super soul sunday

Wednesdays with the Wisdom of Dog: Mindfulness

Posted by Barbara Techel

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My dear friend Marie says that every thing we do, from washing dishes, cooking dinner, working, art, or anything in life really, is to approach it as a blessing.

It’s a way of being mindful and in the moment of each task that you do, instead of jumping ahead in your mind of what needs to be done next.

I can’t help but think how my dogs teach me about mindfulness. When I devote my total attention to them and not worrying about what I might need to do next, it is a blessing indeed with many rewards. I also have come to see it as a meditative practice, too.

Jon Kabat-Zinn was on Super Soul Sunday this past week talking about mindfulness. It struck me how he said that when you are taking a shower, he said, to just take a shower. Don’t think about what is ahead for the day. It won’t make those things get done any faster. Isn’t that the truth?

As I brushed Kylie last night I thought about this. And how just brushing her and not worrying about when dinner would get done or what I was going to do after dinner—it would all work itself out. It always does.

How much time we spend in this “what’s next” and “what if” thinking stage that we miss out on the moment right in front of us. And when in the moment, if we can practice mindfulness, how calm and at peace our minds can truly be.

Dogs do this every single moment of the day. Did you ever notice that? I know it’s why I love being in their presence so much. Even when I’m not practicing being mindful, oftentimes just seeing them reminds me to slow down, savor, and drink slowly from the gift of life.

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I think perhaps Gidget isn’t practicing mindful thinking in this photo as it appears to me as if she is saying, “When’s it my turn mom? I want to be next. Please brush me next.” Gotta love dogs.

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My Dog’s Help Me Uncover the Many Layers of my Soul.

Posted by Barbara Techel

2014-04-26 19.52.40 eYesterday I watched Super Soul Sunday with Oprah. She interviewed author and co-founder of the Omega Institute, Elizabeth Lesser.

Elizabeth shared a quote with Oprah that I can’t get out of my head. It is by Haznat Inayat Kahn, “The soul is covered in a thousand veils.”

Elizabeth had originally shared the quote with Oprah via an email. Oprah told her that it took her about 5 to 6 times of reading it before she “got it.”

When I heard the quote for the first time yesterday I thought of the class I’ve been taking for the past nine weeks called, Unwrapping the True Self. I identified with the quote right away, though I can’t say I would have had I heard it years ago. But in our class this is what we are doing, peeling away the layers to who we really are. Being in the class each week we practice letting go of a layer that is not who we are – that has been put there because of societal pressures, false belief’s, insecurities, and the list goes on and on.

Listening to Oprah and Elizabeth who are now both 60, I now can’t wait to be 60. They were so at home in who they are – having uncovered many veils from their soul’s already.

The veils to my soul have slowly been uncovered over the years (and continue to be) because of what I learned, and continue to learn, from my animal friends – especially from my beloved dog’s.

Cassie Jo, my chocolate Lab awakened me to the fact that my birthright (which is everyone’s) is joy. No matter what is happening in my life, I can find joy in some small way.

Frankie, my dachshund in a wheelchair, awakened me to see that I had a choice as to how I chose to live my life. That I could live by my own rules. That I could let go of what I thought others thought of me. That I could be proud of who I am.

Joie, my second dachshund in a wheelchair, awakened in me that I didn’t need to prove anything to anyone that I am worthy. That being still and listening to my heart will always reveal what matters most to me.

Kylie, my yellow English Lab, keeps my soul awakened each day as she shows me just by being her gentle, sweet spirit that the center of who we are is the most beautiful place to live.

Gidget, my dapple dachshund is showing me how connected this Universe really is – how all that is here on earth—people, nature and animals, as well as another realm of which we cannot see, is all part of what makes up this thing called life.

I loved when Oprah and Elizabeth talked about “what to do when life cracks you wide open.”How in challenging times and moments we have a choice of what we are going to take and learn from it. This is how we uncover our soul even more when times are hard.

I could so easily relate that to all I’ve gone through with my dog’s and all the different lessons they’ve taught me – how they’ve helped me to appreciate life even more – how I see more of who I am every single day because of what I continue to learn from them.

And even when losing Cassie Jo, Frankie, and Joie to death and my heart cracked in pain and what felt excruciating at the time, has only made my soul stronger today. To see the blessings in each one of them and what they gave me in helping me be who I am today is truly such a gift.