Reprising Our Vision.

In Dogs & Mindfulness we write about the beautiful connection between me and my dog that hopefully you find relatable and from the heart…

We share heartfelt (and often funny) stories about Blue and me navigating life together, with gentle invitations to practice mindfulness. We publish occasional newsletters—no pressure, just presence.

—These are stories to make you smile.

—These are stories to help you pause.

—This is a meditation practice to bring you back to the present moment, and it’s all inspired by the mindfulness of dogs.

Recap.

In part 1 of this series we shared about Blue and I agreeing to apply to a therapy dog team. This required us to participate in a weekend of training/testing. We shared stories around our Day 1 - morning arrival and our bus training. We also shared how incredible Blue was when I had to let go of his leash, not once, but twice. And we discussed using breath as an anchor for mindfulness.

Assisted Living.

Our next exercise of the morning was to practice our skills in a mock, assisted living environment. Members from the therapy dog team showed up to fill a large room in our school. They were the pretend residents who we were to greet and interact with. A few of the residents even had medical equipment like crutches, a wheel chair, and a walker.

As we walked around the room greeting the residents, we encountered unexpected scenarios…

- A few residents asked me if they could keep Blue.

- One stared at Blue very intently and tried to pull him very close.

- Some residents had food all over their clothing. Even peanut butter!

- And, there were yummy smells on the floor…and, all of these yummy distractions needed to be avoided!

It was a fantastic learning opportunity for both of us. I felt outside of my comfort zone. And, I think Blue was a little uncertain too. But we approached it as a team and grew from the experience.

Lunch.

Lunch finally came...an opportunity for a bit of rest for both of us. We sat in a large room that was transformed into a cafeteria. Long tables were set up so that we could sit with other humans and dogs. Blue and I found a table, and I asked Blue to “under”. Blue went under the table and went into a down. He shared the space with two of his sweet pals:

- River, a beautiful and loyal German Shepherd

- Koda, a handsome and soulful Aussie Doodle

And I shared the tabletop with River’s and Koda’s moms…

Our lunch was actually a training exercise:

- Could the dogs be polite sharing tight spaces with other dogs?

- Did the humans pay attention to their dogs to know what was going on with them?

- Could the dogs remain calmly under the tables without asking for food?

- Was there any food aggression?

Well, Blue and his friends did an awesome job! They were all polite and relaxed. Of course it did help that they were tired from the morning, so they were all happy to take a bit of a rest!

The Airport.

We had a rough start!

We were late.

I pulled into the short term parking garage not realizing it was full. Not only was there no place to park, but there were so many cars driving around that I couldn’t exit the garage.

When I finally did get out, I drove into the first parking garage I saw. But, I didn’t realize that it was actually the furthest garage out…and therefore quite a distance from where we were supposed to meet. Not my most brilliant move.

— I should note that we had been instructed over and over to be on time for the entire weekend. So, I was feeling fairly anxious about our less than ideal arrival time.

A bit of history.

When I was practicing orthodontics, I lived on a tight schedule and felt continually bound to the clock and my watch.

- During work hours, every minute of my day was strategically allocated and scheduled out so that we could make the schedule flow — moving from one patient to the next.

- We respected our patient’s time and were cognizant that people were missing school or work.

- So, it was like an orchestrated game that I was always playing in my head trying to determine the next best move to maintain that timeliness and efficiency.

My 180 degree switch.

To make it anywhere on time these days really takes a lot of intention on my part. When I stepped away from practicing…it was like a monster was unleashed from deep within. And, that monster rejects maintaining a schedule. I’m not even kidding.

It just feels like a rule that I just don’t care to follow anymore. And, it was my OWN rule to begin with!

So, on days I have to be somewhere at a certain time, I really have to focus up and make it happen.

Back to our story.

For our training weekend, I set my intentions and was determined to make it everywhere on time. So when I got stuck in the parking garage, it really unsettled me. Any attempt at mindfulness went out the window, and all I could think about was failing the weekend on account of me making us late.

We also had a second issue. Blue loves the airport. LOVES IT. He can hardly contain himself. Blue knows that when we get close to the airport that he is going to see one of his two favorite humans. Me or his dad — and might I add, not necessarily in that particular order. (Blue is crazy about his dad). So, as soon as we take the exit toward the airport Blue knows exactly where we are. And he morphs from a calm, collected Blue into an excited ball of a Blue Monster who is so excited to see his human that he just CANNOT even take it.

Well, Blue and I finally make our way to the rest of the group standing outside at the portico. Blue is pulling on his leash like he doesn’t even know what a leash is. And, why is it even on him to begin with??? All he cares about is finding his dad…

We need a moment.

We were divided into two groups:

- One group was to walk around outside of the TSA security check point and greet people.

- The other group was to get in line to go through the TSA security check point. And, this was an exercise that I was a little concerned if we would be successful even if we were completely calm and settled.

I was so grateful to learn that we were placed in the first group where we could just walk around and greet people. I knew that would give Blue and me time to calm down and catch our breath.

But then…the same drill sergeant from our previous bus story made a last-minute change and moved Blue and me to the TSA group. So without time to reign in our energy, Blue and I had to attempt going through airport security.

I took some deep breaths and hoped for the best.

TSA.

As we approached our turn to go through the security check point, I took Blue’s collar and leash off. I took hold of Blue’s bandanna and continued to move forward in line.

When it was my turn to walk through the scanner I asked Blue to “down” and “wait”. I had to keep my back toward him as I walked away. Only once I was through could I turn and face Blue.

- Blue knows “down” and he knows “wait”. And, I was praying that he would choose to perform both of those behaviors at that particular point in time. The truth is every now and then he can be a tic defiant and give me the “furry finger” — a term I’ve heard from our beloved professors.

So Blue was on one side of the scanning machine and I was on the other. Probably separated by around 30 feet…OK, maybe it was closer to 10 feet. Blue and I were locked in with each other through intense eye contact. The TSA agent gave me the OK to call my dog. I calmly called Blue, and he came right to me.

Though I was experiencing an inner chaotic storm of uncertainty, Blue had his listening ears on (sometimes they fall right off) and did what I asked. He turned his gaze and focus on me. And we officially made it through TSA!

Finishing our day.

We concluded the afternoon by practicing meet and greets, walking up and down stairs and practicing manners on elevator rides.

When we were dismissed from the airport…Blue and I were both exhausted! Still, we dug deep and took an emergency trip to Starbucks — Blue for a pup cup, me for some coffee…a true blessing from God.

When we got home, I swear Blue told his dad how crazy his mom was for making him do all of this hard stuff all day long..

- I imagine Blue saying something like…“that b**** is crazy!”

True story…I really do think Blue tattles on me!! And, in fairness to Blue…I do tend to take him for a lot of adventures that push us both outside of our comfort zones.

Removing the leash.

I didn’t just relinquish Blue’s leash like I did earlier that same morning…this time I had to remove it.

— I had to walk away with my back turned. And, both of us had to trust.

— Blue had to be with those big emotions of the moment, and so did I.

— Blue fixed his gaze on me. And when I turned around to face him…I felt like the luckiest girl in the airport as that sweet boy locked his eyes on mine.

Once again, Blue invited me to be present with him.

An anchor.

In our last edition we talked about using the breath as an anchor to connect us to the present moment.

In this edition, we wanted to introduce drishti as an anchor. This is a fixed point of a gaze which can anchor your attention and help you connect with the present moment.

I first learned about drishti through my yoga practice. So, for example, if I’m in tree pose, I might pick a spot at a distance and focus my gaze there.

- By fixing the eyes, it helps reduce distractions and develop concentration.

I’ve been reflecting on Blue’s drishti. Not just at the airport that day…but every day I’m with him. He fixes his gaze on me when he is hungry, uncertain, wants to play, wants to make trouble, and wants to be loved and spoiled. And sometimes I feel like he fixes his gaze on me just to tell me he loves me.

Mindfulness.

At the airport that day, Blue reminded me about drishti. When I focused my gaze back at him, I could feel my body soften and relax a bit. It helped me get out of my head and connect to that moment.

Once again, in simple moments with Blue, he teaches me about being present.

Have you ever shared a gaze with your dog - or any animal - and felt a true connection? How did you feel in that moment?

We would love to know. You can share by posting a comment or replying to this email.

What We Are Loving:

- Blue has been loving his daily, Woof Pupsicle. It’s a dog toy that you can fill with yummy treats that have to be retrieved. I’ve been trying different recipes and pre-freezing them. Then, at mid-afternoon I will put one in his bowl. It gives him a little mental stimulation as the bewitching zoomies hour approaches.

- We now have a rule in our house. It’s called: “you take it, you wear it”. I personally love this rule. Not so sure that Blue is on board. But because he has such an affinity for taking stuff and playing “catch me if you can”…well, it seems only fair that once we catch him that he should wear it. And, naturally we should then take photos to document the infraction. We plan to start posting some of these photos on our Instagram page @dogsandmindfulness. So feel free to check it out on occasion.

In closing this edition, Blue and I wanted to share our gratitude for your interest in our newsletter. We love writing and sharing our stories.

Thank you for following along!

Until we write again,

You can expect heartfelt (and often funny) stories about Blue and me navigating life together, with gentle invitations to practice mindfulness. We publish occasional newsletters—no pressure, just presence.

—These are stories that make you smile.

—These are stories that help you pause.

—This is a meditation practice to bring you back to the present moment, and it’s all inspired by the mindfulness of dogs.

What’s Happening.

Blue and I debated for quite awhile if we were ready to apply for membership with an incredible Therapy Dog team. During the summer of 2024, we were evaluated by team leaders and told we could move forward with the upcoming training/testing weekend with the caveat that we had “a lot of work” to do, and we both needed to work on our confidence.

- Ah, confidence…rather, the lack of confidence has been a theme for me my entire life.

Blue and I elected not to move forward with the training weekend last year. But, we took the feedback to heart and continued to work on our skills…and confidence.

If I’m being completely honest…I had a little FOMO. I really wanted to see what the training was all about. I love to learn and I love challenges.

- And, I do tend to push myself out of my comfort zone…as evidenced by the writing of these newsletters.

I knew that whether or not Blue and I successfully passed the training weekend that we would pick up new skills. That we would become aware of even more things we could work on. And, that it would be a bonding weekend full of cool experiences.

So, as the training weekend approached for this year, I checked in with our beloved professor at Blue’s school and asked if he had any red flags for us giving it a go. With no concerns, he gave us his blessing. And more than that…he was encouraging.

I don’t know about you…but sometimes it is just really nice to feel that you have somebody in your corner?? Not a requirement…but just nice to know someone else believes too.

So Blue and I completed our application, and we agreed to focus. We did lots of training and simulated practices. We worked on “under” while Blue patiently waited under tables during meal times. We worked on the “leave it” command quite a lot! And, we practiced “loose leash” walking everywhere we went.

We also had many conversations about the upcoming weekend. We talked about rules and expectations, sticking together as a team, keeping all 4 paws on the ground, and saying “hello” politely.

If we were to pass, we would get a certification. If not, we could work on skills and potentially test again…

This edition is the first of a 3 Part series where we will share our tales from our training weekend…

And We Begin.

We started early on a Saturday morning, arriving well before 7AM. I wanted to arrive early to give Blue a chance to get some energy out and settle in. We jogged, walked, played, sniffed, listened, observed — and then we did it all again — over and over.

By 7:15 AM or so, the parking lot was filling with the 20 or so humans and their dogs who were there to train. — Each human and their dog is a “team”. — And, our master trainer had arrived along with team alumni who were there to help facilitate the training.

A Rough Start.

My husband says I’m a rule follower…until I’m not a rule follower.

Twelve years of college and professional education adds up to a lot of lectures. Not to mention continuing education courses that have to be completed every year post graduation.

This mostly reserved, “I can fly solo” type of gal, who often has the goal of not being seen or heard, is quite content at the back of any lecture hall or group setting. I intentionally position myself for a quick escape in case I want to grab a moment of silence or just need some movement.

—I certainly did not view this training any differently. My goals were to stay at the back, go unnoticed and don’t make a scene.

Well, within the first 5 minutes I was told I needed to “move in and get closer”. That wasn’t comfortable for me, so I silently declined that direction. Spoiler - I rejected this guidance multiple times during the weekend.

I would say that Blue is a rule follower….until he is not a rule follower.

Within the first 5 minutes, one of the team leaders came over to greet Blue. He didn’t jump, but his front paws came off the ground. He was super excited to say “hi”. And, paws off the floor is a big no-no.

