There is a fantastic bumper sticker that says something to the effect of, ” May I be the type of person that my dog thinks I am.”
For those of us who own dogs— and it seems everyone owns a dog— it clear that dogs know us better than we know ourselves. Our dog worships the ground we walk on, even though, ironically, we are the ones who pick up their poop—go figure. Back to dogs' undying love for us . . . yes, in our own mind, sometimes we might feel like most miserable wretch who ever climbed out of the pond, the dumbest thing to ever darken a doorway, but at the end of the day, when we come home to sit on the porch and revel in our misery, there greeting us is our best four-legged friend, prancing with joy to see us, with nothing but profound love and worship for us.
Maybe that's because dogs can see something about us that we can't see in ourselves. The same way that a dog's sense of smell is dramatically more sophisticated than our own, perhaps similarly K-9s also have the ability to sniff out the best parts of us, and not just our crotch. Dogs remind us that we, too, are lovable and amazing creatures.
Perhaps this is why in yoga class we spend so much time in downward and facing and upward facing dog so that we can begin emulating the that part of us that can recognize our inner awesomeness, just like our dog can. In part, yoga is finding focus, strengthening, and removing the physical obstacles of an unhealthy body. Yoga is also cultivating a relationship with both the numinous parts of ourselves as well as those ethereal parts of the world around us. Yoga carves away the crap that blinds us from that lovable person that our dog sees all the time. If our dog can see it all the time, then why can't we? Maybe it's because we forget. Maybe because we let stupid stuff blind us from seeing it. Maybe it's because we don't spend enough time in downward facing or upward facing dog.
I invite you to practice seeing yourself the way your dog sees you. Perhaps it is as easy as spending a little more time in downward facing dog, if for nothing else to connect to body, mind, and spirit to hone your listening and reveal the eternally perfect person that always exists. Chances are that you'll start noticing this same awesomeness in everyone else near you, including your dog.
Namaste
Photo by Alex Adams
Scott Moore is a senior teacher of yoga and mindfulness in the US. He’s taught classes, trainings and workshops in New York, San Francisco, Salt Lake City, and L.A. as well as in Europe and Asia. Scott is the author of Practical Yoga Nidra: The 10-Step Method to Reduce Stress, Improve Sleep, and Restore Your Spirit. When he's not teaching or conducting retreats, he loves to write for print and online publications such as Yogi Times, Conscious Life News, Elephant Journal, Mantra Magazine, Medium, and his own blog at scottmooreyoga.com. Scott also loves to run, play the saxophone, and travel with his wife and son. Check out his yoga retreats and trainings in places like Tuscany, France, and Hong Kong , his online Yoga Nidra Course and his Yoga Teacher Mentor Program. Scott is currently living in Salt Lake City after living in Southern France with his family.
