Hello my friend.
This meditation is something very special to me,
Personally.
It has taken me some time to feel ready to share.
A few months ago.
We said goodbye to our almost 14 year old family dog.
I had never experienced this kind of loss before in my life.
And I know it can be very common as many of us have furry four-legged friends that really are part of our family.
Going through the process of creating this meditation is a tribute to him.
So I invite you to.
.
.
Find a space that is safe and comfortable for you.
Maybe in a space that your dog loved.
Maybe hold on to something of theirs or have a picture to look at in front of you to remind you of them I want you to feel comfortable and safe too.
Release any emotions that come up.
To truly feel what is in your heart.
Without judgment.
If you would like to gently close your eyes.
You can picture their sweet face.
The color of their fur.
Their eyes.
Feel the bond and the love in your heart connecting your soul to theirs.
Finding peace in your breath.
Allow yourself to inhale through your nose.
Exhale out your mouth.
Release any tension in your face,
In your jaw.
Your shoulders another breath in and out.
In life we dream about the future but We never dream about those hard moments.
Moments that are filled with anger or sadness.
We don't envision losing a loved one.
Even when we see it coming,
It doesn't make it hurt less.
In my own journey through this grief,
I found peace in being present.
Being present through all of the layers of emotions.
Feeling angry and afraid.
Feeling sadness and hopelessness using the skills that I have learned and developed through the practice of meditation to tend to the feelings rather than neglect them.
It takes time for daily life and routines to catch up.
Grief will no doubt come in waves.
In moments where you least expect it.
Things that you did not think about.
When you find their fur on the furniture.
Their leash is still on the hook.
Dirty windows from their wet nose pressing against the glass in a phrase.
That you might say or hear.
That reminds you of them.
Pieces left behind.
Things are not the same.
Walks and trips without them.
Coming home at the end of the day.
How do you let go of unconditional love?
Bond forged beyond words.
Even though it is inevitable and we accept that contract of love with our dog.
And we know that one day we will have to say goodbye to them.
We will have to make hard decisions.
We do our best to keep them from suffering.
Grief takes a lot of mental and physical energy.
Making it hard to focus,
To eat,
To think.
Not to mention learning how to grieve as a family.
With your spouse and your children.
Not everyone has the same level of understanding or is on the same path of grief and loss.
Allow the tears to flow when they're sitting behind your eyes.
Allow yourself to take a deep breath.
Be present for the emotions.
Tears are healing.
It's important to remember the years that you had together.
Instead of focusing on those final days.
Remember how they came into your life.
Your own unique and special story and moment.
That your bond began.
As you picture their face and feel their energy Remember what it was like to feel their fur and their warmth against your hands hear the sound of their bark.
All of the special details of them.
The thing about a senior dog is that you both loved many versions of each other.
Unconditional love.
The common denominator.
Through every phase.
You will carry their love in your heart forever.
Allow yourself to think of them.
To speak of them.
Forgive yourself for the difficult decisions that you had to make breathe through any emotions that you might be feeling right now.
Slow,
Steady inhale.
Slow,
Steady exhale.
Slow inhale.
Slow exhale I would like to share a writing that I came across,
Author unknown,
Titled Dog People.
It's a risky thing,
Giving your heart to a dog.
Staring at the leash still hanging by the door.
Because you know,
Right from the start,
That they won't stay forever.
You sign up for an ending before you even begin.
But you do it anyway.
You let them in.
You let them take up space in your home in your routines.
And the parts of you that you didn't even realize needed filling.
And before you know it,
They've got a piece of you.
One you won't ever get back.
Even long after they're gone.
The funny thing is,
You never regret it.
Not even when the end comes?
Not even when it wrecks you in ways you weren't ready for.
Because somehow,
The love they give outweighs the pain.
Every single time.
So you do it anyway.
It is the greatest honor to have called them yours.
To know the unconditional love of a dog.
Know that through all of the sadness and the grief and the hard decisions that you are not alone.
It can feel like a very lonely thing.
But you are not alone.
It is okay to feel your emotions and to spend time with them.
Even though it hurts.
It helps to process.
You allow yourself to take a loving breath in.
.
.
And out.
Releasing pain and sadness.
When you are ready.
You can blink your eyelids open.
Or keep them closed remembering their face and their fur.
And their sounds.
And remember how beautiful it is to love a dog for all their life.
And get to remember them for all of yours.
I want to thank you for joining me for this meditation.
While most of my meditations are personal to me,
This one feels extra special.
And creating it and sharing it with you is such a release.
And I hope that it helps you process your own grief.
And solve forgiveness.
And with time,
Your tears will heal you.
Sending love and light to you and to your dog.
