I run a daily Zoom meditation group as part of Wildmind’s Meditation Initiative, and we often have pets joining in. One day, someone joked that it must be “Take Your Dog to Meditation Day.”
Pets can be natural meditators. I’ve had cats before and now have a couple of dogs; their ability to simply sit and be in the moment is quite impressive. However, they can sometimes be distracting during meditation, which is what I want to talk about today.
I mainly refer to cats and dogs since I own two dogs now and haven’t had a cat in a while. But hopefully, you can adapt my advice to your pets.
Before I start meditating, I separate my dogs. They play noisily, running around and wrestling, which I don’t want during meditation. Using baby gates, I keep one dog in the room with me and the other in the next room where they can still see me, reducing any anxiety.
If my dogs seem restless as I prepare to meditate, I give them distractions. Suki, who is still teething, gets a teething toy to prevent her from chewing on the furniture. Sometimes, I give them “Kongs” filled with frozen peanut butter, which keeps them busy for a while.
My dogs are also quiet in their crates, so sometimes I use that option. However, not everyone has crates, and not all pets are calm in them.
If your pet isn’t used to seeing you sit still with your eyes closed, they might get confused. With time, they usually adapt, but it might take some patience. Some pets may never fully get used to it.
For instance, my cat Piglit used to be curious when I meditated. She’d either sit beside me with her eyes closed or paw at me for attention. One of my dogs, Luna, does something similar, sometimes staring and barking at me, which is hard to ignore.
In such situations, empathy is key. Ignoring them can confuse them further, as they might just need some attention. Forcing them to behave doesn’t help either. You need to work with your pet on their terms.
During an online session, I saw someone meditating between her two Labrador retrievers, holding one’s paw and resting her hand on the other’s neck. This light touch kept both dogs calm and they quietly lay beside her.
Pets love touch, so simply reaching out to them can help calm them. You can even include petting as part of your meditation, doing it mindfully in sync with your breathing. This makes the petting part of the meditation rather than a distraction.
Luna, who is small, likes to sit on my lap when she seeks attention. This allows me to pet her easily. Including her in my loving-kindness meditation helps create a sense of warmth and tenderness toward both of us.
Sometimes, while I meditate, my dogs bark at neighbors or delivery workers. Initially, this annoyed me, but I realized Luna was just trying to protect her territory. She needed reassurance, so I learned to calm her with words of comfort instead of yelling.
During meditation, I don’t get up but talk to them reassuringly. Words like “You’re OK” help calm them down when associated with calming experiences.
This approach can also help if you’re dealing with your anxiety during meditation, using similar reassuring phrases.
Of course, you might choose to let your dogs bark, which is okay. But in an apartment building, it might disturb neighbors, so I prefer to address it. Sometimes, I let them quiet down on their own if they’re just whining for attention.
Understand that both your feelings and your pet’s feelings are impermanent. They may be unhappy briefly, but they will calm down. Deciding when to intervene requires judgment based on long-term well-being.
These are some situations I encounter while meditating with dogs and how I handle them. Your experiences might be different, especially if you have other types of pets.
I’d love to hear how others manage to meditate with pets. Feel free to share your experiences.