So…no more than 5 minutes in - I am not feeling great about this entire situation! I’ve already been noncompliant with instructions, and Blue is coming in hot with his “hello”. My FOMO was quickly being overridden with “what was I thinking?!”.

And here comes the bus…

The Bus.

Our first training session was to learn how to properly enter, get seated, and exit public transportation…specifically, a bus.

The bus had two doors — one at the front, and one toward the rear. I’m guessing there were maybe 25-30 seats total. Some seats were forward facing. Some were backward facing, and some were side facing.

Exercise 1

Our master trainer asked all of the teams to get on the bus and take a seat. And, she timed us — it took over 7 minutes for all of us to successfully get seated for the first attempt.

At that point we were given all kinds of instructions on how to properly enter and exit the bus. How to maneuver into the various seats. How to protect our dogs from strangers. How to keep our dogs close and secure.

The dogs in the training came in all sizes….from less than 10 pounds to 185 pounds. And not only did the humans have to sit very close to each other, so did the dogs. And, just like humans can be particular about who they want to sit next to…dogs can be that same way. So we had to ensure that all of our dogs were behaving politely while honoring everyone’s space.

— Blue did great with this exercise. There was so much stimulation. The spaces were small, and we both had to learn how to adapt to various seating arrangements.

— There were a few times when a dog’s face would be positioned directly in front of Blue’s. I could see that this pushed Blue out of his comfort zone…and in fact I had to work hard to not let him recoil underneath the seat. I did lots of talking to him and petting his chest to get him through the different scenarios.

We repeated this exercise multiple times - entering the bus, finding different seats, and exiting the bus. Each time trying to get quicker.

For the final round, one of the team alumni channeled her inner drill sergeant and stood outside the bus and highly encouraged us to get a move on. At our best we were able to accomplish this task as a group in under 1 minute 24 seconds.

Exericse 2

For the next training session, our master trainer explained that we would walk our dog on the bus through the front door. Then, without looking at our dog or speaking to our dog, we would hand the leash to her (the master trainer) and walk quickly off the rear of the bus. From there we would stand and wait for the cue that we could call our dog.

When I heard those instructions…my heart dropped into my tummy. If you’ve followed our newsletters, you know that Blue and I have done a lot of work with separation anxiety. Blue does not love when he is out of sight from me. And, I was so concerned that he was going to try to run off the bus, possibly hurting the master trainer if he panicked.

So, I approached one of the team alumni - the same one who had just finished her role as drill sergeant - and I said something like “Hey, I am really concerned that Blue is not going to be OK with this…and I’m worried that he is going to hurt the trainer. How can I get word to her that this could be a problem?”

The former drill sergeant kindly reminded me that the trainer is a “master trainer” and that I did not need to get any word to her. I just needed to let it happen.

So…I stepped back, and Blue and I waited our place in line. — My stomach was doing full somersaults about the impending disaster.

I turned my attention toward my breath.

Our turn came, Blue and I walked on the bus…I said nothing. Handed over the leash and walked toward the back and exited. I was then directed to walk to the rear tires where I stood and waited for the cue to call him. What felt like an eternity was maybe 30 seconds — I’m not even sure.

When I called Blue’s name for that out of sight recall, he ran off the bus listening to my voice trying to find me. And, he came right to me as soon as he discovered my location.

Blue was a little champion. And, I thought we were done with the bus…

Exercise 3

So our next instructions for the BUS were as follows: Walk your dog on the bus through the front and walk to the back of the bus and exit as quickly as you can. Nothing else was said. I had no idea what to expect. But, I thought it seemed manageable…

So as we enter the bus, I see that alumni have filled the seats. They are yelling Blue’s name with excitement and volume. They are petting him, trying to get his attention, and they are even offering him yummy treats.

Blue and I stuck together as a team. He stayed calm with all of the noise and excitement. He once again did a great job!

Exercise 4

Finally our bus training was complete…

Understandably, the bus needed to be free of any dog fur. So all of us “newbies” were asked to get back on the bus and use our lint rollers to clean the seats.

We were told that one of the alumni would take our dogs’ leashes and stand outside the bus while we did the cleaning.

My heart sank again.

An alumni member was going to come over and take Blue’s leash. I didn’t know if he would panic, try to run to me, or what he would do. I was once again concerned this could be a disaster.

A kind man with a leash in one hand - attached to a beautiful, cream-colored golden retriever - walked over to me and took Blue’s leash in his other hand and said “I’ve got him”. I quickly tried to say “I don’t know how he will do…he doesn’t like to be separated.” The man looked at me and said “it will be fine.”.

So I calmly walked away and onto the bus with my stomach once again doing flips.

Again, I turned my attention toward my breath.

As I was putting the lint roller to work I caught glimpses of Blue out the window. Blue was attentive and looking for me…but he stayed calm. And after several minutes of lint roller action, I exited the bus and walked toward Blue. He sat and waited for me to reach him. And then we had a BIG party and I told him how BRAVE he was! Blue did awesome!

Relinquishing The Leash.

Twice I had to hand over the leash and walk away.

— I had to trust in Blue and the training that we have done. And, Blue had to trust in me that I would be back for him.

— I also had to trust the two humans who took Blue’s leash — that they would know what to do if his discomfort of being separated overcame him.

— Blue met the moments with calm and courage. And, I established an anchor in my breath.

Once again, Blue taught me more than I could ever teach him.

Anchors.

In mindfulness, we can use anchors to quiet and collect the mind. Anchors help connect us to our body…which helps us connect to the moment. I’ll mention just a few…

Breath.

- We can notice the breath as it enters and leaves the nostrils and throat.

- We can notice the rise and fall of the chest or belly.

Sensations.

- Noticing the feet on the floor.

- Noticing where the hands are resting.

- Noticing the sit bones on the chair or floor.

- Listening to the external sounds.

Mindfulness.

One of my greatest teachers is a cream-colored, loving, energetic, little monster with a passion for stealing laundry. And, Blue reminds me every day to practice mindfulness — to connect to moments.

Both times I handed over the leash, my thoughts and emotions took over. Using my breath as an anchor allowed me to connect to my body and quiet my mind. And this practice of mindfulness has changed my life.

A Meditation With Breath As The Anchor…

Have you ever reflected on what your dog has taught you? — Or what any animal has taught you?

We would love to know. You can share by posting a comment or replying to this email.

In Honor Of A Beautiful Human:

I have always admired Diane Keaton. And, my admiration for her has grown after learning about her love of animals.

“Animals bring you a sense of wonder.”― Diane Keaton

“It came to me that every time I lose a dog, they take a piece of my heart with them and every new dog who comes into my life gifts me with a piece of their heart. If I live long enough, all the components of my heart will be dog and I will become as generous and loving as they are.”― Diane Keaton

What We Are Loving:

We have been loving our walks in the crisp, cool air. Witnessing the beauty and wonder of Fall.

- Elizabeth Gilbert speaks about one of her favorite games “The most interesting path”. She takes a walk, and every time she comes to a crossroad, she looks left and right and decides which way looks more interesting. And she chooses that path.

- So Blue and I have been playing “The most interesting path.” With each crossroad, we take turns choosing the direction. — We keep our phone with us so we have GPS in case we get lost!

- And at the end of our game we try to guess how many steps we walked!

In closing this edition, Blue and I wanted to share our gratitude to Erica Jago. Erica is an incredible author, teacher and designer. She has been a believer in our Dogs & Mindfulness concept from the beginning. And, Blue and I continue to learn and grow in our offerings with her guidance and expertise. Thank you Erica! IG @erica_jago

Thank you for following along!

Until we write again,

Thinking about joy and happiness…

Blue.

For at least the last several years, the Steelers Pro Shop has offered a free schedule magnet with an online order at the beginning of football season. To save myself time from having to google what the Steelers game day schedule is - (I mean…how much effort would that take?..) - I’ve made it a tradition to place an online order so that I can get that very special free schedule magnet and proudly display it in our home.

Well, this year I added to Blue’s collection of toys by purchasing a cheeseburger, hotdog, and a bag of peanuts…all with the Steelers logo. And I could not resist this white jersey for away games. — For anyone concerned…yes, he does already have jersey options for home games. And, YES he has a few Terrible Towels to choose from as well!

Blue, my incredible little sport, is now ready to rock out apparel on ALL game days!

Showers.

When Blue has been freshly bathed he has a beautiful, cream-colored coat. And his fur is super soft. Typically after a shower, we have approximately a 48-72 hour window of enjoying that fresh, clean coat and softness before Blue starts moving into his grunge phase…

-The unkempt fur.

-The cream color starting to take on shades of brown and green.

-Random things stuck in his fur - it’s just better that I don’t even try to identify what some of those things are…

This transition from freshly showered to grunge just naturally occurs as Blue lives his best life by playing, walking, training, rolling in the grass, climbing into bushes, and the list goes on…

Blue embraces every moment no matter what he is doing. He lives fully in the moment — teaching me every day how to do the same.

Mondays are Blue’s scheduled mani/pedi days AND his shower days. And, oh my, Blue loves showers. LOVES them! If we even whisper the word “shower”, he will run to the shower and just wait beside it until we can get there.

Last Monday night it was approaching 7PM. It had been a long and full day of activities and Blue had worn himself out. Like most evenings, Blue had settled in on the couch to catch a nap before bed.

My husband and I were working in the kitchen looking out into the living room. Blue was hidden by the back of the couch. We were discussing how Blue still needed his Monday night spa ritual…but I was concerned that Blue might be too tired and wouldn’t really want to participate in those activities. My husband looked at the back of the couch, spoke with a low volume and said:

“Blue, do you want to take a shower?”

The next thing we see is Blue’s head pop up over the back of the couch and look into the kitchen. His fur on his face and head was completely disheveled, and his little eyes looked so tired…but he made this impressively quick transition from deep sleep mode to “are we doing this right now?!?!” and he RAN to the shower!

More on showers…

My one marathon.

I met this amazing woman when I was in dental school. I was starting in my second year and she was starting in her first year. We began chatting one day in the library and formed a pretty quick connection. She is one of those people who is genuine, kind, funny, SMART, easy to talk to, and always has some grand adventure in mind.

Well, early on in our friendship she decided it would be a great idea if we trained for a marathon. A full marathon. The whole thing. 26.2 miles...

Now let me be clear…I have never been a runner. A slow jogger at my best. Half marathons were more my comfort zone. A full marathon was not even on my radar. —In hindsight, I might have been wise to bail on our friendship right then and there...

This amazing friend of mine had such a special idea. We would join Team Diabetes - a cause incredibly near and dear to her heart. AND - the location of this race would be in Kona, Hawaii. What?!! Um, yeah I totally want to do that!

Our job was to raise money. And Team Diabetes would coach us on how to train for the race…

- We were given a packet of materials that included fund raising tips, training recommendations, and training schedules. And, in that packet we were also given a rearview mirror tag that said something to the effect of —

“Have you earned your shower today?”

From my recollection, it had a Hawaiian theme. It was white with bold coloring of red and green. And, there was at least one palm tree. I was so proud of that tag and the goal that I was chasing. I hung it from my rearview mirror, and it was such a great reminder that I needed to prioritize my training in order to achieve my goal.

I still feel jazzed when I think about crossing that finish line. It was absolutely exhilarating. I was proud of what I had achieved. And, I was so proud to be part of Team Diabetes. - (I was also exhausted, sunburned and sore.)

I am not one to really hold on to a lot of memorabilia, but I did keep my finishers metal. And, I certainly held on to that friendship. In fact, we’ve been friends and colleagues for quite a few years. She continues her quest for big adventures. And, I continue to love spending time with her.

The rearview mirror tag.

I am so guilty of breaking promises to myself around exercise, nutrition, self care of any type, meditation…you name it. I even break promises to myself around this newsletter that Blue and I love.

I can get so distracted by life and my “to do” list. — I’m very guilty of thinking there is always more time to take care of myself or to pursue my passions. And that there will be time to pursue the fun once I get the busy work done. — But really, I’m just deprioritizing myself and the things that are important to me. Maybe you can relate?

One of my wise teachers asked me a long time ago…“When you say ‘yes’ to something, what are you saying ‘no’ to?” This is such an amazing question that I circle back to over and over in my life…

- Am I saying “yes” to the mindless busy work? And, “no” to being mindful of the present moment?

- Am I saying “yes” to that extra load of laundry while I say “no” to Blue with his soulful gaze asking me to go for a walk or play a game?

- Have I said “yes” or “no” to making time for praying, journaling, meditating, proper nutrition, a nice walk, a cycling class, strength training, yoga, or sound healing?

Well, recently I’ve been thinking a lot about that rearview mirror tag…

“Have you earned your shower today?”

