"I've lived through some terrible things in my life, some of which actually happened.”
― Mark Twain

How many times have you made yourself sick with worry about things “that might happen?” It’s something I have wrestled with most of my adult life.

For years I practiced yoga and studied mindfulness meditation trying to quiet my ‘monkey mind’, an uncanny metaphor to imagine the ordinary human mind as a distracted, constantly moving and flustered monkey. However, with very little success, that is, until Zazz arrived.

That’s her in the picture, my Bedlington Terrier puppy.  The breed is described as having the “face of a lamb and the heart of a lion”. Who knew she would become my meditation teacher?.

“If you are depressed you are living in the past.
If you are anxious you are living in the future.
If you are at peace you are living in the present.”
― Lao Tzu

Lao Tzu, ancient Chinese philosopher and founder of philosophical Taoism, must have owned a dog. This is what dogs do best: live in the present.

My daily walks with Zazz consist of stopping to smell every flower and being hypnotized when we meet up with a banditry of chickadees, metamorphosing from dog to statue, so as not to disturb whatever they happen to be doing. We are both in the moment.

Fellow dog owners all know how long it can take to find the perfect spot to pee. There’s no rushing the process. Zazz has shown me there’s no need to hurry. Relish the small things in life. I notice my breathing slows down and I’m in the moment.

On some walks, she decides to just sit and watch the world go by, settling into a comfortable position on the sidewalk to observe Yonge Street’s traffic jams. My iPhone remains in my pocket. I join in the watching.

All of these uninterrupted blocks of time I’ve come to appreciate as treasures to guard. They have cleared out constant distractions and allowed me to focus. And I’ve realized that I find solace in these experiences that capture my full attention.

It isn’t a wonder that many of us are currently carrying remarkable levels of fear and anxiety - stock markets have been going down, the world appears to be in upheaval, businesses are facing uncertainty, and COVID persists.

When we perceive a threat the survival part of our brain (mainly the amygdala) kicks in and causes our focus to narrow. Helpful when we face an immediate threat, but it also means our thinking can follow unproductive patterns: we are more likely to engage in worst-case scenario thinking or, alternatively, deny the threat; we have less access to the creative and analytical parts of our brain, and we are impaired in our ability to empathize, listen, and relate to others.

When you practice mindfulness meditation, you are building the capacity to train your attention to what you want to focus on.

It is a mental training practice that teaches you to slow down racing thoughts, let go of negativity, and calm both your mind and body. The result - a mental state that involves being fully focused on "the now" so you can acknowledge and accept your thoughts, feelings, and sensations without judgment.

Techniques can vary, but, in general, it involves deep breathing and awareness of body and mind.

So How to Start if You Don’t Have a Dog

• Sit Still
• Close your eyes
• Imagine that your lungs are like a big balloon filling with air
• Slowly count to five as you breathe in; in your mind see the balloon fill with air
• Hold it for a moment. See the full balloon. Then slowly breathe out, counting backward.
• Do this 10 times
• And, repeat several times throughout the day.

Zazz has shown me how to be joyously present when out in the world: her head is up, her tail is wagging, she’s alert and taking it all in. She is open to new sights, smells, sounds, people, and animals. Each walk with her is always an adventure.

"The present moment is the only time over which we have dominion."

- Thích Nhất Hạnh