How I Returned to the Cushion: 5 Easy, Friction Reducing Hacks
Meditation is near top of the list for simple — but not usually easy — good things. The benefits to your own health and well being are well documented and all I need to do to believe that it helps others is observe my dog Goose’s behavior when I return to the practice. Yes, I’ve been slipping lately… for a while… a week… or two. We take vacations at New Year, April and August and these are always my “refresh routine” times. Well, vacay starts Wednesday and my routines are a little frayed and in need of that refresh.
Today after my movement practice I needed a little early vacay and dusted off the meditation cushion for a short session. Goose had been gearing up for a play session after all my focused movement and when I sat down, it was full press cute. Cuddle, roll over — he even pushed his nose into my hands which made a little rectangle between thumb and fingers in meditation, trying to get me to play. Yes, there was laughter; yes, there was playing. And as I settled and moved less so did he. Shortly after I thought, “Oh, there “it” is! I’m meditating… I knew I didn’t lose it,” (thereby losing it by definition at just over 5 minutes) I noticed he was curled nose inside tail and breathing softly. Proof positive of benefit for all humanity? No. But for a year old highly energetic, prone to anxiety rescue dog, a definite clue.
