Welcome to Mindfulness and Dogs,
The podcast for dog guardians walking the path of reactivity with heart,
Courage and compassion.
I'm Biggie,
Dog trainer,
Coach and longtime student of mindfulness.
After many years with my own reactive dog,
I discovered that real change doesn't start with training the dog,
It starts with us.
In this show,
We'll explore practical force-free tools,
Grounding practices and compassionate strategies to help you and your dog find more calm,
Connection and confidence on your walks together.
Because calmer walks don't start with a quick fix,
They start with you and your calm is your dog's safe place.
Hi and welcome to the show.
This is Mindfulness and Dogs and my name is Biggie,
Coach,
Trainer and a human being with a big heart for the messy sides of life with dogs.
Today we're exploring what it really means to open your heart to your dog.
This isn't anything mystical or woo-woo,
It's about creating more space for compassion,
Connection and calm in daily life together.
I'll share a personal story and guide you through a short practice to show you how this simple shift can support both you and your dog,
Especially in challenging moments.
But as usual,
Before we dive in,
Let's just arrive.
Wherever you are,
Take a look around and find something that makes you feel safe.
Maybe it's your dog,
Maybe the walls of your home,
Or maybe something else entirely.
Take your time and stay with that sense of safety just a little longer.
As I mentioned,
I'd like to share a story.
This goes back to the days when my sole dog,
Charlie,
Was still alive.
What I learned then has stayed with me ever since.
It had been a rough day,
Hot weather,
My body not at her best.
My mind racing with shoulds and have-tos.
Pressure,
Frustration,
Anxiety pressing in.
All of it bottled up inside.
Then Charlie suddenly barked sharply at something outside,
Maybe a cat.
And without thinking,
I snapped,
Calling him away in a harsh tone.
He came,
But slowly,
Crouched and appeasing.
The moment I saw him,
My anger dissolved and tears welled up.
I'm no angel,
Like you.
I try to be loving with my dog,
But I'm human and sometimes I explode.
It's not good,
But it happens.
Mindfulness teaches us to sit with what is.
Feelings aren't good or bad,
They just are.
And they all deserve space.
It also helps us to notice how our emotions trigger old conditioned reactions,
So we can gradually let them go.
That takes time and it takes practice.
I've worked for years not to take my stress out on my dog.
I'm much better now,
But it's still a process.
When Charlie crept back toward me that day,
I felt a storm of emotions.
Shame,
Guilt,
Helplessness,
Self-loathing.
A painful cocktail pressing hot and heavy behind my breastbone.
Traditionally,
This area is associated with the emotional heart.
Some therapies even place one of the body's main energy centers there.
I have to admit I don't know much about energy work,
But something definitely shifted there in that moment.
And here's the thing,
Our brain doesn't distinguish between real and imagined.
That's why inner imagery can be so powerful for emotional regulation.
To ease the pressure I felt,
I pictured my chest becoming wide and soft.
Spacious enough for all those emotions to spread out like gas in a larger room.
As I gave them space,
The pressure,
Heat and tension eased.
I calmed.
And then I sat down on the floor apologizing to Charlie and promising him to keep working on my self-regulation.
Since then I've made it a practice.
Every time I look at my dog,
I open my heart space.
Back then with Charlie and now with Lucia.
Some days it's easier than others,
But it always helps.
Especially in tough moments,
Such as difficult dog encounters.
Opening your heart isn't the same as trying to see the world through your dog's eyes.
That still comes from a perspective.
But when you connect heart to heart,
You meet as two sentient and emotional beings.
It's not about thinking about your dog.
It's about feeling with them.
Of course,
Opening the heart can feel scary.
For me,
It once felt like losing control.
Even now,
Sometimes my instinct is to close up when things get too much.
But over time,
I realized that shutting down isn't the answer.
Vulnerability is.
And when you practice opening your heart to your dog,
You may find it gets harder to stay closed off to the rest of the world too.
Openness makes us softer,
More vulnerable.
There was a time I even stopped meditating for a few months because it felt so overwhelming.
But eventually,
I saw that vulnerability is the doorway to growth.
It's what lets us step out of old reactive patterns.
So maybe your compassion for your dog can help you take that first step toward more compassion for yourself and a freer,
Fuller life.
You'll both benefit.
Let's practice.
If you're walking,
You can join in.
If you're driving,
Just listen or pull over safely.
Picture a string gently lifting you up like a marionette lengthening your spine.
Let your shoulders soften.
Place one or both hands on your chest.
Feel into your heart area.
Notice the rhythm.
What else is there?
Warmth,
Flow,
Tingling.
Now imagine space opening around your heart.
Expansive,
Warm,
Soft.
Room to breathe.
And then,
Imagine the exact opposite.
Your heart closed off.
Tightness,
Pressure,
Heaviness.
That shut down feeling.
Can you recognize it?
And finally,
Open up again.
Let your heart have all the space it needs.
Filling your chest,
Your whole body,
And maybe even more.
Breathe into that openness.
Then,
Let the image fade.
Release your hands,
Roll your shoulders,
Stretch,
Yawn,
And come back to where you are.
I hope this story and practice give you a sense of how opening your heart to your dog can bring more ease and connection to your walks and daily life.
Try it a few times this week and notice what shifts for both of you.
Talk to you again soon.
Bye for now.
