What Dogs Can Teach Us About Inner Peace

by Ellie Batchiyska

Last week, as I was sitting for my daily guided meditation, the narrator instructed me to pay attention to the sounds and sensations around me. Eyes closed, legs crossed, hands resting in my lap, there was one particular sensation I couldn’t get my attention away from: a heavy breathing on my knee.

A breathing undoubtedly attached to the 60 pound standard poodle laying by my side. As it turns out, my 2019 resolution to meditate daily has also become her resolution. Whenever I get ready to sit for my meditation, she becomes inexplicably drawn to what I’m doing, and joins me.

Rather than her presence serving as a nuisance though, it’s inspired me to keep up with my New Year’s resolution. And it occurs to me that dogs have rather a lot to teach us about finding inner peace, and having a happier existence.

Be Okay with Needing Help

After being diagnosed with panic disorder at 18 years old, I constantly searched for alternative therapies. I knew that deep breathing played an important role in calming down during a panic attack, but I couldn’t seem to implement it as habit.

One evening, alone at home and caught completely off guard by an attack, my frustration with my condition got the better of me. But, it wasn’t angry frustration. It was tired, resigned frustration. I felt like I had tried everything – everything except meditation.

So, I plopped down on my rug and downloaded a meditation app on my phone. Within minutes, I had signed up for a 7-day virtual meditation course for anxiety relief. The rest is history.

I became hooked on meditation and began looking forward to my sessions, but something still felt empty. I had nobody to share my enthusiasm with, and my panic attacks left me with a lingering fear of being left alone in a room. I tried to get friends interested in meditation, but to no avail.

So, when my pup came into my life a few years later through a friend, she felt like a godsend. She was a senior dog with limited mobility, and her old age and vision impairment meant she was highly dependent. We were the perfect meditation companions, two souls who needed each other in different ways.

Don’t Ask Questions, Just Be Present

My dog has no clue what I’m doing when I drop everything and sit still on the floor for ten minutes each evening. All she knows is that she likes it. Dogs are curious creatures, but they’re also perfectly content with just living in the moment.

They don’t ask where, why, or how. To them, each dog park is as fun as the next, each bowl of kibble equally enjoyable. We have a lot to learn from them.

Rather than wonder why things are the way they are or worry about what the future holds, we should enjoy the present moment. Rather than worry about what our next meal will be, we should relish the one right in front of us.

Be Motivated by Love

When my dog sits beside me during my meditation, it’s not because she knows anything about finding inner peace – it’s because she values her time with me. Dogs are motivated by love and loyalty. When they rest their heads on your lap when you’re sad, or follow you around the house, it’s because they want to spend time with you.

Dogs teach us not to take our loved ones for granted. Their friendly nature reminds us to be kind to strangers, to each other, and to ourselves. They don’t understand judgment, they only understand the Golden Rule: to treat others the way you wish to be treated.

Our dogs are perfectly happy just sitting with us no matter what we’re doing – as long as it means being in our presence. If we can lend this same support to our friends, or those that are in need, we’re sure to find the same strength and serenity that dogs have.

Patience is Key

Dogs are perhaps the most patient creatures of all. They’re perfectly content to lay in one spot for hours or play with the same squeaky toy for years. As a result, the rewards are great. They are especially delighted by a walk or a new toy.

When they say “patience is a virtue”, they’re right. Waiting for our rewards often allows us to enjoy them more.

Patience also teach us to enjoy the simple things in life – something dogs exhibit every day. Chasing a squirrel, eating a treat, or going for a walk around the block can make your dog’s day. As humans, we often strive so hard to be happy, not realizing sometimes that happiness can be found in a good meal or a moment alone.

Take Paws, Breathe, and Enjoy

In her uncomplicated, companionable way, my dog has taught me that mindfulness begins with acceptance. She’ll never be a young puppy again, and I’ll likely always have to live with my panic disorder, but that doesn’t mean our quality of life ends there.

When we go to the dog park, she jumps and sprints to the best of her ability, as if her aging is just an inconsequential side effect of her enjoyment. Similarly, when I sit down to meditate, my own condition becomes inconsequential, and I’m reminded that it’s who we are and how we feel in the moment that matters.

Ellie Batchiyska is a pet wellness writer for Handicapped Pets, where she works with and writes about disabled pets and rescue missions. She has been practicing meditation for two years, often in the company of her dog.