How much does Mutt Meditation cost?
It costs FREE. Because I want there to be masses of happy, calm, mindful dog owners around the world, walking our dogs with nearly-invisible smiles of joy on our faces. So this project is kind of a selfish act, really.
Ok, but: what IS meditation?
There are so many different kinds of meditation – including visualizing waterfalls, praying in a house of worship or going on a 2-year silent retreat in the Himalayas – that it’s hard to summarize them all… BUT!
I believe one of the main benefits of all meditation is the same: it gives us a way to see what’s really happening in our minds and teaches us to notice our thoughts without reacting strongly to them. We can notice and acknowledge our fear, anger, and disappointment (as well as our joy and happiness) without letting any of those fleeting emotions capsize our ship. We learn to live with more emotional balance – and less reactivity and turmoil.
Meditation has been the single most useful way I’ve learned to feel more accepting of myself and others, more grateful for my life and better able to ride out my changing waves of emotions. It helps me put less importance on the “bad” things and more energy towards the “good” things. Meditation helps me be a more me version of me.
Do I have to already know how to meditate?
Nope! This is a very simple form of walking meditation which you can practice as you walk your dog, with no need to change your route or schedule. I guide you through it step by step.
How does it work?
When you sign up and download your free Dog Walk Meditation MP3 you’ll get two files: the Introduction is a short (~2 minute) overview, and the Meditation is what you’ll listen to as your walk your pup.
Next time you leash up your dog for a walk, pop in your earbuds and press “play.” For the first 20 minutes I’ll guide you through the simple technique as you walk. During the final 20 minutes (if you keep walking), you’ll hear a sweet bell every 5 minutes as a reminder to come back to the technique if your mind has wandered.
You’ll arrive back home feeling more calm, grounded and centered – I almost guarantee* this!
*guarantee not an actual guarantee, because I live in the U.S.A. But I will pinkie-bet you’ll feel more calm, grounded and centered after you Mutt Meditate.
How do you know meditation even works?
Our Western minds sure do love to measure things before we believe them, and there are now lots of studies proving the positive physical and psychological benefits of meditation – you can look ’em up.
But really, here’s a surefire way to see if meditation is helpful for you:
- Meditate every day for one week.
- At the end of the week ask yourself: “Has meditation made me feel even a little more calm, peaceful, grounded, present, hopeful, happy, softer, kinder? Am I sleeping better? Am I being a little less harsh to others, or myself? Have I had any insights about myself? Do I notice any benefit to this practice?”
- If you listen to your own honest answer, you’ll know what to do.
I already have a meditation practice – will Mutt Meditation interfere with it?
Not at all! When I’m not Mutt Meditating, I practice a more traditional form of seated meditation. Seeing as how I walk Max von Schnoodle twice most days, I’m now able to use that time to connect with him, myself and the world around me through Mutt Meditation. It’s simply another way to find mindfulness in our day without requiring any more time. Pretty much a win-win!