Hello,
Beautiful soul.
Welcome to this meditation.
My name is Olivia Joy St.
Clair,
And today's meditation is about the special love shared between you and your companion dog,
And dealing with the grief that takes your breath away when they are gone from your life.
This might be difficult if you are feeling raw.
My hope is that these moments will be a safe haven for you to honor your pet,
Your love,
And your grief.
Before beginning,
I'd like you to gather a few things.
A cup of tea or glass of water,
A blanket or quilt to cover yourself,
Some tissues,
And if you have one,
A candle and matches.
But leave the candle unlit for now.
Feel free to pause this as you gather these items.
Throughout this meditation,
Take sips of water or tea to soothe your body.
Take tissues on hand if you have a release of emotions.
Settle into a comfortable position,
Whether sitting or reclining.
Pull the blanket or quilt around you for comfort and warmth.
Grief makes it difficult to breathe,
So take some slow,
Deep,
Healing breaths into your lungs.
Breathe in slowly.
Hold for a moment,
Feeling the nourishing oxygen in your lungs.
Then slowly release.
Take another slow,
Deep breath in,
Holding for a moment,
Feeling your lungs expand.
Then release.
And another slow,
Deep breath into your belly,
Holding for a moment,
Then breathing out.
Settle into a normal rhythm with your breath,
Taking slow,
Deep,
Comforting breaths when needed.
Grief is hard work,
And very different for each person.
Everyone grieves in their own way and on their own timetable.
The process of grief is a bit like peeling an onion.
There are many layers to work through.
Be gentle and kind to yourself as you go through the process of grief,
Learning to navigate new days and a different way of living.
Time does heal.
You will not forget,
But things will get better,
And you will learn how to move through your days.
Grief is a normal process and a tribute to the great love you shared with your pet.
Grief is love with nowhere to go.
Breathe in deeply now.
Exhale slowly.
Breathe in deeply to your belly.
Hold for a moment.
Slowly release.
One more.
Inhale into your belly.
Hold a moment.
Exhale slowly.
Dearest one,
There was a day your life changed,
Though you may not have known it at the time.
You came home one day with a puppy or a dog.
They were new and unknown.
You were new to them.
Police began to pass,
And knowingly or unknowingly,
They forever changed you and your life.
The word dog is so short and simple to really capture the enormity of what they are and the impact they have.
The word dog conjures up emotions and memories immediately.
You name them and give them nicknames.
A love affair begins with them,
With ourselves as their companion,
And experiencing the world and life in a new way.
They are a companion and then more.
Co-pilot,
Best friend,
Teacher,
Child,
Healer,
Soulmate.
They become family,
And you become intertwined.
A great love blooms.
They show us how to love and how to live.
Take a moment to inhale deeply and slowly.
Hold your breath a moment.
Slowly exhale.
Inhale again slowly into your belly,
Feeling the nourishing oxygen.
Hold your breath a moment.
And slowly exhale.
Do this one more time.
Breathe in deeply.
Hold.
Release.
Together,
You learned to love,
To nurture,
To trust.
Through them,
You met new people,
Went new places,
And participated in new activities.
Your life and heart became wider and fuller.
You spoke in a new voice and language shared just with them.
Each ordinary day became a shared adventure.
Routines of walks and meals were established.
You grew accustomed to the little signs of their presence.
Jingling tags,
Drinking at the water bowl,
Their breathing.
Through your dog's presence,
You became a better human,
A better version of yourself.
These remind us to see the beauty and goodness in life and in ourselves.
They raise our vibration with their beautiful energy.
Take a moment now to gather your candle and matches.
Create your candle in honor of your beloved pet and let the glow fill your space,
Symbolic of their presence and continuing love.
Settle back as we begin the meditation.
Grief causes us to breathe more shallowly.
Breathe in deeply now,
Belly rising.
Hold a moment,
Then release with a sigh.
Again,
Deep breath into the belly and hold and release with a sigh.
Just deep breath in,
Hold,
Exhale,
Sighing out of your mouth.
Roll your shoulders slowly,
Releasing any tension there.
Roll your neck or move gently from side to side,
Releasing tightness.
Raise your eyebrows,
Then gently release them.
Now gently close your eyes.
Give your wrists a gentle roll and then do the same with your ankles,
Giving them a slow roll.
Just one direction,
Then the opposite direction.
Let your breath flow normally,
Allowing yourself a deep breath if your chest feels tight.
Greet yourself in kindness and in love.
Place a hand on your tender heart.
Allow your imagination to take you along a path that appears now in front of you.
You are walking through fields of beautiful flowers in full bloom.
As far as you can see,
There is color.
The air is filled with melodic birdsong.
You hear bees buzzing.
A warm breeze ruffles your hair.
The sound of water from a stream reaches your ears.
You feel the warmth of the sun on your face.
You are moving up a hill with no effort as if transported.
Ahead,
You see a walled garden.
Roses are cascading over an arched entryway.
The entry gate swings open.
And as you step inside,
A beautiful white light appears as a small orb guiding you into the middle of a grassy area.
This light begins to expand and fill the area in the most beautiful way,
Surrounding you.
You breathe in and are filled with a sense of peace.
As you look around,
You see another gate nearby.
The gate opens and there is your beloved pet coming toward you.
They come up to you and you are reunited.
Your arms wrap around them.
You breathe in their scent and look into their face and eyes.
You are both surrounded by this beautiful white light,
Wrapping all around you,
Filling you with love and peace.
This special place has materialized for this brief reunion.
This is a time to tell your pet what you are needing to say and for them to tell you what they need to.
Take this time to talk to your pet,
Letting your heart speak.
Speak out loud if moved to.
I will come back with a soft chime after a couple minutes.
I will come back with a soft chime after a couple minutes.
I will come back with a soft chime after a couple minutes.
I will come back with a soft chime after a couple minutes.
Take a few moments to hug your pet and finish your conversation.
Listen to what they are saying to you.
The garden gates slowly swing open and it is time for each of you to leave.
You watch them leave before you turn to go.
But now you know of this place and can come back to it anytime you desire,
As often as you like.
You slowly walk back along the path through the flower fields and are transported back into your space.
Sit here a moment,
Coming back into your room,
Coming back into your body.
Aware of your back resting against the chair or bed.
Give your fingers a soft move or wiggle.
Move your feet and toes.
Become aware of any sounds around you.
Take a deep breath in now and hold.
Then release with a sigh.
Do this two more times.
Belly rise.
Hold a moment.
Release with a sigh.
Last time,
Belly rise,
Taking in nourishing oxygen.
Hold the breath.
Then sigh it out.
When you are ready,
Gently open your eyes and become aware of the light filling your space from the candle.
A reminder of your beloved pet's presence and love always with you.
I'm sending you so much love and wishes for peace during this difficult time.
Namaste.
An Extra Note This meditation was written from my heart to yours.
I lost my beloved Maggie Mae six years ago.
She was my soulmate and I still cry for missing her.
So I understand your pain and grief.
She was my one in a million heart dog.
This is a very rare dog meant for just one person.
And that dog has just one person meant for them.
When they find each other,
It's as if the sun is always shining and their hearts are filled with happiness and love.
And you are never the same,
Forever changed in the most beautiful way.
Maggie was such a gift and she made me a better person.
This meditation is based on a dream I had where we came together in a garden and had time to tell each other what we wanted to say.
Be kind to yourself,
Come back to this place anytime you need to.
Reach out to people,
Learn about pet grief groups.
Your pet's love is always with you.
Sending you wishes for peace.
Namaste.
Namaste.
