Let. Love. Lead

Today is Valentine’s Day, the time we set aside to honor love, relationships and trust in something more than we can experience with our five senses.

Where do you find that something more?

In your heart space. Your Anahata. The energy of Anahata recognizes that we are part of something larger, that we are interconnected within an intricate web of relationships extending through life and the universe.

Heart Dancing is living from this space – this energy. Love and compassion naturally flow through you as you see the world with eyes of acceptance.

You may be drawn out of your heart space by external events or internal stories that trigger a defensive reaction. In those moments, remember that Love is always present, even in the most dense circumstances.

It’s the mantra for all Heart Dancers and the song of all dogs who are in love with their masters.

When you forget, your dog will remind you. Anyone with a close relationship with a dog knows that they live 100% from their Anahata  – their heart space. Love pours forth unconditionally, non-judgmentally and freely. Your dog does not hold back because he is worried or afraid – he gives completely and without hesitation.

Kathryn Eriksen is the creator of Heart Dancing, a way of life that joins the practical with the formless. Drop the Leash is her latest book that teaches us how to live – from a dog’s perspective. Learn more at KathrynEriksen.com.

What is a Dog’s Purpose?

Dogs are unconditional  love. Anyone who has experienced a strong relationship with dogs recognizes that truth. They are unconditional love.

On January 27, 2017, the beloved novel, A Dog’s Purpose, by W. Bruce Cameron will hit the big screens. But a controversy has marred the event and an online petition calls for the filmmakers to donate proceeds to animal welfare organizations.

What does all of that mean for dog lovers who can’t wait to see the movie?

Dennis Quaid, the two-legged star of the movie, said that he “never saw any abuse of any animal. If there had been, I would have walked.”

Watch Quaid’s interview with ET.  Or watch Ellen Degeneres interview Quaid and then make a passionate plea for people to support the movie.

Please don’t believe everything you see in your Facebook feed. Decide for yourself if the controversy is enough for you to not watch a great family movie that tells the truth about dogs.

Dogs are unconditional love. Perhaps more people should model themselves after dogs. It’s just another step in the Heart Dance <3.

What Does Your Dog Know (that you forgot)

Ever notice that your dog returns to love much faster than you? When your dog gets his feelings hurt (if you don’t believe dogs have feelings, this is the point where you jump to another blog post), he will instantly return to adoration the minute you make amends.

Do you do that – return to love after you release the hurt? Or do you hang onto your hurt and nurse it like a cold beverage on a hot day?

The more I paid attention to my dog, the more I realized that I could learn a lot about being love. That is why I decided to write, Drop the Leash: Let Go of the Past and Love in the Present.

The analogy of a leash hits home with many people. It’s one thing to put the leash on your dog to restrain him; quite another when you effectively “leash” your own growth because of your past, limiting stories.

One reader proclaimed that “This book will quickly become a standard ‘training manual’ in many circles…I have already begun flipping my view of the world…”

Drop the Leash is a tongue-in-cheek guide written by a human, as told by a dog, about the dog’s observations of humans. Playful, satirical and wise, the narrator is a sassy dog named Avatar who tells it like it is.

Another person suggested that “If we follow the loving examples of dogs, we can play and experience joy as we were meant to. This story truly touches the heart and a must read for anyone on a spiritual journey.”

To learn more about the book (and see my other products), please visit KathrynEriksen.com.

It’s just another step in the Heart Dance <3.

The Heartbeat of Life

Joey as a puppy.

We have a Dachshund named Joey. Joey is hitting his middle years and has slowed down (and rounded out). He no longer plays like a puppy or runs quickly after squirrels, but he is still the embodiment of love.

I have never been loved so well as by this dog! Every time I walk into the room (even if I was only gone for a minute), he acts like I am his long, lost friend returning from a lengthy trip. Every time I sit down, he is at my feet, wanting to be in my lap. His is my constant companion and gentle reminder of that love comes in many different forms.

The funniest thing Joey does consistently is to find a comfortable place to sleep at night. We just bought new bedroom furniture and of course, I needed a new comforter, pillows, etc. to dress it. The decorative pillows all go on the floor at night, usually jumbled and in no particular order. I didn’t realize that these pillows were important to Joey, until one morning while I was still in bed.

As soon as I moved and stretched, a thumping sound rose from underneath the pillows on the floor. It took me a minute to figure out what it was, because there was nothing to be seen. Only heard. Thump, thump, thump.

As I got out of bed, the thumping increased dramatically. Instead of a gentle sound, it sounded just like the insistent beat of African drums building up to a crescendo of primal tempo.

What was causing that noise? I pulled back one of the pillows scattered on the floor and discovered the answer.

Joey had buried himself under the pillows, creating a cave of sorts. His face grinned up at me, as if saying, “I made this! Isn’t it great?”

It makes me smile every morning to hear the heartbeat of love. When his tail hits the floor as soon as he hears me move in the bed, it reminds me that love is everywhere.

Especially in the tail of a dog.

What Animals Know…And We Have to Learn

We were made from the same energy as animals. We came from the same place – the formless made into form. But animals have a different take on life than humans.  Why is that?

The answer lies in their sight.

Not their eyesight, but what they see. Not physically, but spiritually. Yes, I believe that animals have a direct connection to God, the Divine, the Source. Whether you call that a spiritual connection is a quibble over semantics. My feeble brain could not come up with another word, so please feel free to substitute your own for “spiritual.”

For the sake of this discussion, let’s focus on dogs and what they see.

When you share your home with a dog, you know love. It lies in their eyes, shining bright and true. When those eyes are focused on you, you see it – Divine Love. It is pure, unadulterated and clean. Nothing filters it or transforms it into something it was not.  It just is.

People have the same capacity to love – without judgment or criticism. Then why don’t we?

I discovered the answer in a post online. Instead of trying to explain it  myself, I thought I would share it with you.

http://pinterest.com/pin/110619734572440124/
We can learn many lessons in love from animals. What have you learned?