Reflecting on that question has helped me be more mindful in making decisions about what my priorities for the day should be.

- As a result, Blue and I have been working on getting to the gym by 5:30 AM (yikes)…then taking a walk while it is still cool. Then we might consider a little meditation or quiet time…and we continue to build our day from there. We are setting our intention on making mindful decisions around how we can earn our showers.

So we are curious…what would earning your shower look like to you?

- A morning prayer?

- A morning meditation?

- Reading your scripture?

- A walk or play session with your dog?

- A quiet few minutes while drinking your morning coffee?

- Getting your cardio or strength training in?

What is it that you can do to earn your shower each day?

A meditation for joy and happiness.

In our last edition we offered a short meditation. We are repeating that same meditation below — AND, I have also done an audio recording of the meditation.

How about that audio?!?! Nikki and Blue trying on a new feature for our newsletter!

Here it is in written form:

Can you find a comfortable posture where you can feel both alert and relaxed?

- Perhaps sitting in a chair with your feet flat on the ground, your back straight and attentive...

- Closing your eyes if that feels comfortable to you…

Can you allow a little grin to form on your face? And notice how this smile affects your mind…

Take a few deeper breaths…

- Can you bring a calming energy into your body with each inhale?

- Can you bring a little relaxation with each exhale?

- Just notice the natural rhythm of your breath…

Now, can you bring to mind something that brings you joy?

- What brings you joy or a feeling of well being?

- Notice how that feels in your body and your mind…

Now bring to mind a blessing in your life…someone or something you are grateful for…

- Can you let the feeling of gratitude flow through your body?

- And, can you offer a silent thank you from your heart?

Can you stay with this meditation for a few minutes…just bringing to mind blessings that bring you joy and happiness? Blessings that you are grateful for….Offering a thank you from your heart…

When you are ready, you can wiggle your fingers and your toes. Open your eyes if they are closed. Take a moment to re-acquaint with your surroundings. And know that you can come back to this meditation as often as you wish.

A story of friendship.

Quite some time ago Blue and I were in the lobby of his school one day after class. There was a display of really cute dog bandanas that I had wanted to peruse, and I came across a blue bandana with white paw prints. It was perfect for Blue and I wanted to get it for him. (I mean a blue bandana for Blue—what choice did I have?) But, I am the worst at carrying cash on me. And, because it was an outside vendor who was the seller for these bandanas…I had to either pay cash or make a Venmo payment. Well, I had no cash. And, I had no Venmo account either.

A lady in our class, Kyah’s mom, overheard the conversation and before I knew it her hand reached across the counter as she handed over the cash to pay for Blue’s bandana. My heart dropped into my stomach and I said something like, “oh no, we will just get his bandana another time…we don’t want you to do that.” But Kyah’s mom was set on making sure Blue got his bandana that day. I thanked her over and over again, and I was so touched that she made such a kind and generous gesture toward us. (At that point we had been in class together but had never really even talked to each other.)

As time went on, Blue and I started hanging out with Kyah and her mom during class. And, we have had the privilege of observing their interactions and skills.

Kyah is a beautiful 5 year old girl…in fact her birthday was just this week! She and her mom brought in peanut butter in cups to share with the entire class. Yep…we celebrate birthdays at our school too!

I asked Kyah’s mom to describe her and this is some of what she wrote to me:

Her mom was a full Husky with golden brown eyes and her dad was a full German Shepherd with chocolate brown eyes. She was the only one in the litter to have a blue eye. She has tri-coloring and I call her my lil’ wolf dog.

She is a testimonial dog. A blessing from the Lord and an answer to prayer. She is a sweet reminder of how much Jesus loves us and is the only One who can truly satisfy the heart.

She is a smart cookie and helps me daily. She truly likes to work her brain and she loves to run and have fun.

Now…I have to tell you that Kyah is awesome. I mean awesome. She does an amazing job in class — follows ALL of her mom’s commands. I don’t believe I have ever seen one task that Kyah did not successfully accomplish. She is gentle, sweet, calm, peaceful and so intelligent.

I love to witness Kyah and her mom interact. Rightfully, Kyah’s mom has high expectations. And on occasion I’ll notice mom talking a little sass to Kyah - nudging her to be just a little bit more brilliant. And Kyah rises to EVERY occasion and is so happy to honor her mom’s requests. They are truly an amazing and beautiful team.

Kyah has been a great role model for our training, and has always been so sweet to Blue. And, Kyah’s mom…well she has been so kind and encouraging to both Blue and me…

- Helping us with struggles…

- Checking in on us…

- Complimenting us when she can see we have made improvements…

As much as Blue and I love the training, it can be frustrating for both of us. And when someone shows up for you with kindness and encouragement…well, that is a lovely and meaningful experience. We are blessed to have Kyah and her mom as our friends. Thank you both!

What we are loving and are excited for.

- Football season is starting! YAY!

- Downtown Abbey: The Grand Finale release date is September 12th. So excited!

- We are just going to say it…Congratulations to Taylor and Travis! We are so happy for them and their families!

As we bring this edition to a close…

Blue and I would love to know what brings you joy and happiness. And, we would love to know what goals you might have for yourself to earn your shower. We invite you to leave a comment or reply to this email. We also invite you to leave us a heart if our edition resonated with you.

We will leave you with a quote…

“Wherever you are, be there totally.” — Eckhart Tolle

Thank you for following along!

Until we write again,

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This morning I was reflecting on some hard things I’ve done in my life. I was also reflecting on some pretty cool achievements. And I just wanted to take a moment to say that I will be adding our Dogs & Mindfulness newsletter to my list of things I’m proud of.

This is our 10th edition! That seems like a milestone worth celebrating!

Sometimes I still ask myself what my motivation is for these writings. They are a lot of work, and they open me up to feeling very vulnerable. I’m sharing bits about my life while still recognizing that I’m not everyone’s cup of tea. And, anytime we put ourselves out there…well, there is always a risk of being judged and criticized.

I learned a long time ago that staying in my comfort zone isn’t going to get me anywhere. Growth happens when I become uncomfortable. And, let me just say…this newsletter and the corresponding Instagram page are SO far out of my comfort zone that I can’t even believe we are doing this.

But, Blue and I have talked about it. And, we plan to keep showing up, writing our stories. Our motivation: well, it’s fun to create something, and we hope to add some good vibes to those whose paths we cross.

What is happening?

In the last few months Blue and I have visited his doctor’s office more times than I can count. Tummy issues requiring a prescription diet, ear infections, a skin infection, skin allergies, allergy shots…

Then, three weeks ago…an allergic reaction. An anaphylactic reaction to be specific.

His symptoms: Vomiting. A huge - and I mean huge - lump of edema on his neck. An incredibly inflamed and angry ear. Lots of itchiness. Very restless and uncomfortable. And, spreading edema to his body and muzzle.

Blue didn’t know what to do with himself. And, looking into his soulful eyes I could see that he was asking “what is happening?”...

At one point he looked up at me and I couldn’t believe what I was seeing—Blue’s muzzle—his sweet little face and cheeks were so swollen. My mind was trying to discern what was happening.

I put my fingers in his mouth and started feeling around. I could not believe how enlarged and firm his cheeks were from all of the edema. (Blue is used to me brushing his teeth and moving his lips and cheeks around…so he tolerated this like a champion.)

After our rushed trip to his doctor’s office, medications, and another follow up visit…we are so happy to report that Blue has recovered well and is back to his normal self!! Smart, funny, incredibly empathetic, and a total handful. He is truly a gift from God.

Since the day of his allergic reaction, Blue has been on a round of steroids. And I can report that he has been a little drinking and eating machine! (A peeing machine too!)

Probably not the best time to work on the “leave it” command. But, naturally that is what our professors have called for in several of our most recent classes.

—Our professors throw out treats all over the floor to add additional distractions. And, our dogs are expected to ignore the treats…they are expected to “leave it”.

We are NOT excelling at this.

So…Blue and I have been working on “leave it” in our daily, home training sessions. I ask Blue to “sit” or “down” and then “wait”. And, I walk away from him. I put treats in the middle of the floor and then walk to the opposite side of the room and call him. And as he approaches the treats…I ask him to “leave it”.

But, Blue and I have been having some misunderstandings. And, I have to take some responsibility for my unclear communication…

—Because when I repeatedly say “leave it!” with as much enunciation (and increasing volume) as I can muster…every time it seems as though Blue hears “EAT IT!”—So, he runs toward me with increasing speed and approaches the treats like he is sliding into home base, face first…mows the treats down, and then jumps up and continues to run toward me!

The steroids are clearly not helping this situation either!

My husband was observing the interaction one day and he said it reminded him of the SNL Fries skit..

—The skit features Chris Farley, David Spade and Adam Sandler. They are all dressed as women who are sharing french fries. Chris’s character is having more than her fair share of fries…and when questioned by her pals…she gets a dark look in her eyes and a very deep tone in her voice and loudly says:

“Lay off of me I’m starving!”

In all fairness to Blue…if you put a piece of chocolate in front of me and ask me to “leave it”...well, I think you would just be disappointed in my choice.

Recently, I’ve started to approach these at-home training sessions by putting a leash on him. And as I call Blue, I ask him to “leave it” and offer some leash guidance if he seems to be nose diving to the treats.

What I’ve noticed is that Blue has started going around the treats. It’s brilliant. He avoids the temptation. Sort of like - if I don’t want to eat chocolate…I better not bring it into our house!

So, Blue and I will continue to work on the “leave it” training sessions at home. And, I’ll hope for the best the next time our professors throw treats all over the floor!

My sweet little chipmunk.

Blue and I are having daily conversations around my desire for him to NOT turn into a chipmunk again. I joke and tell him that “it is an infraction of our house rules..and simply won’t be tolerated”.

But the reality is Blue’s allergic reaction felt very scary. And, I have found my thoughts and emotions all over the place:

How can I protect him so this doesn’t happen again?

How can I best show up for Blue if it does happen again?

What if next time is even more severe?

What if I can’t help him?

Fear…

Fear that wakes me up at night. And fear that takes my breath away.

And, then my mind races to other worries too…one worry leads to a million more.

Mindfulness.

This is what I know:

- Mindfulness has not silenced my worries. But, it helps me to have an awareness of what is happening.

- Mindfulness helps me recognize when my thoughts are spiraling and when I’m stuck in the “what ifs”. That is not to say it is easy for me to get out of—But awareness is at least a starting point.

- Mindfulness helps me recognize what emotion is holding my attention. In this situation (like most situations for me) it is fear.

- And, mindfulness helps me balance that fear by intentionally turning toward joy and happiness.

One of the misunderstandings of mindfulness or mindfulness meditation is that suffering is the focus. And, I’m not sure that anyone wants to spend their time suffering.

But what is so great about mindfulness is that we can actually use it to cultivate joy and happiness.

There are two kinds of happiness:

1. Happiness with a cause. It’s that piece of chocolate that I crave and can’t resist. Am so happy to get. And, then it’s gone along with that moment of happiness.

2. Happiness without a cause. Happiness for no reason—it’s not dependent on anything. This is the freedom I search for.

We all know that the more we practice something the better we get…

The more we practice worrying, the better we get…And, I’m a freaking rock star when it comes to worrying! It’s been a habit since I was a little girl. The more you practice a habit, the longer it sticks with you and the harder it is to break.

But if we turn our attention to what brings us joy and happiness, then that can become our habit as well.

The intention of mindfulness is not to eliminate anything - the intention is to become more whole.

I recently led a meditation focusing on joy and happiness. And, I wanted to share a bit of it here. I invite you to give it a try:

Can you find a comfortable posture where you can feel both alert and relaxed?

- Perhaps sitting in a chair with your feet flat on the ground, your back straight and attentive...

- Closing your eyes if that feels comfortable to you…

Can you allow a little grin to form on your face? And notice how this smile affects your mind…

Take a few deeper breaths…

- Can you bring a calming energy into your body with each inhale?

- Can you bring a little relaxation with each exhale?

- Just notice the natural rhythm of your breath…

Now, can you bring to mind something that brings you joy?

- What brings you joy or a feeling of well being?

- Notice how that feels in your body and your mind…

Now bring to mind a blessing in your life…someone or something you are grateful for…

- Can you let the feeling of gratitude flow through your body?

- And, can you offer a silent thank you from your heart?

Can you stay with this meditation for a few minutes…just bringing to mind blessings that bring you joy and happiness? Blessings that you are grateful for….Offering a thank you from your heart…

When I practice this meditation, I am reminded that I have so much to be grateful for. So many things that bring me joy and happiness. My little family, the Light that Blue brings with him every time he walks into the room. Our family and friends. The list is truly endless…

And, I imagine what Blue is happy for: belly rubs, car rides, a king size bed he hogs at night, a comfy couch to relax on, his humans who love him dearly, his friends. Treats. Cheese. TURKEY!…I believe his list is endless too!

