My Dog, The Zen Master

In this deeply personal talk, Kripalu Yoga teacher Julie Ela Grace shares the transformative lessons learned from her rescued Boston Terrier, Janie. Through stories of love, acceptance, and surrender, Julie reflects on how Janie’s resilience guided her through life’s most challenging moments, including divorce and a transatlantic move. As a true Zen master, Janie teaches the beauty of living fully in the present, forgiving the past, and embracing joy in every moment.

Looking for more? Julie also offers "The Freedom of Unconditional Love," a heartfelt talk on Janie's passing, and the "Healing Meditation for Grieving an Animal Friend or Pet," available on her Insight Timer profile, to support those navigating the deep emotions of losing a beloved pet.

Transcript

Hello,

My name is Julie Ela Grace,

And I am so happy that you are joining me here today to talk about one of my favorite subjects,

Dogs,

And the ways in which our canine companions can teach us about life and how they can be like zen masters.

Dogs seem to have this ability to show us how to live well and just show us a bit more about the nature of life itself.

So before we begin,

Please note that this talk is actually based upon an article that I wrote,

Which was commissioned and published by Kripalu in 2017.

So thank you for that,

And let's jump in.

So the night I adopted my first rescue dog,

I sobbed.

I was 23,

Newly married,

And felt like what I imagine a new mother could feel like.

I cried to my husband.

I said,

Will we be able to do right by her?

She was this precious,

Broken thing.

And every time I looked at her,

My heart just seemingly imploded.

We rescued Janey,

A Boston Terrier,

At a Michigan shelter on a snowy February afternoon.

The shelter,

Only the day before,

Had collected her from a puppy mill in Ohio that had used her for breeding.

Like so many breeding operations,

Animal welfare was of minimal to no concern at all.

Janey was housed in a barn,

In a cage,

For over two years,

And the shelter veterinarian estimated that she had likely birthed four litters of pups in those years.

The facility owners discarded her after she needed a c-section in her last labor,

Which then made her more expensive for them and therefore worthless to them.

I feel like it is my duty here to note that millions of healthy dogs are put to sleep globally every year,

And the majority of puppies that are sold online or through newspapers come from terrible facilities that continue to facilitate lifetimes and generations of abuse.

So if you feel the urge to buy a dog rather than rescue one,

Please do your research about the breeder.

While you may come across a dodgy breeder and then think to yourself that you're going to buy and therefore rescue this puppy,

Unfortunately the reality is then that you're continuing to perpetuate the abuse and the living hell of hundreds of other dogs just for paying for that puppy and continuing their business.

And of course that includes the ongoing abuse of the puppy's mother.

So please vote with your wallet to put a stop to this highly abusive practice.

And if you don't know much about this,

In the UK you can research about puppy farms and in the US you can research about puppy mills and there are different laws in different localities and of course you can petition your representatives in government to try to change the laws around animal welfare.

Okay,

So coming back to my gorgeous girl.

Janie was a classic example of a dog abused by a puppy mill.

She had never been in a house,

She had never played,

And she had never been loved.

She could not actually get up a single step,

A single stair,

As she had no muscle tone from her entire life spent in a cage.

She had infections and urine stains on her legs and she basically was just this number rather than a sentient being to the people who bred and owned her.

The first food that I ever fed her was homemade and fresh from the stove and she ate it so fast that she actually vomited and she trembled anytime people approached her and she had no idea how to be loved or even how to be a dog.

It took time,

Years really,

And so much patience from both me and Janie to rehabilitate her and for her to find enough confidence to experience that profound canine joy with which any dog lover is familiar.

Yet the rub here is that Janie,

By and large,

Put me back together over the years.

She saw me through failed dreams,

A divorce,

And even a transatlantic move where the sympathetic United crew actually put us at the back of the plane and allowed her to sleep on an empty seat next to me where she just snored all the way from Chicago to Paris.

So thank you so much still to that amazing United crew who made that journey so much more bearable for us.

So there have been too many times during the past decade that really the only thing keeping me alive was being Janie's person.

In effect,

Her resilience became my own.

Janie,

Like so many dogs,

Seems to be a Zen master or at the very least a Zen master in training.

Buddhist beliefs that animals are sentient beings and have their own Dharma seem apt.

In a yogic system,

In a Buddhist system,

In an ecosystem,

We are all connected.

Every blade of grass,

Every dog,

Every human.

While cruelty to animals remains an immense spiritual quandary,

I can only hope that the consolation for Janie's early mistreatment in life is that this was part of her Dharma,

Part of her lessons for this lifetime.

Her pain and her triumph,

They're all part of a greater story that affects more than just her beautiful little canine life.

