I envy my dogs, I do. Not because they can just go for walks then lay around and do nothing but because they have such an incredible outlook on life. I have said many times that my dogs have been the greatest teachers in my life and my gratitude towards them for this can’t be expressed enough. Besides the lessons of loyalty, acceptance and forgiveness they have taught me how to find peace amongst chaos and change. I have learned to emulate them and to turn these life lessons into a philosophy for living life and by following them into the forest on our daily walks I have come to appreciate how a meandering walk or an intense hike is good for the mind, body and the soul.

I rarely skip a day walking my dogs, even injuries don’t excuse me from this task. Without a good daily hike my dogs become, nervous and filled with reactive energy. They are restless and tend to seek outlets to release that restlessness though inappropriate behaviours such as barking at my neighbours walking their dogs along the street or neurotically watching the trees outside the windows for squirrels. Their minds are not at peace. But after a good walk, they are peaceful.  Their minds are unreactive to the small stuff of life and they are able to process the big stuff much better.

But it is more than just the expelling of pent up energy through exercise that creates calmness for my dogs. There is something very special to be found within the wildness of nature. There is an energy, provided by Mother Nature that is good for our dogs and for us mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually and somehow our dogs know this. There is much to learn from walking with our canine companions in nature.

If you take the time to watch your dog walking through the forest, you will notice that they have a healthy balance between paying attention to what really matters and ignoring what doesn’t.  When they do stop to smell or observe something, they give their complete attention to that thing.

With their incredible sense of smell they taste the details of a flower.   They can tell which petal a bumble bee placed its delicate legs on and which one it didn’t. It is this incredible canine ability to give present moment attention to the quiet beauty of natures details that we can learn to quiet our busy, busy minds and maybe our life.

Humans are not that different than dogs when it comes to being ‘busy for no reason’ and I find this funny in an odd way because when I see a ‘busy’ dog, I see a dog that can’t relax.  A dog that is so over stimulated by its surroundings that it’s energy is erratic, it can’t focus on anything. These are troubled dogs with issues created by humans such as separation anxiety, nervous licking, obsessive compulsive disorders to name a few. And owners of these dogs call me to ‘fix-it’. Yet with humans we call this nervous energy and the constant need to be busy- the road to success. It is a constant pressure, a barrage on our senses generated by our environment, our relationships and consumerism for the need for more. We seem to think that if we have more stuff and less time we are showing the world we are important.  So we work more to buy more lifeless stuff, so we can sit in a room full of things, but empty of life. People become so busy that they have no time to experience life, they’d rather watch it on their 72 inch HD TV and as the TV’s get bigger and the experience more lifelike, it gets easy to live life though the wide screen for an hour while keeping busy multitasking on the computer or phone instead of leaving that all behind and living it for real.

And that is why I follow my dogs into the woods, they remind me of what is important, to me -which is a slow, simple life where time is taken to watch the sunrise and sunset or how much a garden plant has grown over night.  Where keeping up with the Joneses is more exhausting than hiking to the summit of a mountain. And when I look down while along a trail, it is not because of my phone but because of some thing beautiful or unique that caught my eye.

Living a dogs life is not living a life of lazily lying around all day long without ambition but rather an analogy for living fully in every moment and appreciating the simpleness of nature. Of exploring with all your senses and not attaching yourself to things but instead exploring places and living through experience and loving the people you share them with.

Hiking the back country or along trails less travelled may not be your thing, but I encourage you to follow your dog somewhere green and filled with the vibrancy of nature. Allow them to take you away from the world of technology, and human generated noise and into a place that encourages you to discover something greater than things and find a way to deeply pursue moments that give you memories and meaning.

Thank-you!

Happy trails and wagging tails!

My dogs have -without a doubt, been the grounding force in my life that has helped me through many of life’s challenges.  Their peaceful nature, their simple joyful ways and their ability to be so completely content within each moment is something that I have learned to adopt into my own life.  I cherish my walks with them and actively seek out places void of human interlopers.  Sometimes that means walking while the sun rises or testing my Tacomas’ off road abilities.

 In any case my need for solitude with my animals brings me personal awareness, internal peace and mindfulness. All of which make the stresses and drama of life rather trivial.  

Mindfulness is described as the ability to live in the moment as it unfolds and accept that moment without judgment.

Being mindful is a practice, it is not something you try out for a week. It is a part of spiritual growth and maturity. It takes effort to be aware of thoughts as they pass though our minds and to not allow them to sabotage the present moment.

In fact, it is such an effort many people find participating in Yoga, Pilates and Tai Chi helps them become aware of their thoughts and learn how to stay present. 

There are even apps for our phones to help us become more mindful.  Ironically it is our reliance and addiction to cell phones that is contributing to our mindlessness!

But for me, there is no better mindfulness teacher than the four legged guru’s that live in my home. A dog in its natural element along a walk is completely in the moment and we can all learn how to be as well, by following in their pawprints.

Start your journey into a mindfulness walk with your dog, by leaving your cell phone at home.  If you are not emotionally prepared to do this yet, then at least turn it to silent or do not disturb mode. 

Start your walk by focusing on your dog, don’t try to analyze what he is doing, just observe without judgment. Take a moment to acknowledge your breath.  Breathe in through your nose allowing your abdomen to fully expand then breathe out through your mouth. Be aware of how your body moves through each inhale and exhale.

As you walk with your dog, pay attention to how Fido moves with the environment, watch how each step is placed with purpose and imitate this. Place each of your footsteps with intent, by trying to feel the earth beneath you. Like your dog, find the point where your body is in perfect balance with each step and your movement flows gracefully. 

When your dog stops to investigate a smell, do the same. Close your eyes and become aware of the aromas around you such as the smell of the pine trees or the wild honeysuckle. Take your dogs lead and engage all of your senses with intention. Notice the insects buzzing or fluttering by, what kind of birds are singing in the distance. Reach out and touch the ferns.  Like your dog, savour every sensation.  

When your mind wanders – and it will – don’t get frustrated, just start centering yourself again. Remember its not a race to quiet your mind it is a process that takes time to master. When you notice your mind has gone elsewhere just gently bring your attention back to the moment by focusing on your dog. Observing your dogs simple joy of being outside on a walk with you helps center your mind and release the drama filled chatter that fuel anxiety and fear.

The goal is not necessarily to be free of thought –as that will never happen- but rather to recognize when your mind has taken a detour and your thoughts are nothing more than a rambling mess of either past or future nonsense.

Being mindful can help you to better appreciate simple everyday experiences …like walking with your dog! By learning to focus on the moment, you may find yourself less likely to get caught up in worries of the future or regrets of the past.

Happy trails and wagging tails!

Originally published in the North Shore News in Joans bi-weekly column contribution : Canine Connection