An extra bit of happy.

Blue and I wanted to introduce you to one of his classmates, Porter. Porter and his mom are such a sweet team. Porter is a black, flat-coated retriever. The AKC describes his breed as the “Peter Pan” of dogs…they never grow up. Porter is also a therapy dog—he brings lots of love, support, and smiles to the community.

“He’s usually very good in class (lots of treats) and can be very silly and stubborn at home, but he’s always sweet and happy.” - Porter’s mom

As far as Porter being stubborn—well, I’m just not sure if I can buy that. (Though, I have on occasion witnessed Porter’s mom giving him the “mom look”…to which Porter seems completely unfazed!) Honestly…he is just perfect. And, Porter and his mom are totally smitten with each other. It’s so sweet!

When we practice meet and greets in class, I always look forward to saying “hello” to Porter. He gets excited and LOVES to give kisses. His communication of affection is so endearing. He spreads his puppy-like joy to those he greets. And, it makes me happy every time!

Just a few more things:

Blue and I will leave you with one of our favorite quotes. (These words hung on a wall in my orthodontic office for years…and now they hang in our home.)

“When I was five my mother always told me happiness was the key to life. When I went to school they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down ‘happy’. They told me I didn't understand the assignment. I told them they didn't understand life.”

- John Lennon

Blue and I are slowly getting our Instagram account going. Please feel free to check it out. It’s super simplistic right now - but we may start to post some photos like the real Instagrammers do. Baby steps!

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Until we write again,

Just a quick update on the bunny situation….they are still here. When Blue goes out to the yard, the bunnies don’t run, and Blue doesn’t bother them. Everybody is peaceful and friendly and content to coexist…it’s quite beautiful. And so it is.

In this writing, Blue and I will share a bit about what we’ve been up to, and we will reflect on zoomies and mindfulness.

Our morning adventures.

It’s been really hot where we live. Though Blue has little green booties to protect his paws from hot pavement–and might I say he looks ADORABLE in them–we have been limiting most of our outdoor activities to the mornings when the temperature is still reasonable. So, Blue and I have been taking long, morning walks.

Historically, when Blue and I would walk…he would dart off of our path to a bush or a tree or whatever caught his attention. He would go left or right and then left again..with no warning. And, I didn’t like it at all because he would pull me around quite a lot. It made for pretty frustrating walks honestly.

A few months ago, I got Blue an Easy Walk chest harness. It comes in several colors, so naturally he has more than one! The apple green color is my favorite…he looks very handsome! And, I attach a short leash so that I can ask him to stay close to my side.

Just making that switch gave us a little reset. And, it’s been going great! Blue knows that he is supposed to stay in my bubble and not dart side-to-side like he used to. And at the same time, I try to be VERY generous in giving him lots and lots of opportunities to sniff.

I’ll say…“Ok, go sniff”…and he runs over to whichever side he wants and I just follow along.

—To this…he hears me just fine and displays NO hesitation at all!

Then after what feels like an EXORBITANT amount of sniffing, I’ll say “let’s go”..and that is his cue to come back to me so we can resume our walk.

—To this…he may require that I repeat “let’s go” a few more times than ideal…but, he eventually comes back to me.

Why I think Blue is brilliant.

Haha–yep, this is that brilliant bias I wrote about early on. I think most of us are guilty of believing our little Angel is perfect with no flaws and is CLEARLY the most exceptional Being on Earth!

Well, this is the NEW situation…

When we are walking…all of a sudden Blue just STOPS in the middle of our path. I turn back and look at him…his paws are grounded and he is very intentionally NOT moving.

“Dude…what are you doing?!?!”

He makes eye contact with me, and then he looks over to which side of the path he wants to sniff. — Blue stops because he wants to sniff.

The intense standoff begins…

–Do I give in and let him sniff??

–Does he decide on his own that we have been walking for 10 minutes and are still ONLY two blocks from home…so maybe we could keep moving????

–It can be a long process…

–Sometimes I have to give a gentle nudge on his harness until he concedes that it’s not just his walk…and that it IS actually reasonable to keep moving!

So, the boy went from darting all over the place…to now he just stops in total protest if he wants to sniff.

And this is just one of the reasons why I believe Blue is brilliant! And he is SO funny!!

The journey.

Our walks include several subdivisions as well as a few less traveled areas where I can remove his leash. And, on Fridays we visit a food/drink truck in a nearby neighborhood…the citrus iced tea is AMAZING!

We also make it a point to stop by the playground equipment pretty much daily. We have been working on navigating the stairs up to the slide. The goal is to keep our feet and paws on the same steps going both up and down. Blue does GREAT…though occasionally I can sense his subtle frustration at having to go slow–he has been known to throw a little attitude…

—By the way, I clearly can’t relate to ever throwing any attitude…just ask my husband.

Toward the end of the walk…Blue appears to be EXHAUSTED. So, I take him home because surely he is ready for a nap. Hmmm…

When we get back from our walks, immediately Blue wants to go into the backyard and do two things:

1. He wants to grab a toy and run wildly around the yard…in full-on zoomies mode.

2. He wants to cool his belly on the grass.

We will circle back to this discussion—

Time does not correlate to distance.

I have to say that for the length of time we spend on our walks, I would expect to see a very impressive amount of steps counted in my health app. But, given the EXCESSIVE amount of sniffing one of us has to do…I often feel the need to make up some steps on my own later in the day.

Well…one afternoon last week I was feeling agitated.

I couldn’t identify what my issue was.

I couldn’t work it out in my head.

And, I was unable to settle.

But then, I had this urge that I wanted to sweat. Truly - I just wanted to sweat. And if you’ve been in a hot yoga class with me…you know I can sweat! Well, that day I was in the mood for some more steps. So I went out to the treadmill in our HOT garage, put my earphones in and blasted some music.

I’ve been on a Keith Urban kick lately–and one of the songs I have been playing on repeat is “Don’t Want To” by Jelly Roll featuring Keith Urban.

It’s a song about addiction…AND, I think addiction can apply to so many things in life.

So, I was walking with intention and singing with my earphones in…I’m sure I sounded great!

—Occasionally I had the thought that I hoped my neighbors had their windows closed…I think they may already have concerns about the crazy, dog-lady next door!

I finished after 2, interval programs of incline walking having finally worked out some of my anxious energy. OCD is no joke—and sometimes I just try to beat it out…

Polished lenses.

When I did my first yoga teacher training, I studied under Rolf Gates. During one of our calls together we were discussing the relationship–or lack of relationship–between religion and yoga.

Rolf told me that yoga helps to polish the lenses of my glasses.

And, once those lenses are polished I could apply that clarity toward any endeavor…that could be studying religion or practicing piano or whatever else I wanted to turn my attention to.

Over the years I have discovered that practicing mindfulness—the awareness of what is present here and now—is like polishing my lenses as well. It helps me move thru my day with more clarity and calm. And, with less reactivity.

The teacher is always in front of me.

What is so cool—I observe Blue polishing his lenses every day. His zoomies happen. And then he lies in the grass.

—He closes his eyes.

—He opens his mouth.

—He tips his chin up to the sky.

—He observes.

—He cultivates an awareness of what is present here and now.

And, just like Blue…sometimes I have to work thru my zoomies before I can begin to practice mindfulness…

—Last week after my treadmill session…Blue and I sat together. We just hung out for a bit, both of us just observing.

To be clear…working thru zoomies for me isn’t always a treadmill session or an intense yoga practice. Sometimes it’s just smelling the fresh air. Or some gentle stretching. Or taking a little time to enjoy my tea.

Blue and I would love to know if you have something that helps you work thru your zoomies! You can post a comment or message us.

A bit of gratitude.

We want to give a big shout out to one of Blue’s classmates, Koda, and his mom. Koda is 3 years old, and a 42 pound little CUTIE! He is black with a white stripe on his chest. He is a darling mixture of American Pit Bull, Mountain Cur and Treeing Walker Coonhound.

Koda became a pound rescue after he was surrendered for chasing a cat…YEP, he chased a cat.

The beautiful part of the story–he landed a home with his mom who LOVES him. The two of them hang out together all the time–and they make a great team! Koda is SO brilliant and eager to learn.

Last week, I was talking with Koda’s mom and she mentioned the idea of playing fireworks on a speaker to help desensitize our dogs before all of the Independence Day celebrations. So, for two days we played fireworks in our house—slowly turning up the volume.

On the night of July 4th…my little family took a car ride with our windows down and Blue’s head hanging out the window. He listened to the fireworks, watched the fireworks and smelled the fireworks. He was SO much more at ease with the loud noises than what he was last year.

We are very grateful to Koda and his mom for giving us a reminder that we could work to desensitize our boy from the scary noises!

We will close with a quote:

“Awareness is like the sun. When it shines on things, they are transformed.” — Thich Nhat Hanh

Until we write again,

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The pattern begins.

During my 4th year of dental school, I applied to an orthodontic residency. I thought I had a really good chance for acceptance. My class rank and GPA were strong, my test scores were good, and I was already working part time in an orthodontic office. In addition, the admissions committee loved previous research experience…and I even had that. I had everything covered.

The only thing left was an interview…

When it was time for the interview I felt like everything I had to offer was already noted in my application. And to speak of my experience and qualifications any further just felt uncomfortable and egotistical. I didn’t want to sell myself. And, it turns out I didn’t.

They accepted seven residents, and unfortunately I was not one of them. The reason I was given…“you refused to talk about yourself”.

I was completely crushed.

Fast forward to the summer of 2022.

I had received multiple emails for the two year, Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program with Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach. These two incredible leaders and teachers would be joined by an amazing teaching collective.

Mindfulness meditation was always part of my yoga practice and training…but I was very interested in pursuing a mindfulness meditation specific program. I wanted to deepen my own practice and understanding.

So after a lot of consideration…I finally thought…ok I am a “yes” for this.

There was an application process…

When I filled out the application I did not share any of my past yoga and meditation training and certifications. I didn’t share that I had visited and practiced at some amazing spiritual centers. I didn’t share how I had incorporated yoga and meditation into my personal and professional life. And, I didn’t share that yoga and meditation helped resource me enough to carry some pretty hard things in my life.

Nope…I didn’t share any of that. I filled in the basics and made myself small.

I was denied admission for this program too. And, I was advised that I could reapply in another two years for the next cohort.

Hmmm…this felt familiar. Once again, I had refused to talk about myself.

I thought about it for a week or so…and I just couldn’t let it go. So, I wrote back to the admissions committee and asked if I could be reconsidered.

After a phone conversation, I was given an opportunity to redo my application to offer a more accurate representation of who I was and what my experience had been.

They took another look at my application, and I was granted admission.

The program was incredible.

Here we are in June 2025.

One of my mentors posed the question to me: “Why should somebody subscribe to Dogs & Mindfulness?” And, I realized…I’ve never asked anyone to subscribe.

When I tell people about our newsletter…I usually say something like:

Blue and I started this creation and were wondering if we could send you a link…

No pressure at all to look…

Substack will ask you if you want to subscribe, but no pressure to do that either…

Blah! Why do I say it like that when Blue and I TRULY believe in the connection between dogs and mindfulness??? We love our newsletter, and we want to share our stories and teachings with everyone we can!

The truth is…I STILL feel vulnerable and shy about sharing who I am and what I have to offer.

A shift.

I think it’s time that I take some ownership in passing on teachings that have so generously been passed on to me.

–So, Blue and I want to start talking more about mindfulness. What it is, different aspects, how to practice…

–And, it’s likely we might throw some yoga in there sometimes as well.

So, what is mindfulness?

Let’s start with a story that Jack Kornfield told in a course that he and Tara Brach teach called “The Power of Awareness”...

There was a young man in the military who had a problem with his temper. He got angry easily and lost control quickly.

So his superior officer insisted he take an 8 week course on mindfulness.

After about 6 weeks of mindfulness training, he was on his way home one evening and stopped at the supermarket.

It was crowded with long lines, and there was a woman in front of him who was in the wrong line.

She only had one item and should have been in the express line.

And the man was annoyed.

She was carrying a baby. And when she got up to the clerk, they both started to ooh and ahh over the baby. And, then she even handed the baby over to the clerk to hold.

The man became really upset. He thought ‘how unthoughtful ...there is a long line and people are in a hurry’. And he felt the anger rise in his body.

