiness, and provide an overall sense of calmness. Understanding these benefits of mindfulness has led to an explosion of mindfulness-based practices aimed to improve our general well-being. These activities may involve meditation, guided imagery, breathing exercises, thought observations, using grounding tools, and many other techniques that help individuals to stay present.
As our global anxiety has surged, the desire to find methods of managing anxiety has ramped up. With concern over the growing use of pharmaceutical interventions, many are looking to alternative “natural” solutions to combat stress and help with mood regulation. For those that struggle with anxiety, developing the skill of staying present is an incredibly useful tool. Anxiety tends to focus on the future and mindfulness gets us back in the now. Research has shown that mindfulness can improve our wellbeing by reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression, leadng to better emotional regulation. In addition to helping with stress reduction, other benefits of practicing mindfulness may include decreased emotional reactivity, enhanced working memory, improved focus and attention, and increased immune system functioning.
So what does your dog have to do with any of this? The way dogs live is really a perfect representation of what mindfulness looks like. Here’s how your dog can help you understand this practice and serve as a daily reminder to be mindful:
1) LIVE IN THE PRESENT
Dogs have a natural ability to live fully in the present moment, a quality that humans often strive to emulate. The capability of living in the present is rooted in their instincts and natural behaviors, as dogs are highly attuned to their surroundings. Dogs engage in their environment with uninhibited curiosity and excitement, whether it's seeing their person at the end of the day, chasing a ball, sniffing new scents on a walk, or enjoying the warmth of the sun on their fur. Dogs are fully present with you in that moment, ready to experience the day.
2) EXPRESS GRATITUDE
Our canines are grateful for what they receive each day, no matter how simple – for each meal, snack, walk, ear scratch, ball throw, car ride, cuddle, and generally any interaction with their human. There's no hesitation to express gratitude! They show this appreciation openly with tail wags, face licks, eye contact, and pursuit of close physical proximity. Dogs show overwhelming unconditional love to their humans.
3) PRACTICE FORGIVENESS
We often hear of unfortunate stories of dogs living in a shelter having difficulty finding a home or enduring horrific abuse from humans, yet they still are open to accepting happiness and joy when an opportunity comes along. On a more basic level, even when we ignore them because we are too busy or leave them for days to go on vacation, they forgive us and appear happy when we bring our attention back to them. The focus is on what is happening now versus what happened in the past.
4) DISPLAY EMOTIONS
Our furry friends are not afraid to openly show emotions. There’s no holding back the excitement of the moment, no fear of rejection when making an introduction to a new friend, no filter on letting you know how much they want to be with you. Although we don’t actually know what dogs are thinking, it appears as if they act on their feelings immediately, without hesitation or need to avoid expressions of love.
5) KEEP A DAILY ROUTINE
Generally speaking, a dog wakes up at the same time every day, let’s you know it's time for dinner at the same time every day, eats the same amount of food most days, falls asleep in the same spots, and probably even leads the way on the same daily walking route. A dog responds to his/her body's current needs when it comes to nourishment and rest, and is able to follow a routine. Humans also function well with routine and benefit from becoming more aware of body signals that indicate it is time to eat or sleep. Keeping a routine with regular meal times and meal portions is part of a healthy lifestyle. Sticking to a regular bedtime and going to bed when you are sleepy helps improve sleep quality and can prevent the development of chronic insomnia.
6) WALK MINDFULLY
If you are in hurry on your walk with your dog, the nonstop pausing and sniffing can be a frustrating process. However, if you learn to lean into it and mindfully walk alongside your dog, this can be a totally different experience. Watch how your dog stops to take in every smell on the ground, gathering valuable information about the other dogs that have passed through the neighborhood. It’s kind of the canine version of people watching. Their slow pace allows you to also move slowly and take in your surroundings. Look at the flowers and the trees along your path, feel the breeze, smell the fresh cut grass, listen to the birds. Allow all of your senses to experience the walk so that your entire being is fully present.
7) GROUND YOURSELF
Dogs can serve as a grounding force when worries get the best of us. Our senses bring us back into the moment and our furry friends have a great tool to help us out – their fur! Petting your dog is a mutually beneficial experience. They love the attention, and the feeling of that fur and repetitive movement is calming to humans. Try bringing even more attention to the feel of the fur, the texture, the cold nose, the hard nails. Canines are a great tactile source of grounding to draw your focus to the present.
Aside from all of these ways that our dogs can help us with the practice of mindfulness, there’s also the fact that their mere presence is a reminder to be in the moment. Think about this when you see your dog in the morning, excited to start the day, seemingly with no concern about what happened yesterday and no distress about what might happen tomorrow. Observe the pure interest and enthusiasm for what is happening now. This ability to stay present, that dogs demonstrate so beautifully every day, is a great example to humans and a daily reminder of how to live a more balanced and present life.
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