My dog is THE best dog… I know everyone thinks that…but he really is THE best dog!!
Now don’t get me wrong, he has his issues. He’s noise sensitive, does everything on his own terms (although I have a healthy respect for that – he was abandoned so in my book he’s entitled), he scavenges, chases pigeons out of the garden when he thinks I’m not looking, and has now developed an aversion to getting into the car!!
But first and foremost he is adorable, smart, funny and so cheeky!! He knows what time to get up and loves a morning cwtch, he communicates in a myriad of different ways, primarily knowing how to ask for a tummy rub, food and his welcome home is made of stuff of legends. He is also the most dignified dog I have ever met, and I think, more than a little Zen…
Aside from all this he has me wrapped around his little paw…He is my boy...
Anyway…the other day, I found myself watching him, it was the way he looked that made me stop and study him for a while. He was in his bed, one of those fluffy doughnut ones, with his chin resting on the side and I could tell that he was somewhere else in his head.
He was staring out though the patio doors into the garden and I leant over to try and see if he was watching something, thinking there might be a pigeon trespassing in “his” garden, or similar, but there was nothing. I looked at him more closely and realised his look was way beyond the garden.
Was he thinking...? Planning how he could get even more ear tickles, tummy rubs, treats or chicken with his dinner…? Or perhaps how he’d really like to give that pigeon something to think about…!! But I could tell he wasn’t really here…he wasn’t present…there was nothing considered in his gaze, no intent, no conscious thought going on - he wasn’t thinking…!! So where was he…?
Was he back in the open fields of rural France where I found him…? Was he chasing some form of wildlife that he would never ever catch…? Was he imagining a future amazing walk, or having nothing but chicken for breakfast, dinner and tea…Guard dog of the year…?
I guess I’ll never know where he was or what he was seeing, but what I believe is that he was day dreaming…
People daydream for approx. 46% of the day…!!! Going to that place you go when you’re not here, when your mind takes off on flights of fancy to other times, places and things…when you’re operating on auto pilot…
...although this can be a bit alarming when you’re driving and arrive at your destination not remembering all the journey. But, your brain is smart and when action is needed it switches back to manual and you’re in the moment again and reacting normally.
Then there’s the type of daydreaming where we intentionally let our minds wander into either future imaginings or simply into flow allowing free thought for ideas and insights to pop up. I’ve had my best insights into myself and some really great ideas when out walking with my dog, my mind in flow.
I just love daydreaming and I can actually feel my brain relaxing sometimes and that’s only one of the benefits! It’s scientifically proven https://nakedreverie.com/the-scientifically-proven-benefits-of-daydreaming/ that it can:
· Relieve stress, tension and anxiety
· Promote creativity
· Promote more efficient problem solving and improved memory
But what is daydreaming actually? It’s when our minds wander away from the task at hand, whether that’s a physical task, for example washing up, or a mental task such as reading, and our attention shifts to another place in our minds. In this place we can remember/replay events of the past, run through/envisage events of the present, or envisage future events.
Envisaging future events can have a positive impact on manifesting in your life, as positive future daydreaming is a form of creative visualisation. This is a wonderful process using mental imagery to create change in your life, this process and so much more can be found in my Activating Alchemy Programme - Self Discovery and Transformation to create a life you love…
The following is an extract from the programme in Magical Meanderings - Day Dreaming and Dreaming Big...
“Day dreaming is that place of stillness and quiet where our thoughts are free to roam, to fantasise, to explore, to reconnect us with our dreams, ambitions and aspirations to wander around the magical places at the end of “What if…?” helping us to explore our imaginings of living a life we love. The realm of daydreaming…
Daydreaming not only helps to reconnect us to what we want but it is also good for our mind health as it clears the way for new insights, awareness and creativity to drift to the surface. Daydreaming also allows our thinking to expand beyond the realms of possibility where connections can be made between all sorts of random notions, information and inklings.
In the world of creativity daydreaming is said to be the “Magical Elixir of Genius”.
Sarah Fletcher (Quiet Mind Meditation)”
So, if you’re looking to boost your creativity, gain some insights, be a little more Zen or create a life you love then remember to daydream, just like you did when you were a kid, about who you wanted to be and the infinite realms of possibility.
The biggest adventure you can take is to live the life of your dreams – Dream Big !!
And maybe…just maybe, dogs can dream big too. I’d love to think so….
They dream when they sleep, their legs twitching and barking in little yips- soo cute!! And while there is no scientific evidence that dogs daydream, I know what I saw and I recognised that distant look in his eyes, the somewhere else look. Well, wherever he goes and whatever he sees, I hope it's amazing and has the same effect for him as it does for us...
Dream Big my Boy...
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