Walking Meditation with Reactive Dogs
I set my timer, three bells chime, and we’re off
on the walk, myself and the two dogs on
the double lead. We walk and I focus
on the breathing in and out while smiling
beatifically. They start to pull
and the big dog begins barking at nothing.
She does this for a good block or three blocks,
and then the dogs, one on either side of me
wrap the leash around my legs and I have
to prevent myself from falling over.
Breathe in, fuck, breathe out, stupid dogs,
and the little one has to poop and it’s
a struggle to prevent the big one from
stepping into her shit and I have to hold
them aside while I bag the stuff,
reminding myself not to breathe too
deeply now, and then we’re off again.
They lunge at passing dogs and in
their tangle get agro at each other
and I curse in between each breath as
I pull them away from the source of their
ire. About twenty minutes in and they’re
tired, start to mellow out, save for an
occasional pull to eat some grass or sniff
at a pole, post, tree, stump, garbage can.
I’m back to breathing deeply again and
trying to recapture that smile and
the closing bell chimes three times
and we’re home.
michael jarmer 