My Dog Thinks I'm Perfect.
There is a fantastic bumper sticker that says something to the effect of, ” May I be the type of person that my dog thinks I am.”
For those of us who own dogs you might realize that these friends often know us better than we know ourselves. Our dog worships the ground we walk on, even though, ironically, we are the ones who pick up their poop, go figure.
Back to dogs' undying love for us . . . yes, in our own mind we could be the most miserable wretch who ever climbed out of the pond, the dumbest thing to ever darken a doorway, but at the end of the day, we'd come home to sit on the porch and revel in our misery, only to have our best four-legged friend, come prancing up to us with nothing but profound love and worship for us.
A Dog's Super Sense
Maybe dogs can see something about us that we can't see. The same way that a dog's sense of smell is dramatically more sophisticated than our own, perhaps the K-9 sense of goodness, the ability to sniff out the best parts of us (not just our crotch) is somehow innate in those creatures. They remind us that we, too, are lovable and amazing creatures.
In yoga and mindfulness, we are cultivating our own ability to recognize things as they are. In part, that recognition is to also see our own inner-awesomeness. Yoga and mindfulness is about finding focus, strengthening body and mind, and removing the obstacles that prevent us from experience full wellness.
Learn to See in You What You Dog Sees in You
May we learn to see in ourselves what our dog sees in us. The word Namaste means, “I acknowledge the light inside of me that’s also inside of you.” It’s an acknowledgement of our shared beauty. May we take this to heart and learn to see that light within ourselves and within everything around us.
Namaste!
Here’s a funny, 30-second video that explores this idea perfectly.
Scott Moore is a senior teacher of yoga and mindfulness and lives in Southern France. When he's not teaching or conducting retreats, he writes for Conscious Life News, Elephant Journal, Mantra Magazine, Medium, and his own blog at scottmooreyoga.com. Scott also loves to run, play the saxophone, and travel with his wife and son. Check out his yoga retreats to places like Hawaii and Amalfi Coast , his online Yoga Nidra Course and his Yoga Teacher Mentor Program