But, because he had also been training himself in mindfulness he began to notice the pain of that anger and realized that there was nothing that it would help with.

After the anger had settled down, he took a few deep breaths…and he looked up and realized the baby was really kind of cute.

When he got up to the clerk to check out, he said ‘that was a cute little boy that you were holding’....

And she said…‘Oh, did you like him? He’s my boy. You see, my husband was in the military like you, but he was killed in Afghanistan last year. So, now I have to work full -time. And my mom takes care of my boy. And, she tries to bring him in once a day so I can see him.’

—Jack Kornfield

I invite you to PAUSE for just a moment, take a deep breath and let that story land…

We cannot possibly know what is going on in the lives of others. What battles someone might be facing…

We can be so quick to judge others. And—ourselves.

Mindfulness invites us to step out of our conditioned reactivity. It allows us to quiet our minds, and to see ourselves and others with care and compassion.

Mindfulness for Blue and me.

At Blue’s school we often do an exercise called Figure 8 or Bob and Weave.

All of the humans and dogs get into a big circle around the room. Each dog and their human stand close together and with a little distance between the dog and human pair on either side of them.

Our professor chooses which pair should lead, and that pair begins to make their way around the circle in a figure 8 pattern weaving in between all of the other humans and dogs. Once the first pair is on the move, the next pair starts following. And, so it goes around the circle…

This exercise is challenging whether you are just standing there while other dogs pass by you…or whether you are the ones walking and weaving. There are so many distractions!

The goal is to have your dog focused on you and not be interested or make contact with the other dogs or humans. Yep, super easy.

This means that when Blue is in close proximity to his friends he has to refrain from initiating play. He can’t even say “what’s up?” to anyone….IMPROBABLE.

AND, when Blue is close to his girlfriend, Gracie (aka Miss Blondie),…he has to refrain from bursting into her personal space!

—I have apologized for our infractions more times than I can count to both Gracie and her mother.

And then there is Jazz—a quite handsome, yellow Labrador Retriever. He is such a cool and confident fella…and an absolute sweetheart!

Blue has tried for a very long time to get Jazz’s attention. And Blue is just so certain that Jazz could be one of his BFFs.

Jazz seems to be more of an “eh” on the potential friendship. But he has always been super tolerant of Blue…even when Blue breaks all boundaries to enthusiastically give Jazz a “hello”!

—I have also apologized to Jazz and his dad more times than I can count.

Well, I used to dread this Bob and Weave exercise because I just felt like we were failing every single time.

Recently, Blue helped me recognize this is actually a beautiful mindfulness practice. Just as he and I weave through the circle with distractions, we move through our lives with distractions. But when we step out of the reactivity, we can see ourselves and others with care and compassion.

And Blue…he shows me more care, love and compassion than I could possibly deserve. Blue is an amazing little teacher. And, I am so grateful.

We’ve been listening to a song by Ed Sheeran…It’s called What do I know? Here are a few lyrics:

“I’ll be sitting here with a song I wrote

Saying love could change the world in a moment

But what do I know?

Love can change the world in a moment

But what do I know?”

—Ed Sheeran

Exciting things this week.

—Congratulations to Blue’s friend, Dak! We are extremely proud of you for earning your Novice and Intermediate Tricks Certificate!!!

—Happy Father’s Day! We send love to all of the fathers out there…both dog dads and human dads!!

—Blue sends a very Happy Father’s day wish to his Boss!

Thank you Boss for all of the love, comfort and fun! And, so sorry that most of your socks have holes in them! Love, Blue

A gentle ask.

If you aren’t already subscribed, we would love to have you join us. And if you are already subscribed, please consider sharing our newsletter with others who might be interested. We would be very grateful.

Thank you for following along!

Until we write again,

Imagine.

It was a dream of mine to open my own orthodontic practice. I envisioned a boutique style practice where we would have a professional, caring, and kind culture. And, I wanted it to be fun!

It took some time to find the space, but I chose an old building that had been a flooring warehouse. A group of Eye Physicians had purchased the building and had their office space on one side, and I leased the remaining 3500 square feet. With the help of the architect and construction company, the empty box was transformed into a lovely practice space.

If you stood at the front desk in the lobby…you could see directly through to one of the walls in my personal office. And, on that wall hung a charming framed poster of John Lennon. The poster features John’s profile with the complete lyrics to Imagine.

To quote one section:

“You may say I’m a dreamer

But I’m not the only one

I hope someday you’ll join us

And the world will be as one”

— John Lennon

I chose that poster because the song speaks to love and peace and possibility. And, I have always fancied myself a dreamer.

When I left the practice, I had my original and very sun-faded poster reframed with a delightful retro style, green frame. It now hangs in our home. When I pass by it, I am reminded of love and peace and possibility. And, I’m reminded that I’m still a dreamer.

As Blue and I write our newsletters, we also desire to write for love and peace and possibility. We have a simple process…we reflect on moments and experiences throughout our days. And, when we feel we have written a story that speaks to the beautiful connection between dogs and mindfulness then we hit our publish button.

We will continue to be diligent about the care we put into our writing on Dogs & Mindfulness. And when we have missed our self-imposed deadline or mark, we will work to practice self compassion. So, moving forward…we hope you will enjoy our “mostly monthly” newsletters.

Captain’s Log, 060525: Bunny Palooza.

The bunnies have become more bold...I dare say they are even taunting us. They continue to invade the yard, and are now encroaching on the perimeter of the patio and the house. I have recently discovered evidence that they are lounging around our patio furniture…

I have made multiple contacts with the bunnies and have warmly welcomed them into our yard. I just simply asked that they keep our yard clean. To date, they have not honored my requests.

We have two large Evergreen trees at the corners of our backyard. Underneath those trees are large decorative rocks. On multiple occasions, the bunnies contemptuously perch on the rocks and we embark on a bold standoff. It reminds me of a scene in Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith…

Obi-Wan Kenobi - “It's over Anakin, I have the high ground.”

Anakin Skywalker - “You underestimate my power!”

Obi-Wan Kenobi - “Don't try it.”

—Flash forward to a scene in Bunny Palooza…where the bunnies are proudly perching on the rocks exuding very clear, non-verbal communication…

Sir Cottontail - “It's over human, I have the high ground.”

Nikki - “Will you just please not make a mess in our yard?”

Sir Cottontail - “There are too many of us to be stopped.”

—Ah….Mother Nature is so beautiful. And, the bunny drama continues…

Blue Skywalker.

Blue loves blankets…he has since he was a puppy. He and I both use them for a multitude of purposes:

I use them for the following: couch blanket, bed blanket, snuggle blanket, napping blanket, and reading blanket. Blue asserts that ALL blankets are made for snuggles, play or zoomies…depending on his mood.

I always keep one blanket folded up on a couch in a side room. This is specifically Blue’s blanket. It usually has some current, seasonal theme…though we are currently out of season and are still attached to the Snoopy and Woodstock-Halloween themed blanket.

—The High Ground.

Blue and I aim to train daily. We work on learning new skills as well as repeating and polishing skills we have already learned. I get out the clicker and, most importantly to Blue…I get out the treats.

—We run through a set of drills that often include: “sit”, “down”, “stand”, “come”, “front”, “middle”, “side”, “wait”, “place”…the list goes on. And we mix in play as well. By the end of play the toys from his toy box are usually strewn throughout the house.

We have this large, round ottoman that sits in front of our couch. That ottoman has become the high ground in our train and play sessions. In fact, when we are getting ready to start...I’ll say “go find a place” and Blue will jump on top of that ottoman.

Inevitably, at some point during the train and play session I see Blue disappear into the side room…and I know what he is doing. He proudly comes running out with his blanket. He runs and jumps on the ottoman and conveys “I’ve got the high ground!”...and our freeform wrestling begins.

In addition to freeform wrestling…we consistently play three other games with the blanket:

1. Where’s Blue? I throw the blanket over him and he has to work his way out…and I say “Where’s my Blue? I lost my Blue! I don’t know where my Blue is!”

   —I usually take the opportunity to give him lots of snuggles and butt scratches while he is wrapped up in his blanket.

2. Tug of War. He loves this game…and he is strong!

3. Blanketboarding. This is a game we proudly invented. I put the blanket on the hard wood floor. He gets on the blanket and takes a ride. I pull my little monster all around the house…

   —Bonus…I get some strength training in!

I love these play sessions with Blue…these opportunities to be present in the moment. We have so much fun, and it never gets old.

Blue the boomerang.

Blue and I love to take walks. One of the skills we continue to work on is loose leash walking.

When we are inside our home or in our yard and I say “side”...Blue and I do a great job. His shoulder and my leg line up perfectly. He is paying attention to me…OK, and maybe his treats. Still, his eyes are on me and we are in step together.

—I mean..I feel like it is just a matter of time and some national dog organization is going to reach out and ask us to model what loose leash walking is supposed to look like!

But…when we step out on the sidewalk…there are SMELLS and SOUNDS and DISTRACTIONS everywhere! And those distractions run some pretty large interferences to our skillful loose leash walking.

—To be clear…I take full responsibility as the leader. Ultimately, I know that I don’t always communicate to Blue what I need. And, I’m not always consistent with my communication.

—And, as we’ve mentioned before, Blue’s auditory exclusion is a challenge we have to navigate as well.

—All that being said…Blue can be a little bit “strong-willed”. And if I’m being honest…sometimes he really just isn’t “in the mood” to listen to me.

Still, we continue to practice…

We’ve been working on two variations of loose leash walking. One is just the casual, “let’s go”…stay in my bubble and don’t pull on the leash.

The second one is the more formal “side”. I want him close to me, looking at me and walking in step with me.

This is what happens.

When we are out on walks I ask Blue to “side”. We succeed for about ½ of a step and then he bounces out ahead of me.

What has really been working.

I just stop walking, and I wait for him to come back to my side. I’m not saying anything…I’m just waiting.

—I’m actually thinking of bringing my nail file on future walks…because I think I could get ALL of my nails filed and shaped in the time I’m waiting for my lollygagger to come back to me.

And…it’s been working great! I just hang out…and at some point Blue realizes we aren’t moving anywhere. He steps back to me and we begin again.

—So our walks seem to be time-extended on most days…but that’s Ok with us!

I joke that Blue is my little boomerang.

—He starts by my side.

—He walks ahead.

—He comes back.

—And, we begin again…

My thoughts.

The other day we were walking and I was observing Blue, the boomerang. And, I had this visual realization that my mind is like a boomerang…

—There are so many thoughts in my head that swirl around.

—Sometimes they are just busy thoughts like “what is on my to do list?” or “what is for dinner?”…

—Sometimes they are joyful thoughts like hanging out with my guys, visits with friends and families or outdoor adventures…

—And sometimes they are thoughts that tell me stories, cause me worries and tell me untruths…

It’s so easy for my mind to get swept away and lost in the thoughts.

But then I remember that I am not my thoughts…

—And, I can come back to my breath.

—I can follow my inhales and exhales.

—Or I can have an awareness of the sounds around me.

And before long, the thoughts flood in…

—Again, I can recognize that they are just thoughts.

—I can have an awareness of them.

—I can come back to my breath.

—I can rest my hand on my heart or my belly.

The thoughts take me out of the present moment. And, I begin again…just like my Blue, the little boomerang…

Once again, Blue teaches me about mindfulness.

What we are loving this week.

—Our dear friend, Clint, had a birthday. We hope it was amazing! Clint has been a long time Star Wars fan…and we dedicate this issue to him.

—Still loving Ted Lasso. It has been running on a loop in our house.

—Blue has been LOVING outdoor adventures including swimming!!

We’ll close with a few more lyrics:

“Imagine all the people

Livin’ for today”

— John Lennon

We wish you all the best. And, until our paths cross again,

PS. For our next essay, Blue and I intend to write about some school happenings as well as some of his friends.

An update.

If you viewed our last newsletter, you will know about the Bunny Palooza that is happening in our yard each night. The festivities have not slowed down…nor has the number of gatherers decreased. This is clearly evidenced by the amount of bunny poo that is left for us each morning to find, collect and remove.

Last week I mentioned that Blue is highly trained with the “leave it” command but also suffers from a medical condition known as selective hearing. Well, I learned there could actually be a different diagnosis…

Blue and I had a meeting with one of our beloved professors at Blue’s school and, while discussing an unrelated topic, Professor D started speaking about the characteristics of selective hearing versus auditory exclusion.

Professor D gave an example of selective hearing:

—If I’m working at a busy, front office desk with lots of people around…I might hear part of what is happening around me.

Professor D then gave an example of auditory exclusion:

—If I’m very intently focused on a project…I may not hear anything that is being said to me.

