Grrrrrr. It's hard to find a 'biteable' way to describe the dog yoga that we're practicing. A local television station wants to do a story on dog yoga, and the model for that is 'doga', successfully written about in urban newspapers.
Socks (r.i.p buddy) and Ellie demonstrate good 'yoga off the mat' in this picture. They are working on their relationship, changing their habits, taking some time be fully present. But, exciting television it isn't.
We follow (and teach) a yoga therapeutic model, based on the pancamayas, or five dimensions. Most dogs don't need us humans to tell them or show them how to find their stable and comfortable posture (although, admittedly, some sloppy sits might need a little assistance to keep those hips healthy).
After all, who is the teacher and who is the student for adho mukha svanasana, otherwise known as downward facing dog?
The dog yoga we have been working on tends to address more subtle levels than the physical. While I think that television well knows how to play on those emotions, and distract us from our immediate surroundings, dog yoga on the subtle level does not for good television make.
Cesar Milan we aren't.
But, you know what? Today's session was really helpful for me anyway. A little bit of kriya yoga: Isvhara pranidhana, releasing attachment to outcome.
