One of the many gifts that our animals bring us is to help us get more grounded.
Watch as you walk with your dog now how present he or she is.
She's not thinking about the future,
She's not thinking about the past,
She's simply here in this moment.
Watch how you synchronize with your dog whether she's moving fast or slow and how she changes her pace.
Feel yourself grounded to the earth.
Connect it.
Feel your heels touching the pavement.
Follow by your feet.
Notice how your ankles are supporting this movement.
And your calves and your knees and your whole body.
Notice how your arms are gently swinging along with this movement.
When we're in the present moment our nervous system really calms down.
It allows our body to do things like cell restoration.
Just really feel yourself in this present moment.
Just watching your dog.
Let's get more fully embodied as we notice our senses.
Notice the sights.
The colors,
The landscape you might be picking up.
Notice the sounds around you.
Perhaps you can hear your dog's little paws hitting the pavement.
Notice the more obvious sounds.
Name a couple of them.
Consider what your sense of touch is picking up.
Notice your dog's leash tugging at your hand.
What is the texture of this leash?
The sensation?
What's the temperature like?
Just notice from your cheeks or your hands.
If you're feeling sun ray,
The warmth or the moistness of the fog,
Just notice.
Now notice the smells around you.
The obvious ones and the subtle ones.
Name a couple of them.
Next,
Just feel into your emotions without any judgment or any stories.
Just notice and name a couple of emotions that you're having right now.
As we bring this mindfulness practice to a close,
Thank yourself and your dog for taking this time to be mindful.
This is an act of self-love and self-care.