Well, this can be true for dogs too…that is, they can be so intently focused on something (say the “search and discovery” of bunny poo)…that they simply can’t hear the “leave it” command.

So now I am concerned that Blue actually suffers from auditory exclusion and just can’t hear me when I say “Blue…leave it. Please do not eat the bunny poo.”

This boy takes a lot of work! But, he is earnestly trying!

Car drama.

Blue loves to go on car rides, and I take him to as many places as I can. He knows when I am getting ready to go, FOMO kicks in, and he won’t leave my side.

—I ask him to “sit” at the back door, and when I open it I ask him to “wait”. Then I say “ok” and he runs out of the door.

—He gets to the backseat passenger car door…and I notice a complete energy shift. This is where Blue transforms into a complete lollygagger…

—The negotiations.

I ask Blue to “go” (meaning - get into the car)…He looks at me, I look at him. The standoff begins…

At this point, I have a flashback to my orthodontic practice. Scheduling patients was always an issue. It was a constant dance of trying to satisfy every parent and patient around their school schedules, their work schedules, and their after school activities. No matter what days and hours my team and I worked or how flexible we were…we couldn’t please everyone, and it was a career long battle.

At one point, we had a very experienced practice consultant come in and spend a few days with us to help us with different aspects of my business. To say she was “direct” would be an understatement. But she understood working with the public and gave us clear guidance that helped me, in particular, start to break out of the pleaser mode and start to make some changes that were best for our entire team.

When it came to scheduling patients…she taught our team that “the person who speaks first, loses”. Period.

So, if a parent was demanding a time that we could not accommodate without wrecking our schedule…we should offer a few days/times that would work for our office and then just stop talking. This sometimes led to horribly awkward silence, but it worked.

So, now I am in this standoff with Blue. I’m trying hard not to break eye contact with him, and all I can think is just be still and quiet because the one who speaks or moves first loses.

So, I maintain stillness and stay quiet. Blue looks at the seat and looks at me. He sniffs the car door and looks at me. He looks at the garage floor and looks at me. And when he feels like it…he jumps into the back seat.

As these standoffs started to increase in duration…I remembered a concept I learned from a book:

“Negotiate in their world. Persuasion is not about how bright or smooth or forceful you are. It’s about the other party convincing themselves that the solution you want is their own idea. So don’t beat them with logic or brute force. Ask them questions that open paths to your goals. It’s not about you.”―Chris Voss, Never Split the Difference: Negotiating as if Your Life Depended on It

So, sometimes I try to open the path for Blue to discover the solution I want which is simply to get into the freaking car…so I say things like:

“We could go for a nice long walk.”

“Maybe we can stop at Starbucks and I’ll get you a pup cup.”

“Would you like to go to school to see your friends?”

“Your girlfriend might be in class.”

Nonchalantly, Blue comes to his own conclusion that he would like to jump into the car. I harness him in, get a few sweet kisses and away we go.

—Power naps.

For years I practiced a style of hot yoga that required the room temperature be around 90-95°F. And, at one point I got brave enough to try Bikram yoga which required 105°F. I vividly remember my first Bikram class. I walked in and went directly to the back of the room so that I could blend in with the wall. It was a ninety minute class, and the instructor shut the door and asked that we stay in the room. What I didn’t recognize was that there were heaters directly over me.

Bikram yoga consists of a standardized series of poses and breathing exercises. And, Savasana is a pose that recurs throughout the practice. Savasana is a restful pose that you take by lying on your back in stillness.

Well, during the earlier parts of class…I sort of took my time getting into Savasana each time it was called. But what I quickly realized was that there was approximately 20 seconds to arrive into the pose and soak in the rest before having to move on to the next pose.

So as the class continued I began to fly into Savasana like I was sliding into home base. I was exhausted from the practice AND the heat, and I wanted EVERY second of rest I could get. I still laugh at myself when I think of how quickly this body actually moved.

What does Bikram yoga have to do with Blue in the car?

Well, once Blue and I complete the negotiations and Blue decides he wants to jump into the backseat, he immediately slides into Savasana to begin his power napping. It’s hilarious!

Intermittently, he pops up to look out the window, smell where we are and where we are going. But then he disappears back into Savasana for an energy reboot.

Our Tuesday outing.

So once we finally got going in the car, we had a great morning ahead. Blue and I took a nice little walk along the river. It was cool and the air felt amazing. Blue was sporting a new harness and a new leash. I had a pocket full of turkey slices to keep him focused on me. I made up some turkey song lyrics as we walked…sang them proudly as if I have the voice of Lady Gaga, and we had a great time. Blue did amazing.

Then we headed to Starbucks. Blue and I both have a fierce love for Starbucks. I choose a trenta black ice tea with extra ice. And, I ask Blue every time if he wants his “usual”….and every time he says “yes” to a pup cup. I always ask for just a tiny cup filled only about half way up. Blue LOVES it!

—We met a friend for conversation and had a lovely visit. Blue was patient and just hung out with us. He behaved like a pro in that public space!

When we got back home from our outing…we agreed it was time to work on our newsletter. I sat in a small recliner with my computer on my lap. I placed Blue’s Halloween blanket on the floor so that he would have something soft to lay on. (Blue loves his blankets…a story for another day.)

Blue snugged his way in between the recliner and my feet. And he fell asleep.

I was focused on outlining our newsletter but eventually became aware of Blue’s body resting against my feet.

I closed my laptop and took the opportunity to close my eyes and start to notice what was happening in that moment.

—I turned my attention to Blue’s belly and how it felt soft, furry and warm against my feet.

—I noticed Blue’s belly moving with his inhales and exhales. I noticed how that movement felt against my feet.

—I noticed the sound of Blue’s inhales and exhales. And, the sound of his sweet little moans.

—I noticed my inhales and exhales.

—I noticed how we were breathing together.

And, I just sat in those moments with Blue…

So grateful again for Blue’s invitation to the present moment. For his invitation to practice mindfulness…

What we are loving this week.

—Blue turns 3.5 years old. We will certainly have to make a Starbucks run to celebrate this beautiful little Spiritual Being!

—Blue got a new Chuckit!!! Lots of Blue Dog 400s at our house!

—We are rewatching the Ted Lasso series AGAIN. I can’t even count the number of times we have watched it. We are big fans!

Thank you for following along with our stories. We wish you all the best. And, until our paths cross again,

A circular conversation.

We have a fenced backyard, no garden, and a “predatory” goldendoodle. I am so curious as to why our yard has been selected for the nightly Bunny Palooza.

I love symbolism, so I looked up the spiritual meaning of bunnies. This is a compilation and just some of what Google AI offered:

“good luck, new beginnings, gentleness, sensitivity, vulnerability, adaptability…”

All amazing things which I really appreciate.

What I don’t appreciate is the bunny poo. Omgee…those little, cute, furry bunnies are awfully messy. Every morning we do a sweep of the backyard to clean up as much as we can. Then, we let Blue out and it takes him about half of a second to find more!

Fortunately for us Blue is very highly trained with the “leave it” command…

Unfortunately for us…Blue also suffers from a medical condition called “selective hearing”...

Our circular and one sided conversation:

“Blue…leave it. Please do not eat the bunny poo.”

—Same words repeated approximately 8000 times in the last few weeks.

So, we are planning to take a trip to the Home Depot to find a few plastic owls to strategically place around the backyard. We might even put up signs to direct the bunnies to either the front yard or our neighbors’ yards where they can resume their nightly festivities. We will plan to keep you posted on how this situation evolves…

Water.

I want to write just a bit about my dad (and one of Blue’s grandpas). Such a loving and gentle soul. He loved his family, cars, motorcycles, playing pool, heavyweight boxing, martial arts and so much more. He had a beautiful heart.

April 24th marked another anniversary of the day dad was riding his motorcycle when someone pulled out in front of him. There was nothing he could do…and he was taken out of this world way too soon. I was twelve.

As you know, a loss leaves a mark. At any age. And, no matter how much time passes.

None of us go through life without experiencing some type of trauma. Multiple traumas.

I was talking to my grandpa a few months ago… and he was sharing that he and my grandma had a lot of “whys” that they never got the answers to. To name a few, they lost three sons…all too young, and two of them were lost in motorcycle accidents.

Grandpa said…“the only thing you can do is to keep going”. I admire grandpa so much for so many reasons. And, he has such wisdom.

As the years have passed, April 24th has become a day of quiet remembering for me. A deep remembering.

So, just like most years, the 24th came and went.

And, on the 25th…I had an opportunity to meet with my dear friend and very first yoga teacher, Miss Friday.

Years ago and before Miss Friday even opened her yoga studio, she used to teach classes on the second floor of an older accounting building. I was new to yoga and there were windows around the perimeter of the space. At times, placing my mat next to a window was my only option due to my later than ideal arrival times. A problem to this day…

I used to pray that I wouldn’t fall out of a pose and crash into a window…I didn’t get brave enough to even attempt headstands until years later…so fortunately I never broke any. That would have been even more embarrassing than the times I came crashing to the floor.

I have cherished memories of time spent with Miss Friday. Lots of philosophical contemplations and conversations. And lots of times practicing on the mat to her gentle, kind and wise voice.

So on the 25th, as part of Miss Friday’s book club I recently joined, she was hosting a Sharing Circle.

During that time, she read some wisdom from Bruce Lee. I know right?!?! What a bad ass yoga teacher to bring in Bruce Lee to her teachings!

—Well, as soon as I heard her say “Bruce Lee”…I immediately thought of dad. I remembered the Bruce Lee/martial arts books in his collection and the Bruce Lee movies. And, I remembered watching dad at Tae Kwon Do classes and tournaments.

I can’t recall the exact quotes that Miss Friday offered…but here are a few that recap the general sentiments of her teaching that day…

“Empty your cup so that it may be filled; become devoid to gain totality.” - Bruce Lee

“Be like water making its way through cracks. Do not be assertive, but adjust to the object, and you shall find a way around or through it…” - Bruce Lee

"A river cuts through rock, not because of power, but because of its persistence." - Jim Watkins

And, Miss Friday posed the question…

“What would it be like if your practice was persistent yielding versus pushing back?”

—Yikes for a control freak…huh?

We did some meditation and some journaling…and at the end we had a chance to share what we experienced.

–I was so excited to share that I believed it absolutely Divine that Miss Friday would bring Bruce Lee into our Sharing Circle…

–I was so excited to share the connection between my dad and his admiration for Bruce Lee…

-I wanted to share that the day prior had been another anniversary marking dad’s accident…

-And, I wanted to share that I quietly remember in a way that feels very personal…but that after this Divine intervention I feel such overwhelming connection and gratitude.

But as I started to speak, I was a little swept up in emotion. And, my share was quite different than I intended.

As I started to speak, my smile and excitement were a bit overtaken by a strong, visceral tightening in my throat, chest and tummy.

I had to pause multiple times to collect myself enough to get a few more words out.

—I will neither confirm nor deny a bit of an ugly cry…ugh!

I was ultimately able to say all that I wanted…but with a whole different vibe than I anticipated.

I was not yielding…I was pushing back…And, I continued to push back.

Miss Friday was brilliant as she sat with me and held space for me. Honoring the moment and what was coming up.

The next day Blue and I were on our way to school. I was still feeling a little weepy…just sort of processing and digesting how big I felt the experience was.

—That I had this very special moment to connect with Miss Friday, and that she had brought Bruce Lee into our class. That I felt connected.

—I was in awe of the incredible gifts…

Blue and I arrived at class, and we started with our usual warm ups…the heeling circle, sits, downs, and waits.

For the first few minutes of every class, I’m pretty sure anyone who doesn’t know us would believe we have never ever been to class before or walked on a leash…

—One of us struggling with selective hearing….

—One of us sniffing every inch of the floor

—One of us relentlessly attempting to say hello to every other dog in class…

Then a few minutes in, Blue and I lock eyes…and together we say “let’s do this”!

Our young, sassy professor starts putting place clots all around the room. Equal in number to the number of dogs.

Musical cots.

I’m not even kidding. How awesome is this? Elementary school here we come!

The cots are spaced out around the edge of the room.

We walk in a circle, but we have to bring the circle in and tighten it so we are further away from the cots and can’t cheat. When the music stops…we are supposed to stay where we are and send our dogs to a place cot. They have to be sitting. The last one to sit…you and your dog are out.

We start with a practice round…and our prof. takes a song request.

—Sid’s mom suggests a song by Queen.

—This is freaking awesome! And it’s right on… we are Under Pressure!

The first official round…we are walking and the music stops. I send Blue to “place”. He goes right away. I ask him to “sit”.

