What exactly is Pug Yoga?

I know my pug does not really do yoga, he just hangs out and acts like a very small security guard that sneezes on everything. But what exactly is Pug Yoga?

Pug yoga means two things to me. One, it is exactly what it sounds like. Yoga with a pug around. Bentley is responsible for getting me outside. Having to walk him forces me to stop and take a moment to JUST BE outside. Have you ever walked a pug? Annoying. Imagine walking backwards in zigzags and circles while stopping to sniff everything twice. Sometimes he just decides to plop down and take a break. Bentley does not care if I have things to do, when he is on the leash, it's his time. If you have ever had a Pug then you know that when a Pug does not want to go somewhere, you are not going anywhere. Usually I just pick him up and carry him. I learned to take Bentley to places where he could roam off-leash and I could get some solitude. We started wandering into San Diego’s open canyon spaces and one day I brought my yoga mat. That is where it all began. It has become a sacred ritual that has done so much for my well-being. I will explain more about that later, but that is the genesis of Pug Yoga.

Secondly, Pug Yoga represents imperfection. A lot of times when people think of Yoga they automatically imagine a fit young supermodel with skin tight pants who can walk on her hands with her feet behind her head while simultaneously meditating and chanting. That is not me. That is not yoga. Yoga is multifaceted, like each one of us. I am not defined by one single area of my life. I am the mother of teen dragons, daughter, sister, caretaker of a pug, yogi, student, health care worker, cashier, driver, cook, friend, lover, maid and the list goes on. Today I am a first time blogger! The reasons why each of us do yoga, or any type of self-care, is different. Reasons can change. Most days I do yoga to combat the effects of chronic sitting. Sometimes I do it to find inner strength or simply to find respite from all the noise. Sometimes to work on my stamina. A lot of times I just lay on the mat and soak in the sunshine while playing with my phone. Practicing yoga does not have to be perfect. You do not have to be thin or as flexible as Gumby. Yoga can teach you how to flow through life gracefully, with reverence and strength, even if you are a Pug and not a Rhodesian Ridgeback. Sometimes when I am in downward dog pose Bentley encroaches on the mat and decides its naptime (Savasana). Sometimes the phone rings and I have to stop. Life is a compilation of interrupted twists and turns, and yoga helps me to be a bit more like a pug and just go with the flow.

Each pug yoga session is unique and full of its own interruptions, distractions, thoughts and scenery. Each sunrise brings new blessings, challenges and emotions. This blog is a way for me to share, express and explore myself and the things that happen around me. If you choose to follow along with Bentley and me, I hope you take away a little bit of pug-inspiration for your own journey around the sun.

Yoga is not about touching your toes, it is what you learn on the way down. ~Jigar Gor

Namaste.