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“ It is so wonderful that people make this time of the year, just for giving presence.

I hear people talking a lot about presence giving, for their children, each other and of course their furry whanau…..not so much for themselves though?

I don’t know what it is like for humans but for me I love both the giving and the receiving of presence.

It really feels like a gift to be fully with my experiences and senses. So much joy in being with the moment. Even when that moment isn’t very nice, I know it will not last….there will be another moment following shortly.

I know people have different brains to me, they do thinking, lots of thinking…….. remembering, imagining, and planning, lots of planning.  So they have to practice more being in the present moment. That way they can get the benefit of both the thinking about and the being with.

Giving presence is free and can be given to ourselves and others as required.

Here are my top doggy holiday practices for you and your whanau

• Don’t forget the paws.
• Wag your bum when happy.
• Don’t forget to give yourself some presence. Do something just for you. Acknowledge how things are for you.  
• Slow down and sniff the moment.
• If it all a bit much go and find a little spot on your own and listen to the sounds.
• Connect with what is important to you.
• Remember the best gift ever is your presence.  

Finally, deal with stress like a dog: If you can’t eat it or play with it…..just pee on it and walk away.”

Love Sam, the zen puppy.

#zenpuppyblog

“The art of shaking it off”

“ I am loving the warmth of the sun on my furry body, especially now that mum and dad have bought me a couch to lie on outside (they sometimes share it with me, but clearly it is mine).

This fur though…

It can get awfully hot with all my helpful hairiness, in the sunshine (and I like to lie right in the sunshine…mum says I am boiling my brains).  I do love to cool off though by standing in the horses water trough followed by a big water induced zoomy (WIZ) ….feels so good you gotta try it.

Don’t get me wrong, my fur is great stuff ……I can grow heaps of it, and it keeps me well protected, all over. I am grateful for my fur.

But you know sometimes, it just really needs releasing, shedding, shaking off……

Sometimes things that protect us can get in the way too if we keep them past their use.

I love my fur, it does an awesome job….. but, I don’t always need so much of it. It can even sometimes restrict me enjoying things and taking in the warmth of the sun.

Ahhhh the feeling of a good shake, starting from my flippy flappy ears, wiggling all the way down to my butt….to the tippy tip of my tail……oooooh yeah feels so good.

I release what I don’t need anymore!

It has served its purpose and now it can, well….be left all over the carpet, couch, bed, blankets to be swept up and composted to feed the earth creatures or be used by the birdies to make their nests.

Sometimes I get support with releasing my fur too, for the tricky stuff that is harder to release. I feel loved when I have a good brush.

Shake well my friends”

Love Sam

Sam’s blog is out and by request he is sharing his doggy wisdom on his favourite topic: eating!

Mindful eating

Mum said I should write a blog on mindful eating, especially after yet another vet visit recently; when something I “may have eaten” got a bit stuck.

To start off with, I am a Labrador……..

For me, eating mindfully is really difficult and it doesn’t exactly come naturally. There are many “causes and conditions” that lead me to eat the way I do (it is complex hey).

Maybe you relate?

When it comes to “food” I am more of an “eat now, ask questions later” kind of guy.

I must say, the definition of “food” is also rather vague.

Mum agrees that what we call food, is also somewhat debatable in the human world too. Just because it tastes nice does not necessarily mean it feeds and nourishes us.

Anyway, back to my difficulty with eating mindfully.

I am also really good at eating super-fast, again for good reason someone else might want it too….you gotta be quick around here.

The only downside of this speed eating, is that I have little time to notice if I am full up yet, or if what I am eating is agreeing with me.

I have been practicing some mindful eating that I would like to share with you…..

Urge surfing: not everything I see or smell needs to be eaten. This is a hard one, as there are so many triggers around of yummy things to eat. I am learning to surf the urge, to not just immediately act on the urge to gobble it up and wait until I am sure I want to eat it (which I pretty much always do!)

I have to “wait” for a few breath moments and be sitting comfortably before I start eating my din dins.

I am learning to sniff and look at my food before devouring it (especially recently as there have been some suspicious additions to my diner) the first mouthful is aways best taken slowly ……..

Taking a little break in the middle of my din dins helps also, as it helps me slow down and feel how full my tummy is.

I also have my food sprinkled all over the grass rather than in a bowl, maybe this could work for you too? It makes me slow down 😊 and really enjoy the flavours of my food.

Having a little post prandial rest to let things digest is very nice, even if it just 10 minutes.

I always feel really grateful for my din dins and give mum and dad a big lick and a waggy bum after I’ve finished.

Finally, and most important ……do not ever eat the cat biscuits!

love Sam

Feeling growly

“Sometimes I feel growly.

My body becomes tense, my lip curls, my hackles go up along my back and a rumble comes from deep inside me, outward.

Does this happen to you too? How do you know when you are growly?

Sometimes I have mixed emotions going on in my body, I am growly at the front end and waggy at the back end.

Feeling growly is an important emotion as it lets me know something needs addressing.

Maybe I am scared or feeling threatened?

Maybe I am in pain or being hurt?

Maybe I need to put a boundary down that hasn’t been listened to.

It lets me and others know that something important that I care about is happening. That I matter.

Being growly doesn’t mean I am going to bite………..

I’ve noticed that it can also change really quickly.

I am lucky that us dogs don’t go over and over stuff in our minds. We are in the moment, so when that moment has passed so does the emotion in the body.

We like to have a good shake and waggle too, to release the energy of growly tension. A good zoomie and a bark.

Being a zen puppy doesn’t mean I am only happy and relaxed; rather it means I allow all my emotions as they are all important and I embrace my full dogginess.

Zen puppies get growly too.”

Love Sam

#zenpuppyblog

Sam’s blog August 1^st 2022

I have been a very busy puppy, no, not chasing balls or sticks or following sniffs….I have been looking after Rob and Kate, while they were not allowed to go out.

I am not sure what they had done, to not be allowed out: but it seemed to involve much lying around, coughing, sneezing and watching Netflix!

I actually think it did them some good to stay put for a while and rest, it is winter after all…isn’t that what we are supposed to do?

I have noticed that humans seem to have difficulty with resting, which is confusing to me as everything else in nature knows how important it is, just as vital as the running about or chewing your bone bit.

My best zoomies are always when I have had some good, focused, and serious resting.

 I find I feel more growly when I haven’t had my rest.

Mum says that she thinks my bounciness and love comes from my ability to do really good resting: on the bed, the floor, the couch…especially in a sun puddle, that is the best place!

One day I hope humans remember how to do the resting part as well as the zooming.

May I recommend the on the floor position, on your back with legs splayed, like you just don’t care!

Love Sam

#zenpuppyblog

#mindfulnessnorthcanterbury