Author James Jacobson says even Jack Russell terriers can sit and meditate. Photo in text below, left: Stephan Boeker
October 2005
Sit! Stay! Meditate?
How to unleash your favorite
four-legged friend’s inner guru
By Susan DeGrane and Marla Donato
After trying just about every form of meditation from TM to Zen, James Jacobson decided to employ a “non-dogmatic” approach. Well, maybe that’s not the best way to describe it.
Let’s just say he concluded that meditating with others can sometimes lead to added benefits through group synergy. He’s even found some real experts at sitting, although most of them probably find it challenging to strike the proper pose, since it’s tough to cross four legs at the same time.
Yes, Jacobson’s perfect meditation partners are dogs. Who better to teach compassion?
“Dogs embody non-judgment and unconditional love — traits many people think of when they envision a spiritually attuned being,” he writes in his book, How to Meditate With Your Dog, (Maui Media, LLC, 2005, $16.95), which is scheduled to be released this month.
Jacobson first got the idea when his seven-pound Maltese, now 13 years old, temporarily lost her eyesight, and he was looking for a way to comfort his dog and himself.
And there are other benefits. Adding a four-legged friend to the process may induce more two-legged creatures to try the process in the first place, Jacobson said. “People do things for dogs that they wouldn’t do for themselves. They’re more likely to meditate for their dogs than for themselves.”
Jacobson has noted other health benefits. “One woman … said, ‘my dog is anxious at medication time.’ After (meditation), the dog gently chewed the medication and took it.”
While some breeds may seem more suited to sitting, and dogs — just like people — have different temperaments, Jacobson claimed that even a high-energy Jack Russell terrier can become as sedate as a slow-moving basset hound.
“Any dog who has a good relationship with his owner will meditate,” he said.
(Not that we don’t believe him, but since a Jack Russell was a regular officemate at Conscious Choice for a spell, we’re interested in hearing if this works for any folks with Jack Russells.)
Jacobson advised to take it “bone by bone.” At the very least, a regular practice can help strengthen your bond with your canine companion, he said. He is unquestionably bonded, having named his publishing company after his dog Maui, after the island where they live. (Lest you get the idea that all Jacobson does is sit around on Maui with Maui, Maui Media, LLC, also recently published an audio book by Archbishop Desmond Tutu, which has been touted by Oprah Winfrey and CNN.)
But our writing/mind is wandering here. In the dog meditation book, Jacobson and Kristine Chandler Madera offer about 200 pages of suggestions and reasons for non-dogmatic dog meditating. For instance, it can be a shortcut to “appreciate being rather than doing.”
“Personally, I’m not attracted to meditation with a lot of regimentation,” he said in recent phone interview while holding Maui, who could be heard panting into the receiver. “The idea here is to introduce people who are not already familiar with meditation, people who might think it’s a little New Age or woo-woo. The idea is to make it seem natural.”
Meditation also helped calm Maui before she appeared on a segment on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Jacobson said, explaining: “She was excited, but I was calm. You match your breath with theirs and they calm down.”
To help achieve the proper frame of mind, the dog meditation book also comes with a CD that provides music and guided instruction.
And if attempting to arrive at the “hound-lounge” state of consciousness never yields a blissful moment of synchronized breathing, there’s always “walking meditation.” That involves you staying in the proper mindset even while your dog goes about his or her own natural process of letting go.
While this may seem more a matter of spacing out to some of us, Jacobson insists it’s still a meditation, although he warns it “isn’t always smooth. The trick is that when the distraction is over, we move right back into our meditation.”
Regardless of how frequently you decide to attempt oneness with your dog, Jacobson suggests there’s something you can always learn from your best-friend sentient being. The book is sprinkled with entertaining cartoons and explanations of Zen-like canine concepts such as “puppy mind.”
Jacobson will visit the Chicago area Oct. 7-9 for Backer’s 39th Annual Pet Industry Christmas Trade Show & Educational Conference at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, Rosemont, Ill. For details, visit: meditatewithyourdog.com.
Here’s another unrelated dog workshop: Holistic Healer Annette M. Amelkovich is hosting a free seminar, “Help From Your Hound,” which will cover, among other things, how your life can improve because of your pet. The workshop is 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Oct. 8, Wild Oats, 500 E. Ogden, Hinsdale, Ill. To register, call 708-848-6029 or visit wildoats.com.
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