—But….ohhhhhh so many smells on this cot. So many dogs have sat before him.

—I don’t repeat my request. I just stand there like I’ve got Blue enrolled in Montessori school where he is self-directing his learning. (I love this philosophy by the way.)

So after he gets all of his sniffs in…he casually sits and looks at me. I turn around…and our cute little instructor is smiling at me and says “you’re out”. First game of musical cots. First round and we are out.

So, we are now relegated to the middle of the circle. Here, Blue should remain in a sit for the rest of the game.

—I couldn’t help but laugh to myself that we are the first ones out. I am so competitive. So, hey if we can’t win…might as well be the first to be eliminated!

What was absolutely amazing about being eliminated first was that Blue and I had the best time together in the middle of the circle. I had the treats…so his eyes were on me. (I’m fine with bribes.) We danced, hung out together, and enjoyed the songs. And, we welcomed the new losers to our circle as the rounds continued.

This little game and time with Blue brought me right to the present moment. I yielded. The heaviness lifted, and I could expand my chest again.

We continued on with musical cots the rest of the class. There was time for multiple games, so Blue and I were able to get back in and make it further than the first round.

—Our professor made it progressively harder throwing in more and more tasks that our dogs had to accomplish….

—And we had more time to listen to some fun songs…Billie Jean, Beat It…

What a great class!

Blue wants to give a shout out to a few of his friends:

—Sid, the statuesque Boerboel. He did great in the game. Until he was over the entire situation and wanted to come into the circle and rest.

—Dak, the always well behaved Chocolate Lab. Dak came in as a very close second to winning the entire series!

—River, the beautiful German Shepherd. He is a young fella, and is doing so well listening to his mom!

—All of the dogs are awesome! So many more we could name!

I am so grateful. A beautiful class. Beautiful time with Blue. Blue reminding me again how to live in the moment.

Thank you for following along and until we write again,

PS - Please consider sharing our newsletter if you know someone who loves dogs and might relate.

I had commented to Blue just the other day that I wasn’t quite sure if he was pulling his weight with these newsletters. I mean, I feel like there is a lot of relaxation and sleep that is happening for Blue while I am trying to get the thoughts in my brain translated to written words that may make some sort of sense.

If you’ve seen the movie “Just Friends” with Ryan Reynolds and Anna Faris…Anna plays quite the diva and is a smidge difficult. At one point during the movie she puts a container with aluminum foil in a microwave while on a plane causing an emergency landing and a visit from the fire department.

Fireman - “OK, who’s the genius behind this?”

Anna’s character - “The container said microwaveable.”

Pilot - “But the aluminum foil wasn’t.”

Anna’s character - “Well - I’m not supposed to worry about stuff like that – I’m the talent.”

SO, when my husband heard me questioning Blue’s contribution to our writing…he quickly spoke up for Blue and said “Well, Boss…I’m the talent”.

And, I don’t think this statement could be any more true. Blue really IS the talent. He is smart, funny, loving, and kind. Such a true friend and all around great fella. - Can he be a smidge difficult…well, I would have to say “yes”. - And, I’m so blessed to get to love this little guy and to learn from him.

This week we’ve been thinking about gratitude…

Watching Blue…

It started the other day when Blue and I were out playing in the backyard. We have a patio table that doubles as a toy box…we just keep the toys on the table top. There is a Bumper, a Wubba and a Chuckit just to name a few.

There is also a small PVC pipe that we chose at Home Depot when Blue was first in his formal retrieve class. I call the PVC pipe his “doobie”....because it seriously looks like he is holding a doobie. I’ll say “fetch” your doobie. “Hold” your doobie. “Don’t you drop your doobie.”

—So far, our neighbors haven’t expressed any concern or asked us any questions…

We do take turns playing with all of the toys from the table…but, the toy that Blue consistently wants is the Chuckit. Not the actual tennis ball from the Chuckit…but the long white handle that is the throwing stick part of the duo.

Blue will extend himself as far up and over on the patio table as he possibly can to reach the throwing stick. If he gets it, or if I give it to him…he takes off running into what we call the “Blue Dog 400”. He runs laps around the backyard. Over and over and over again.

The Chuckit stick is totally awkward and unbalanced so as he is running he is constantly working to hold the entire stick and keep one end from dragging in the yard. Still…he will repeatedly wear himself out by playing keep away with this toy.

The lesson…

Blue has FUN with this toy. It’s basically a white, chewed-up stick. And, he LOVES playing with it over and over again. It’s a game of chase. A chance to play outside. To be with his humans. To get exercise and let some energy out. So much happiness with this white, chewed-up stick.

What it is to me…a simple reminder to pause in the moment and be grateful for what is right in front of me. A moment of mindfulness.

Our gratitude…

In our first edition, we wrote of my enchantment list and why we created our Dogs & Mindfulness newsletter. Though the connection is something we really believe in…it felt scary and maybe a bit silly to actually publish our thoughts. And, we felt very uncertain and anxious about what the response might be.

We offer a heartfelt thank you to everyone who has taken a look at our newsletter. We appreciate the generosity of your time and attention. We thank you for your kind feedback and comments. And, we are grateful to know that you have had relatable experiences and laughs while reading our posts.

Blue and I are so grateful for our connection to each other and to this community.

Of course we can’t write a newsletter without sharing a quote:

“A dream you dream alone is only a dream. A dream you dream together is reality." John Lennon

Until our paths cross again we wish you the best,

PS - We are on Instagram @dogsandmindfulness

You may remember that Blue and I delight in messiness, not perfectionism. Well, to be fair…this is 100% true for Blue. As for me…I want to delight in messiness. To feel the brilliance and freedom that comes with it. I’m not there yet…but Blue is guiding me.

Last week Blue and I did not publish our “weekly” newsletter. We wanted to…and we had some obstacles that demanded our attention. So, we acknowledge our messiness…and we begin again. And, moving forward we will aim for “mostly weekly” newsletters.

These past few weeks we’ve been thinking about distractions…

In Blue’s school, our beloved professors are consistently looking to challenge both dogs and humans. At the start of every group class…they will often ask if anyone has a skill they would like to work on. For example, we might ask to work on meet and greets or positional stops or 3 minute separations.

After taking into consideration any special requests…our professors will then implement a class plan to help us practice those skills. And, if there are no special requests…no worries because our professors come fully prepared with some elaborate teaching scheme to help us all see how much more there is to learn.

All classes begin with a warm-up session. In this portion of the class we practice walking in a “heeling circle” attempting to get our dog to settle in, focus on us, and ignore any distractions in the room…such as other dogs, other humans, and interesting smells. It’s like moving through a line at Disney World…staying close enough to keep the line moving…but still having a healthy respect for the personal space of the dog and human in front of us and behind us. I’ll just say that Blue and I have to work really, really hard to be mindful of our distance from the other spiritual beings in that room.

After the warm up session…we move into the main activities of the class. Often we get to play games and have fun. Actually, I should correct myself…often we get to play games, have fun AND get competitive! Oh do I love competition…even when I KNOW that I’m going to lose…there is just something so fun about competition!

Ummm…I'm not sure that Blue has that same competitive Spirit…he can be about a 1000% more laid back than I have EVER been. And, I haven’t really heard him trash talk with his peers the way we humans in the room do…

Ok…so Darts. We are not throwing actual darts. No, our dogs are the darts. And, I couldn’t be more proud of my boy Blue as he embraces his role in the game. Mama’s little dart piece. So brilliant and cute.

Here is the visual…

The class is divided in half. Half of the dogs and their humans form one line and the other half of the dogs and their humans form a second line. Both lines face each other and a runway is created between the two lines.

At one end of the runway is a “place” cot. This is a low, 4-legged stand with a mesh covering that we can ask our dog to “place” on. And then we can ask for a “sit” or “down”.

Next, our professor takes two long leashes and forms them into circles about halfway down the runway. So, now we have our dartboard with the bullseye.

You can already see that there are many challenges and distractions that we must work through…

- While standing in line to take our turn…we are surrounded by dogs and humans on either side of us. And, we have to move nicely down the line…minding our own business.

- We also have to stay in line while dogs take turns running down the middle of that runway, and sometimes they get super close to us.

- When it's our turn…there are humans and dogs all around the runway. And, Blue has to run through the middle of all of it…with the goal of running straight to me and not getting distracted.

- Sometimes the professors get especially testy and throw out treats and toys all over the floor…and Blue is supposed to ignore them. I mean…seriously?!?!

So, in Darts we are working on ignoring ALL of those distractions and practicing positional stops. That is stopping whenever we ask even if they are in full motion at the time.

Here is how it works…

I ask Blue to “place” and “sit” on the cot. And, then I walk down to the opposite end of the runway and call him to me. He starts running.

When he approaches the bullseye, I ask him to “sit”. And, if he sits directly in the bullseye…well I mean clearly he is the valedictorian for that day.

Let the games begin…

So Blue and I are now in this highly competitive game of Darts. In our line, and right next to us, is a cute little blonde dog. She is super sweet and gentle and attentive to her mom. And Blue has clandestinely decided that Miss Blondie is his gal.

It reminds me of a scene from Wicked, a play, and now a movie, that I LOVE. Longtime fan right here. In this scene, Glinda and Elphaba are having a conversation, and Glinda wants them to share a secret with each other that they have never told anyone. Glinda goes first:

Glinda - “Fiyero and I are getting married.”

Elphaba - “He asked you already?”

Glinda - “Oh, he doesn’t know yet.”

It’s like that with Blue. Miss Blondie is his little girlfriend…she just doesn’t know it yet.

It’s time for our first attempt and I ask Blue to “place” on the cot and “sit”. And, then I ask him to “wait”. I walk to the end of the runway, and I call him to me. As he approaches the bullseye…I say “sit” and Blue immediately sits in the bullseye. It was PERFECT. The golf claps and the oohs and ahhs ensue. I remain humble but also a bit of “oh yeah, that’s my boy” on the inside. If I’m being honest..its probably more like “oh insert expletive yeah, that’s my boy”...

And, it’s so funny because you really do hear whispers and soft conversations about how your dog performed. And gentle suggestions from the humans to their dogs about how they can observe and improve when it's their turn. I have those same conversations with Blue too!!

To complete our first round, I call Blue out of the bullseye and on to me. We rejoin our line right next to Miss Blondie. And we patiently work through the line and wait for our second turn. Still trying to avoid distractions while keeping Blue’s attention on me.

Our second attempt. Same exercise and I’m ready for round two of Blue’s incredible listening skills and brilliance. I ask Blue to “place” and “sit”. I walk to the end of the line and I call him. This time…his enthusiasm to get to me seems a little less than ideal and slightly concerning. He approaches the bullseye…and I’m about to say “sit”. It’s like time slows down and I can see what is happening…and I can’t stop it at that moment.

Blue has totally lost his focus. He caught a glimpse of Miss Blondie…and that was it. Blue ignores me and ever so casually swaggers over to his little girlfriend as if he saw her in the bar for the very first time. He introduces himself…and plays it cool. Blue is unaware of any other living being in that room besides her.

I walk over to Blue, pick up his leash, look at our professor and ask permission to try the exercise again. Granted permission, I do the walk of shame and escort Blue back to the starting “place” cot to begin again. And Blue…he is walking a little prouder, with even more swagger AND with absolutely no regrets. He was all in on his Miss Blondie distraction. And now he is ready to reset and begin again.

So now at our 2.5 attempt….we repeat the bullseye exercise, he does perfectly again...no big deal.

The connection.

Two different rounds of Darts…set up exactly the same. One we were all in…and the next…we got distracted.

Life is like that. Months, weeks, days, hours and moments are like that. Good distractions. Hard distractions. Escape distractions. They all can take us out of the present moment.

What I find so interesting with Blue is how he stays in the moment even when he moves to a distraction. And, then he is able to shift into the next moment. And, he doesn’t beat himself up.

For me…distractions occur differently. I can get lost in my head, and I’m not really present to anything. Time drifts away as I get lost in stories and what-ifs and all kinds of worst case scenarios. And then I am harsh with myself for my wasted focus and time.

Maybe you can relate?

So I’ve been thinking about how to face my distractions. And, Blue reminded me of a good starting point. And that is just to begin to have an awareness that I am distracted. No judgment around that. It’s just how it is.

And when I am able to come into that awareness, I can remember to focus on my breath. Just to close my eyes. And to rest a hand on my heart or my belly. Just to follow my breath as I inhale and exhale. And as I follow my breath moving through my body I can connect to this moment. And then this moment. And, then this moment.

And when the next distraction comes I can begin again. Afterall, there is so much beauty in new beginnings.

