My Dog is an Undercover Yoga Teacher
“When you need to stretch, stretch. Need to rest, rest. But always look out for the pack, and live from your heart.” Kikko
Kikko’s favorite word is “walkies”. Yet if I say “Want to go walkies?” she will still take the time to do a deliberate downdog/updog combo. Dogs intuitively understand the goodness of stretching when you need to stretch and resting when you need to rest. She lives her life from her heart: She will always ascertain the whereabouts of all members of the pack before resting. If someone is upset or angry, she will come alongside them and place a paw on their arm or leg. How can a heart so big fit in such a little dog?
How can such a big heart fit in such a little dog?
In Yoga we start with the physical body and work through the layers toward the unchanging spirit. When we pay attention to the physical body, we train the mind to focus and notice. We begin to pay attention to our thoughts about the asanas, or physical postures. We may even begin to see that our emotional reactions to challenges on the mat mirror our ways of handling life off the mat. In noticing our default reactions, there is the opportunity to choose new responses. This process happens over time. This is why we call yoga a practice, not a performance. There will always be one more variation. There will be things beyond our physical reach. Yoga presents us with opportunities to reflect and grow.
When Kikko goes walking, she always pays special attention to the edges of an area. She knows the edges are where things get interesting. It’s true for me too. I took trapeze yoga to get over my fear of being upside down. (I had a bad fall from a jungle gym as a child)! I knew that I could do it, but I also knew I wanted to take my time. Every week I did just a little more. When I was ready, I went upside down. It’s still not my favorite, but I overcame a fear and I did it my way. Doing it your way is finding your yoga. You can find your edge. You can find your yoga; you can do it your way. Be well.
