My dog eats poop. I know. Disgusting. Maybe more so since I decided to write about it, but it got your attention. Gracie is the most adorable four-month-old labradoodle. She has a sweet personality, is loving and very sociable with people and other dogs. And, she has this one unpleasant habit. It’s not uncommon in dogs. For humans, yuck! For me, it means extra practice, patience, and persistence in training her. I go outside with her consistently and wait for her to go. She’s learning the “leave it” cue and I reward her for doing so. Then I make sure everything is scooped up and cleared away. I still think she’s perfect. Gracie’s behavior got me thinking…we all eat poop from time to time.

I was in a morning yoga class and breathing through a challenging pose when I started to tell myself, “I can’t do this.” I realized then, I was eating poop! Each time I consume negative thinking and entertain ideas that are limiting, I eat poop. Every time we believe we can’t or should/shouldn’t or have to. Poop. Anytime we believe we’re not good enough, smart enough, or loveable, or fill in the blank. Poop. Each time we forget that at our core we are spiritual beings, we are creative expressions of divine intelligence and, like Gracie, perfect in our imperfection. Poop. Each time we let fear lead, or compare ourselves to others, or engage in some self-loathing behavior…we eat poop.

Just as I pay close attention to Gracie’s behavior, I can pay close attention to my thoughts. When I do, I can choose loving, nurturing thoughts and leave the negative ones untouched. This too takes practice, patience, and persistence. I decided on the mat that morning to be gentle with myself and to be grateful. Grateful I am strong and getting stronger and to honor myself for being there no matter how it went. Grateful I was practicing in a beautiful studio, the sunlight filtering in. In the gratitude I felt stronger, lighter, and happier. I put less pressure on myself to be perfect and stopped eating poop. I accepted where I was in the moment and that made my practice feel easier. Oh, I still felt challenged in places and lost my balance some…but that’s why it’s called practice.

Eating poop may not be harmful for puppies but eating our own poop by way of thoughts and beliefs that make us feel bad can literally make us sick. I’m grateful for Gracie and her unpleasant behavior. I’m finding it easier to change my thoughts each time I think about eating poop.

Namaste