Through her resilience,

Janie not only teaches about forgiveness,

About letting go of the past and letting go of fear,

But she teaches about transformation.

Spiritual seekers can spend their whole lives seeking enlightenment,

Whatever that might be,

And they can do this through meditation,

Through pranayam,

Yoga,

Scriptural studies.

And yet Janie merges with the light,

Moments when she rolls on the grass in soft sea shapes on sunny afternoons smiling up at the sky.

She is a completely present being,

Appreciating whatever the earth is offering to her.

She just surrenders to joy whenever it presents itself,

Because she's present.

The great poet and writer Rainer Maria Rilke wrote,

Let everything happen to you.

Beauty and terror.

Just keep going.

No feeling is final.

Dogs seem to have an implicit understanding of this.

Companion dogs in particular are often forced to surrender.

They are at human mercy for most things,

Food,

Water,

Shelter,

Security,

Love.

And while this must at times be terrifying,

As it surely was for Janie during her first two years of life,

It also allows for the liberation that can come with surrender.

Janie was able to release her earlier anxiety because she surrendered to her situation,

Because she let go of her past traumas.

Everything in her world,

She allows to happen without resistance.

Well,

Almost everything,

Except possibly for the cutting of her back toenails.

How often it seems that we hold onto fears in effort to control them,

When in fact surrendering paradoxically brings the peace that we sought with control.

So just going over that one more time.

When we hold onto fears in effort to control them,

To anticipate,

To prepare,

It often then means the fear controls you more.

Whereas when we surrender,

It brings the peace that we actually sought with control.

No dog is perfect,

No matter what their pet parent says,

Or depending on how you look at perfection,

All dogs are perfect,

All humans are perfect,

Everything is perfect.

So they are sentient,

Just like we are,

Which means that they have their own personalities,

And some are stubborn,

And some are jealous,

And some have been so mistreated that they cannot relinquish the past and trust humans again.

This doesn't make them inadequate,

This just makes them sentient,

Just like humans.

So this in part is why when a rehabilitated dog finds their way back to love,

To presence,

To joy,

That they in effect become our greatest teachers.

It was not only through the patience and love required to rehabilitate Janie that she provided me with immense lessons.

Her teachings continue daily because of the Zen being she has become.

Recently,

At nearly 13 years of age,

Janie became deaf.

This bothers me more than it bothers her.

She likely spent months compensating and taking cues from other dogs without my knowing,

Until finally it was painfully obvious that she could no longer hear me say this name I have grown to love so much that my heart hurts.

Janie.

Janie.

Janie.

In Hebrew,

Janie means a gift from God,

And to me that is exactly what she is.

Upon the diagnosis of her deafness,

I cried,

Wondering when was the last time she heard me say I love you?

And does she miss the sound of the wind and the sound of the birds?

Yeah,

I knew the answers before the thoughts even finished,

Because this Zen master has trained me so well.

Her appreciation and knowledge of life extends well beyond the realm of hearing.

For two weeks now,

I've been watching her and watching behind my feet as she follows me more closely these days,

Particularly in the kitchen where I have tripped over her countless times,

And I can see that her deafness has not diminished her joy.

Perhaps in small ways it has increased her joy in that she can sleep more peacefully and she has relinquished her alert dog status to the younger two dogs,

Again offering herself up as an example to yield and to surrender.

Janie remains by all counts a happy being.

She lives fully from a place of presence and love.

Her sweet bat ears no longer twitch and turn as they once did,

Though the rest of her remains the same.

She remains forgiving,

Resilient,

Compassionate,

Unabashedly joyful,

And completely present.

Over the years,

I have experienced the teachings of dozens of other teachers,

But without a doubt Janie,

The rescued Boston Terrier,

Remains not only my best friend,

But my life's greatest teacher.

So thank you so much for listening to this little talk about a fantastic little dog.

I hope that you and if you have any canine companions,

I hope that you are all well,

Safe,

Happy,

Present,

And full of joy together.

Namaste.

Reviews

Beautiful talk about how we can embrace better the life of our canine companions. Thank you! I have two rescued dogs and they are one of my many joys.

Loved hearing your and Janie's story; thank you for sharing 💜

Thank you-🙏🏼💜 I have often said the same about my rescue dogs! They have taught the beautiful fifths of love, patience, tolerance, joy, and forgiveness!

The most beautiful and complete description of the power of a dog and the amazing lessons they offer.