You may know I love quotes…

"Distractions can take us in an exciting direction but most often borrow our attention briefly without much resistance and take their sweet time giving it back. Distractions lure us in with an easy escape and then trick us by stealing our attention." -- Tara Stiles

Until our paths cross again we wish you the best,

*If you missed it, please feel free to check out our first edition of the newsletter from 3-27-25. It is in the archive and does provide a little context as to why we started Dogs & Mindfulness.

*We would love for you to consider sharing our newsletter with others who might have an interest.

When we first brought Blue home, we knew that we wanted to teach him to be a good little citizen so that we could have him fully integrate into our lives. We envisioned visits with family and friends, outdoor adventures, travel, dining and shopping….all with our cute little guy.

And…because Blue is SO brilliant AND one of a kind, we only wanted the absolute best private school we could find. So naturally we sought out the highest ranked, most credentialed and competitive school in our area. There was an application process, multiple interviews, some testing….and then we were finally granted admission...

Or…maybe we asked a friend for a recommendation, had a consultation, and just started making payments on the “Super Dog” package…

…but the first version is certainly how I remember it in my mind. And, I’m guessing most of you reading this essay can relate to the underlying “brilliance bias” (I think I just made that up) we have about our cherished furry family members…

It does make me laugh at the thought of me actually being a human parent. I’m quite certain I would have been the parent nobody could stand. Though…that still may hold true in Blue’s school as well!

Nevertheless, our dog training school is awesome. Everyone who works at Blue’s school loves dogs and is truly interested in helping us all succeed. They skillfully teach us humans how to communicate with our dogs so that we can achieve the behaviors we want.

We started going to the campus when Blue was a puppy–that is, as soon Blue had all of his shots and this overprotective mama was willing to let any other human or dog come into the same room with him. Oh my…I was perhaps a little over the top in safety precautions. And, unknowingly, I surely contributed to Blue’s separation anxiety. Not good.

Aside from puppy classes, we have attended AND graduated summa cum laude from amazing specialty classes such as…tricks, agility, formal retrieve, foothills etiquette, public access, service dog...the list goes on. OK…it may be that “everyone” gets a certificate at the end of these classes….but we collect the damn certificates! And, I proudly have them displayed in a blue binder just for Blue.

We currently maintain a monthly membership that allows us to attend group classes each week. In our household, we proudly choose a school membership for Blue over a gym membership for either one of his parents…

Now, you might think all of this schooling would achieve linear results…and that we should at least be finishing a Bachelor of Science in dog training by now…but that has not been our particular experience.

Sometimes I think…“we’ve got this”. Blue is glued to my side, eyes on me, “whatever you wish for mom, I will oblige”.

And…then there are other days when Blue just looks at me… “are you kidding me with that leash? Sit??? What does that even mean?”

And so we continue to show up at classes, and take the wins when we can.

When we attend any class…the rules are always firm. This is not recess…so no “nose to nose” or “nose to butt” contact with any other dog. This is a hard one for us as Blue believes he is everyone’s best friend. He likes to work the room…offer some paw bumps, make sure everyone feels included. We have been in trouble more times than I can count for us not minding our space. And, we really try hard..but sometimes there is just a cute little girl dog or a new BFF that Blue just has to say hi to!

But…in one of our outdoor classes (when our trainer wasn’t looking–just kidding) we DID make some friends that we hang out with outside of classes.

We met Dak, a very handsome, Chocolate Labrador. Dak trains with his dad and is a service dog to his mom. He is SO well behaved and attentive to his parents. So smart and such a sweetie! Oh!...Any type of ball is his favorite toy ever!

We met Sid, a 165 pound, majestic, brindle-colored Boerboel. Spoiled by his parents and trains with his mom. Sid has a casual walk about him, appreciates some “down time” but can certainly get a move on if something piques his interest.

So…Blue, Dak and Sid have become friends. They routinely hang out together…on a walking path, on a trail, in a coffee shop, a brewery. They are super cute, and Blue definitely gets an extra bit of swagger about him when he is with his friends.

I mentioned Blue’s separation anxiety earlier…Well there is a test we really wanted to pass called the Canine Good Citizen Test. It basically means we have a set of skills where we can be polite and behave nicely. But, one of the tasks on that test is for Blue to be separated from me for 3 minutes…out of sight. He has to be relatively still, can’t be anxious and can’t be vocal. This portion of the test was a problem for us. It was actually heartbreaking.

Blue is with me or my husband all the time. We take him everywhere, don’t really have a lot of visitors…he is completely attached to us. As one of our trainers put it…Blue and I are “codependent”. (I didn’t know whether to laugh or be offended when our trainer said that to me—a bit of a harsh truth bomb–haha.)

But when Blue was separated from me…he would cry and try to bolt and was physically so anxious it was awful to experience and watch. We practiced in private lessons, at home, in the park, in various stores……and always the same separation anxiety for Blue… and me. I just couldn’t help him understand that it would be ok…that he was ok.

Then, one day…Blue, Sid and Dak just happened to be sitting next to each other in one of our large group classes. Our trainer called for us to do a 3 minute separation. So, I asked Blue to “down” and then to “wait”…and I walked away out of his sight.

To my complete surprise…I didn’t hear the loud cries coming from the other room. I didn’t hear a ruckus of Blue trying to bolt for me. And I peeked around the corner to see Blue looking for me…but calmly laying down. No noise, no panic in his body. Just a quiet but focused look trying to know where I was. It was incredible. He was so brave, and I was so proud of him.

The difference this time…Blue was with Sid and Dak.

I do want to note that Sid and Dak were also focused on where their parents were. They were not immune to the separation…but they didn’t at all go into panic mode. They were focused and calm. And they waited for their parents to return.

Since then, when I ask Blue for a 3 minute separation….he waits and he remains calm. We have succeeded several times now so I’m feeling very hopeful we have faced this giant!

So…I started thinking as I so often do…

In my life, I sometimes fancy myself as so unique or misunderstood. I almost wear it as a badge of honor…

I believe that nobody else could possibly understand what I’m thinking, feeling or experiencing. Nobody knows what my fears, my hurts, my losses, my obsessions, my compulsions, my disappointments feel like. Or my excitement and joys for that matter. So, I get into this space where I become very quiet and closed off. It’s this self imposed loneliness...

And, then something will remind me…“am I really alone?”

Watching Blue with Sid and Dak living in the moment…

-Not focused on anything but their parents

-Sharing experiences

-Sid and Dak showing Blue the way…

……When I extrapolate that to humans…I’m reminded that we are all so interconnected in many of our experiences, feelings, thoughts, fears, desires, joys…

I received so many responses after the first edition of our newsletter. Responses that said…“I could see myself in your story.” “I related to what you were saying.” “Were you reading my mind?”

Blue gives me opportunities every day to come into the present moment with him, to see things as they are…in this moment…then this moment. And, in this story, he reminded me about connection.

Maybe some of this resonates with you too??

I’ll close this edition by sharing a quote from Maya Angelou:

“In all my work, what I try to say is that as human beings, we are more alike than we are unalike.”

Until our paths cross again we wish you the best,

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*If you missed it, please feel free to check out our first edition of the newsletter from 3-27-25. It should be in the archive and does provide a little context on why we started Dogs & Mindfulness.

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For most of my life I was focused on education and a career. I built an orthodontic practice where I worked with amazing people and had wonderful patients. And, it came at a high cost. I worked all the time, prioritized my practice above all else, and missed out on a whole lot of life. Add in some significant struggles with OCD that demanded much more time of me….I was burnt out and exhausted. Not just on my career…but on life. I was finding it harder and harder to find hope that I could create a better path for myself, a path that would be fulfilling and restorative. I was disenchanted.

I started practicing yoga over 15 years ago. And, I really took some deep dives into the philosophy and wisdom of the tradition. Although it wasn’t until the last several years that I really took on a deeper study of mindfulness meditation, my yoga practice always had meditation and self inquiry components. I, like so many, found it very hard to sit still and be with my thoughts and emotions. The beauty of working all the time was that I could run from the uncomfortable thoughts and emotions that had been chasing me my entire life. In fact, I’m still quite skilled at running from some hard things.

Though I have credentials for teaching yoga as well as mindfulness meditation, I pursued both of those studies for personal insight and growth. I always felt a deeper connection to God, the Universe, my Higher Power when I was on my mat whether moving through asana practice or sitting still. Yoga and meditation were the practices that resourced me enough to be able to continue to face the demands of how I was living and working. I desperately wanted to evolve into a better version of myself. I longed to feel lighter and be able to embrace simplicity in life with child-like joy.

I did choose to make a huge life shift. I left my practice, moved across the country and gave up the only identity I really knew. I wanted to see if I could experience life in a different way. I didn’t take a year for my “Eat, Pray, Love” journey. Oh no, I’m now well into my 5th year and no more sure of anything than I was before. Though…more quiet times have blessed me with deeper insights on Self and who I want to be as a human. For example, I know that I want people to leave an interaction with me feeling seen and valued. You know when you get home after running a 30 minute errand and your dog has been waiting for you ALL that time and can NOT wait to do circles around you, say hi to you, love on you, offer his belly to you…?? Ok, maybe not quite like that...but, still, I want to do my best to honor the human in front of me.

I have always loved animals. I truly believe they are gifts from God, our Universe, our Higher Power…offering us unconditional love and profound wisdom. I find so much joy connecting with them, embracing them, loving them, receiving love from them. And, then enters Blue. Blue is our spoiled rotten, energetic, FUNNY, loving, wise, goldendoodle. His personality is HUGE, and his favorite game in life is “come chase me” with whatever he has stolen at that moment…laundry, a remote control, glasses, shampoo/conditioner, Kleenex, napkins, slippers…the list is infinite.

Recently I had the privilege of attending a Creative Living Retreat with Elizabeth Gilbert. During one of the sessions she spoke about enchantment and curiosity and how they fit well together. She asked us to write a letter to ourselves from our Enchantment. It started with: “I am your Enchantment and this is what I want to tell you…”. Each sentence started with “I love…”.

A few things I wrote: “I love Blue and how he teaches me about living life fully and in the moment.” “I love when Blue smells good.” “I love when Blue smells like a stink-opotamus.” Also on my list…“I love words”.

My enchantment list goes on and on about all kinds of things I love. And when we were finished, Elizabeth asked us to look at the list. And she asked…“what if this list contains your marching orders for the rest of your life”?

My Enchantment wrote to me what I have felt for so long. Blue teaches me about what it means to mindfully live in the present and to really live life fully. I learn from him every day. In simple and mostly silly moments of the day. Even as I was sitting down to write this newsletter a simple little lesson on mindfulness happened…

Blue likes to sleep in. I’m not joking. He is the first one to bed and the last one up in the morning. He lives in “I’m all in” mode during the day and embraces EVERYTHING! It’s no wonder he soaks up his sleep time just as much!

I’m often up before Blue. And one of my favorite times of the day is when Blue comes to find me once he manages to get out of bed. I hear him clacking through the house with energy and excitement. I stay very still and quiet so that he has to use his sniffer to find me. When he discovers me, he gets a BIG smile on his face. YEP, he raises his lip and smiles!

He runs over to me and nose dives into the carpet. His butt goes up to the sky as he invites as many butt scratches as I will give him. I naturally break into a song of some sort…“I’ve got a big booty and I cannot lie, sometimes I like to put it up high. I’m a bit silly but my mama doesn’t mind…she loves the way I play all the time…”. What grown woman even admits to this?!

Occasionally Blue pops up to see if I have a Kleenex or napkin around that he can take and run off with, and then he promptly nose dives back to the carpet. And the fun goes on for several minutes. Blue is embracing his morning wake up routine. And, I am in the present moment soaking in all of the love, excitement and morning wishes he will give me. It is lovely.

Blue consistently takes me out of my thoughts, my fears, my worries, my obsessions, my compulsions, my hurts. He invites me to be in this moment with him. Then this moment. Then this moment. Blue guides me as I aim to find more and more moments where I can cultivate mindfulness.

We created our Dogs & Mindfulness Newsletter as our offering and devotion on this simple but beautiful connection. We envision a heartfelt, fun..and sometimes a bit serious…weekly newsletter that offers simple little stories and reflections about living mindfully.

Poet, Jack Gilbert wrote: “We must risk delight. We must have the stubbornness to accept our gladness in the ruthless furnace of this world.” I most surely delight in the simplicity that occurs in single moments and in the gladness of hanging out with Blue. And, we delight in messiness, not perfectionism.

That feels like a good stopping point for our first edition. And, Blue is inviting me to play…

Until our paths cross again we wish you the best!