Do you enjoy meditating, mindfulness, yoga or binaural beats? Mom does too! Have you ever tried practicing them at home? If not, you MUST! Wowza! (You can thank Mom later)! Have no what they are or how to do them? We got you covered Fwiend so keep reading! If you’ve been in theScoobylife Pack long you know that Scooby, Mom and the kitties WUVed at-home yoga and meditation! Us new furSmiths (Ella & Luna) just cannot get enough of “zen” time either! Who knew? If you’ve ever practiced yoga, stretching or meditation at home, chances are your dog or cat was really drawn to you! So, what better time with the stress, anxiety and pressure of the year, holidays, pandemic and daily life is there to learn How to Meditate with Your Dog and Cat? Throw in some gentle yoga and you’ll be heading into zen mode for the New Year!
Meditation Defined
What is Meditation?
Meditation is a mind and body experience which is challenging to define with words. The earliest meditation practices have been described in the Ancient Vedas dating back somewhere between 1700 to 1100 BC! Meditation practices vary across the world but the Mayo Clinic explains that “Meditation, a type of mind-body medicine, has been practiced for thousands of years. During meditation, you develop intentional focus — minimizing random thoughts about the past or future. Many forms of meditation exist, but most have in common a quiet setting, a comfortable position, focused attention and an open attitude”.
The BEST way to understand Meditation is to give it a try! You can find tremendous resources on podcasts, youtube and in various apps! Try a little of everything to see what resonates with you! If you have health issues you can even be guided and learn how meditate for that particular issue!
For us furSmith’s, we like calming, relaxing and overall health meditative practices and have recently added in some kidney cleansing binaural beats (we are looking for more kidney cleansing practices if you have anything to recommend) to help Zachy cleanse his kidneys to preserve and protect them from further damage.
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How Do I Meditate with my Dog?
First, create a quiet room or corner of a room (or organize your closet and create a comfy space) with a pillow to sit on and a yoga mat (if possible). Tip: If your pets start joining you you’re going to need a second yoga mat so you can keep one to yourself! Traditionally Mom has used the extra thick cushioned Yoga Mats (purple is her FAV Yoga Mat color) but we’re changing to this non-toxic, organic fabric mat!
Next, add a soft light or better yet, use candlelight or battery operated candles to create the zen mood. (We prefer two large battery candles which have a soft flicker)!
Also have a freshly laundered blankie (or two) handy to wrap around your shoulders or to put in your lap if it’s chilly. If you want to take it to the next level – splash a drop or two of organic lavender essential oil on your cozy blanket!
Now, you’re ready to practice at home! Use your laptop, iphone or any smart device to listen to your new or favorite meditation. Remember to leave the sound up so your pets can enjoy and benefit with you!
If you’ve never meditated, we suggest you work your way into it through gentle yoga or stretching to help you understand the vibe. We WUV Yoga with Adrienne who practices Yoga, Gentle Yoga AND Meditation with her pup, Benji! We really enjoy this video to wind down before bedtime…
It’s also amazing to do a purposeful light stretch and meditation to mindfully begin your day! We like this one by Adrienne (and Benji) too!
Meditation Music for Dog Meditation
We WUV amazing zen music to lose ourselves in for 5, 10, 20, 30 (or more) minutes! It’s like a brain vacation! Here’s a beautiful wordless music meditation which is wonderful to empty your mind to!
Meditation for Anxiety and Stress
Our Fwiend, Martin Hewlett has a WONDERFUL Meditation Podcast and Youtube Channel! Martin specializes in Meditation for Anxiety – thus his name “Calming Anxiety”! Martin’s voice is soothing and calming in itself! Here’s a great one to get started with…
Meditation for Healing
The NIH is studying the potential expansive health and healing benefits of mediation for humans as well! Recently Zachy was diagnosed with Stage 3 Kidney failure 6 months after having a clean bill of health from his senior wellness labs! Shocked doesn’t even begin to describe Mom’s reaction. After consulting new integrative, holistic vets, researching and overhauling Zach (and all of the furSmith’s food), adding supplements and more (we have an entire post about our health transition in our previous blog) Mom also found some binaural beats / frequency healing hertz to add to our daily background sounds and mediative zen time.
