Being mindful with your companion

Karen Goldrick shares practical tips on being mindful with your pets to help them feel calmer, more present and deeply connected to you.

I’ve been lucky to have had a recent holiday in Bali, a place of contrasts: stark volcanoes, beautiful reefs and lush, fertile surrounds. But also poverty, rubbish and the plight of the street dogs.

Like many tourists, I was struck by the spirituality of the Balinese, and their daily handmade offerings.

The Balinese Hindus give offerings to show gratitude to the Gods (both good and bad) for the things that they have and in hopes of future kindness.

I was also grateful for the concepts of “Bali time” and forced mindfulness. There is traffic. You will eventually arrive. Relax and watch the scenery. Of course, it’s so much easier to be mindful and relaxed on holidays and away from day-to-day stress. But I plan to try to hold on to this feeling as I return to work.

There are many definitions of mindfulness. A simple one I like is from Beyond Blue: Mindfulness refers to focusing your awareness on the present moment without judgment. They add that learning mindfulness can benefit your mental health and wellbeing.

I currently care for three geriatric furred family members, all of whom have significant health challenges. It’s hard not to feel constant anxiety and anticipate what will happen. These feelings impact my quality of life and the quality of time spent with them.

According to Dr Erin Bannink at Mettapets, when caring for pets with cancer (or other chronic illnesses), mindfulness stress-reduction practices may be beneficial in the following ways:

• Mindfulness can mitigate anxiety, depression and emotional extremes
• Can help develop resilience
• Helps you appreciate the present moment
• Benefits physical wellbeing
• Can lead to accepting and supporting yourself and others in healthy ways.

How can you practise mindfulness in your day-to-day life? The internet is full of advice, which adds to the feeling of being overwhelmed. Begin with one or two tools that you are comfortable with, or that you can modify to suit your lifestyle. I swim, so the concept focusing on breath comes naturally.

Some suggestions for mindfulness in daily life:

• Focus on breath: Respiration is crucial for life. There are simple breathing techniques you can use. Returning your focus to your breath brings you back to the moment
• Gentle exercise: not a marathon. A walk along the coast or riverbank. Focus on each sense one at a time
• Birdwatching. Birds are fascinating
• Yoga (the relaxing kind)
• Drinking tea: make it a ritual, with whole leaf teas and your favourite tea set

So, how can you be mindfully present with your pets? I will mention dogs specifically, but you can modify these suggestions to suit your own furry or feathered companion. Try these four ideas:

Exercise and spend time together mindfully. Leave your smartphone at home. That alert can wait. You can take photos later or bring a camera. Focus on interacting and playing or training.

Massage or grooming. Use a strategy or technique that your dog will enjoy. Gentle massage and gentle brushing can work well. If your dog shows any sign of discomfort or does not enjoy the process, then stop.

T-Touch or Tellington Touch. This is a form of natural horsemanship created by Linda Tellington-Jones. It’s based on the understanding that physical, mental and emotional balance are deeply interconnected, with each influencing the others. It uses a light touch of the hands and fingers to move skin, fascia and underlying muscle with your hands or fingers in a clockwise circle. It’s important to practice T-Touch mindfully, with relaxed breathing. Further information and training are available at the Tellington T-Touch Australia and NZ website: ttouchaustralia.au.

Dog Yoga. This is a great way to bond with your dog. It’s been said that we can use our pets as an example of being mindful in life. That dogs and cats live each day mindfully and don’t have the same anxieties we do. This is not strictly true, as anyone who has had a rescue or puppy farm dog will attest. We know that past experience can influence behaviour and cause anxiety in some pets. Many of the strategies you can adopt for your own mindfulness and for mindful companionship with your pet may help reduce their anxiety.

For me, I plan to hold on to that feeling of Bali time as long as I can.

For many years in our practice, we have supported the charity Bali Street Dogs. To make a tax-deductible donation, visit their website: balistreetdogs.org.au