Lovely talk! Thank you so much. Sadly, Ohio is one of the worlds hotspots for puppy mills. As an Ohio resident I am deeply ashamed of this. Thank you for your comments and encouragement that people not support their business! And I totally agree about our lovely dogs being fabulous teachers. At 17, my current dog is amazing and inspires me daily. Thanks again for sharing your thoughts, blessings to you and all your critters! 🌺❤️

Thank you so much that was so beautiful 🙏🏼 It touched me as I've also been so blessed to have many adopted canine companions in my life and they have all taught me so much. They've supported me through different stages of my life, the highs and the lows. I'm not sure I could have made it without my furry angels by my side. Janie sounds like such a beautiful soul 🥰 Thank you for loving her back to life 🌻 wishing you many blessings 💖

Thank for sharing your dog’s story. Pet sitting is my favourite therapy❣️

Oh my word....that was soooo lovely.
I have a rescue dog who we adore.....we call him our therapy dog. He brings so much happiness.

Beautiful. Thank you for sharing this story. I have a rescue companion too. His name is Roux and he’s 11 yrs old now. We found each other when he was 8 months old. He has been by my side ever since and is my little 8.8 lb Buddha. He has taught me so much. 🥰 🙏🏼

You are PURE Delight!!! I reconnected to a your talk on Unconditional Love today and now discovered this talk…What a JOY!!!🙏🏻😍♥️

Thank you!!
My little Zen master, Patrick, died last year I miss him. Please pat
Jamie for me.
Lots of love to you both.

Ohh thank you so much for sharing this 🤍 it is so true that our beloved dogs are our greatest teachers.. I often observe our now 16 year old rescued boy, sitting back in awe that despite his age he still thinks he’s a big puppy at heart and hasn’t let his old age define him. Although like Janie, his hearing is most definitely weakening and on its way out, along with arthritis in his hips, he still finds joy & contentment for all he is capable of, and again it really comes down to that presence they so beautifully teach us as an importance 🤍 I couldn’t be more grateful to have made the connection I did about 16 years ago with my boy Murphy at the rescue shelter, who to this day plays such a special part in my life 🙏

I’m so happy Janie found you , only reading in the comments after , I read that she has since passed on, please know how very so blessed she was to of had you shower her with the love & care she deserved to know , you are so right that she will always be with you 💕 thank you again for sharing yours and Janie’s story, it is a story that will certain live on. Much love to you , and heavenly hugs to sweet Janie xx

A poignant story told with great love and gratitude …a life lesson to ALL🙏🏼❤️
Sending virtual hugs to you, Julie and a tender rub atound the ears for sweet Janie❤️!🐾

Wow, I can’t even explain how deeply this touched me. I just lost my precious Standard Poodle, Zoey, 4 days ago. She was a rescue that had been kept in a cage & was neglected & abused. She was so much like Janie & was afraid of people, ate fast, & a mess physically. Love made her blossom & she became a therapy dog that gave love to lonely & sick people. She got me through so much in life & was truly my once in a lifetime heart dog. When the vet came to my home for that dreaded end of Zoey’s life, she told me that when God decided to create dogs & animals, He decided that they didn’t need to live on earth that long because they live happy & in the present. Whereas, He created people to live longer because it takes us longer to try to figure out life & happiness, if we ever do. This story of Janie will stay with me forever. Thank you.

This is so beautiful thank you both. What a wonderful story, It’s an emotional listen with such an important message and also a great nudge to campaign for liberation from the puppy farms. 💛

Perfect. Dogs are the embodiment of unconditional love. I have a rescue that started with the name Goofy and the rescue organization thought it undignified due to a birth defect/malformed paw. They rebranded him Godfrey, which means “God with us,” and he is just that.

I can't articulate everything I feel in words right now. I rescued my precious best friend and absolute Buddha Hope 4 years ago. I knew immediately at the shelter that she was a gift from my dad who has passed, but I waited to name her until I learned her personality. She definitely is Hope. They said she was 3 years old and used for breeding and also a bait dog. Despite unconscionable circumstances, she is known at the dog park as the happiest sweetest baby that plays with all the puppies and vulnerable doggies. After four years the unconditional love between us is everything. I know she has saved me as much as I've saved her. And my mom said that all the time before she passed recently. Thank you so much for sharing your story. I hope it inspires more people to rescue if they have the patience, love and capacity.
I'm so emotional right now. Thank you again for sharing your story🤗🙏🐾❤🐕🐕‍🦺. Much love & Hope🐾❣

Thank you 🙏🏻 from the bottom of my grateful heart for this beautiful talk. My heart is full. I was so moved to hear about your beautiful Zen Master. 🙏🏻 Namaste

Lovely creature she is. 🐶 Thanks for sharing Janey's story. I was crying while listening to this. It was a good cry though. 🥲 Love and blessings to you and your canine family. 🙏🏼

Holding my little Boston boy tighter than before! Thank you for your lovely perspective