Heck, EVERYONE can benefit from potential organ cleansing! We really like this one to zone out to. If you have a specific health issue chances are you can find a guided mediation, frequency and binaural beats video to layer onto your health regime!
Mediation for Sleep and Relaxation
We WUV everything about the ocean…the sounds of the waves, the birds, the smell, the breeze. Many experts say the ocean releases relaxing minerals into the air which help you. If you need to unwind, relax or get ready for sleep give this a try…
Benefits of Meditating with Your Dog and Cat
First of all, there’s no “perfect” way to meditate. Just attempting is fun for you (and your pets) and part of your overall journey. Just enjoy and be in the moment! The goal is for you to begin your zen path for yourself.
Usually one if not all of your pets will begin meandering in to see what you’re doing. Allow them to exist in the space and do their own thing. Usually they will lie down too. However, if they think it’s time for playing on the floor, use your quiet, zen demeanor to teach them that’s not acceptable. It usually only takes a few times. Don’t be discouraged if your entire session is about training your pets to chill – that’s part of the practice! You have actually been in the zone with your dog or cat! Woohoo!
Outside of the much researched psychological and health benefits that Meditation, Gentle Yoga and Stretching provide, Mom thinks the Bonding with your pet(s) during this specially carved out time of your day is most beautiful benefit! Don’t worry, If your dog or cat doesn’t come to you that’s ok. Most likely over time they will find the need to investigate what exactly you are doing in the other room on the floor looking all comfy 🙂
Guided Meditation for Breathing
Stopping to take deep, purifying, energizing, relaxing and lung-expanding breaths is important on a daily basis. Most of us don’t realize it but we spend much of our day in shallow breathing – not good! So, when possible, incorporate specific deep breathing techniques during your yoga and stretching. Better yet, sprinkle in specific breathing techniques (such as this one by Martin) throughout your day and week!
How Do You Meditate with a Cat?
Exactly all the same ways we’ve described! All of the furSmiths stretch and meditate together using all the same techniques above! We all WUV it when Mom is on the floor with a yoga mat for her and another yoga mat (or two) for the rest of us to share! It’s one of our favorite times to bond!
How To Meditate with Your Dog (and Cat) in Summary…
We hope we have given you some helpful (and enjoyable) tips to get you started on your meditation, yoga and stretching journey with your dogs and cats! The instructors and videos we’ve listed are some of our favorites to get you started. Be sure to Experiment!
Once you find an approach, technique or guide that resonates with you and your fur family, dive deeper! Check out the rest of their work or similar methods! These are amazing rabbit holes worth are well worth your time as you learn about yourself and your preferences!
We created multiple playlists for categories meditation and yoga videos such as cleansing, anxiety, injury or pain, rest, relaxation or sleep, morning, etc. It’s a great idea for you to do the same so when you’re ready to practice you have a library awaiting at your fingertips! This way you don’t have to waste time searching and ruining your zen zone. Once you find something you like, save it into a category that’s meaningful to you for next time.
Tip from Mom and Scooby…
Scooby and Mom started their mediation and yoga journey in the den with youtube on their big screen. It’s pretty pawesome, we must say. Turning the fireplace on in the winter makes it even more cozy! So how do you top that you ask?
Well, one cool Summer morning Mom decided that she and Scooby should try Yoga and Mediation outside on the patio where our birdies hang out and eat. The result? It’s pretty mind-blowing to be “protected” within the confines of your own yard while being one with nature with your laptop guiding you through your routine! The beauty of the entire experience will keep you returning to practice in your yard!
Once your weather permits, we recommend you try some early morning meditation, gentle yoga and stretching practices just as the birds are looking for breakfast. LOVELY!
We can’t wait to hear your experiences! Please be sure so send us an email or tag us @theScoobylife in social media!
Namaste from the furSmiths to your fur family!
