How to be more like your dog with ‘Wu Wei’
Humans love to complicate life. Many of us say that we want a simple life, yet often, our life is anything but this wish. There are many reasons for this. They could be economic, political, relationship, health, or personal development. We could have suffered trauma in our past and are habitually living a life of drama. Some of us consciously choose to have a busy life. Our dogs live alongside us. They have their own inner life yet find themselves within our story. We often have choices within our life. Our dogs rely upon us and have much less choice. We choose when they eat, toilet and often when and where they experience nature, when the sleep and who they socialise with. This is just the way it is, and this article is not to assert any blame or shame. It asks, how can we truly simplify our lives within the eye of the storm – amidst the drama of life and therefore make things better for our dogs?
Without getting overly political, the world is in flux at this moment. Systems are changing and there is an air of ‘chaos’ in many spheres. War, threat of food shortages and inflation are mentioned often in the news. Human relationships have never been easy and now, many are feeling a strain. When it comes to our dogs, they feel it too. Because our emotional life affects our dogs through their senses and physiological beingi , it is helpful to be mindful of our expression of stress. We are all individuals, dogs included. You may feel that none of the above resonates with you. Hang on though. Everyone can benefit from learning how ‘doing nothing’ with your dog is not the pursuit of sloth.
I grew up with a father who was always reading books about esoteric life. One of the authors I remember most is Wu Wei Wu, who’s real name was Terence James Stannus Gray. He started as a playwright and then went on to write several books about philosophy and metaphysics. His name literally means ‘doing nothing doing.’ His name has stuck in my head. I have read many books about esoteric beliefs and metaphysical philosophy, but I have not yet read his — yet. The ‘path’ of learning is not always straightforward, and this is a good thing! It takes the pressure off us and our dogs. Our relationship with ourselves and with our dogs is not usually linear in nature.
‘The Way never acts yet nothing is left undone’. This is the paradox of wu wei. It doesn’t mean not acting, it means ‘effortless action’ or ‘actionless action’. iiIn other words, it doesn’t mean to ‘…fall into laziness or apathy…’ – instead, this way of being encourages us to relax enough that we can ‘go with the flow,’ like water or be a bit like a person who has had a wee drink. But not to literally drink! Be alert, yet fluid. Be present, but not intense. Can you imagine feeling this way when ‘doing nothing’ with your dog? Or, even when you are doing ‘something?’
‘It means being at peace while engaged in the most frenetic tasks so that one can carry these out with maximum skill and efficiency. Something of the meaning of ’wu wei’ is captured when we talk of being ‘in the zone’ – at one with what we are doing, in a state of profound concentration and flow.’iii
To me, this means letting go of expectations, assumptions, and planning things — whether you are walking with your dog, sitting beside them, lying on the bed with them or just sharing a space with your best friend. In my own life, I have felt ‘wu wei’ when I practiced the Japanese martial art of Aikido. I was going to the Aikido dojo regularly when we adopted our Westie, Bonnie at age six months, from my Mum. Because of this practice, I think that I was able to bond with Bonnie in a very real way. I really had no expectations of her. I followed her cues when walking through the deserted play parks in our neighbourhood and felt ‘at one’ with her. If you can harness this feeling, the closest I can describe it to be like, is when dancing or sex is joyful – you are paradoxically very much in your body but not focused on yourself:
‘Wu wei’ is closely connected to the Daoist reverence for the natural world, for it means striving to make our behaviour as spontaneous and inevitable as certain natural processes, and to ensure that we are swimming with rather than against currents. We are to be like the bamboo that bends in the wind or the plant that adjusts itself to the shape of a tree.’Wu wei’ involves letting go of ideals that we may otherwise try to force too violently onto things; it invites us instead to respond to the true demands of situations, which tend only to be noticed when we put our own ego-driven plans aside.iv
Modern life often includes tasks that feel separate from each other. Working either inside or outside of the home, cooking, caregiving (children, parents), walking our dog, hobbies etc. When we are doing one thing, we are likely thinking of what’s next. We may be remembering something from the recent past – a conversation, or how our dog reacted to a situation and how that could happen again. ‘Wu wei’ is urging us to be open to the unknown.v While observation is important, really seeing your dog is the point. This means letting go of ideas of perception and being open to what is in front of you.
If you think about it, dogs can’t be anything else but ‘wu wei.’ Their state of being is honest and their reactions pure. They do bend in the wind, like the bamboo and flow like water. Like us, they can have baggage. But unlike us, they are not thinking about themselves. When humans are in the early days of love, our focus is solely on the person in question. We are not looking at our phones, zoning out and thinking about someone else, or checking the news headlines. All relationships must come out of this intense state and become more comfortable yet many of us seem addicted to distractions. It’s part of our popular culture but we can practice and make a habit of ‘wu wei’ at any point.
Just like any new way of doing things, starting out slow and regular is the easiest. Like our other #slowdogmovementphilosophy ideas, taking the time to sit with your dog, allowing your dog to lead and be free to move on a ‘slow walk’ or trying to integrate #oneminuteofslow into your relationship with your dog – it’s all about creating the best life for you and your dog.
Whatever helps you remember ‘wu wei’ — the feeling of fresh love, the swaying bamboo, flowing like water, feeling tipsy or simply, watching your dog for his Daoist essence, I urge you to try this one on.
i Long-term stress levels are synchronized in dogs and their owners, Ann-Sofie Sundman, Enya Van 11 ii Poucke, Ann-Charlotte Svensson Holm, Åshild Faresjö, Elvar Theodorsson, Per Jensen & Lina S. V. Roth Scientific Reports volume 9, Article number: 7391 (2019): https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019- 43851-x
ii https://www.theschooloflife.com/article/wu-wei-doing-nothing/
iii https://www.theschooloflife.com/article/wu-wei-doing-nothing/
iv https://www.theschooloflife.com/article/wu-wei-doing-nothing/