Don’t overdo.
The Surgeon General recommends that
inspiration
for optimal health, people exercise 150
minutes each week at moderate inten-
sity. The AVMA reports that “Dogs will
exercise past the point of exhaustion
to please a beloved companion,” and
advises us to be sensitive to their health
and comfort.
Be safe.
Always keep these guidelines in mind:
• Don’t run with a dog just before
he eats or after he has eaten.
• Face oncoming traffic; this puts a
heeling dog on your left,
away from cars or bikes.
Rules for Kindness
• Check paw pads for signs of
irritation or bleeding. Pavement
is hard on a dog’s feet; grass
by sharon salzberg
and dirt are kinder. Summer-hot
asphalt and concrete can burn
sensitive feet, and snow can
. All along the walls of
cause frostbite.
i
was leading a meditation group in the Washington, D.C. area, and we had
rented an elementary school auditorium for the day
the corridors were posted rules for being kind. During the breaks in the day, I
•
would just stand and read them, again and again.
Carry water for both of you, and
The rules posted there rest upon principles like dissolving the rigid boundaries
offer some every 20 minutes.
we hold between ourselves and others, including rather than excluding, recog-
• Watch for signs of overheating,
nizing that our actions and words are consequential, and being thoughtful. They
such as heavy panting or
seemed so simple, yet like many simple truths, if we were to live them, rather than
salivating, and stop immediately
merely admire them, they could change our life, whatever our age.
if you observe these, cooling your
pet slowly with cool, not cold,
Carderock elementary school rules for being kind
water. The best times to exercise
• Treat people the way you would like to be treated.
are early morning or evening.
• Don’t jog daily; canine muscles
• Play fair.
and joints, too, need to rest
• Respect everyone—other students and all staff.
and recuperate.
• Everyone can play.
• Help others when they need help.
Fitness is more fun when a buddy’s
along and the health benefits abound.
• Don’t hurt others on the inside or the outside.
• Honor all of the pillars of ethics.
Learn more at AVMA.org and
RunThePlanet.com/trainingracing/
training/dogs.
One of the most provocative and poignant of these rules for me was “every-
one can play.” As I practiced this tenet, I noticed more hints of loneliness in those I
encountered than I had seen before, more subtle echoes of that forlorn child than I
expected. Including others was often like watching something unfurl and begin to
flower. In making a point of including others in conversation, with real regard, in a
fullness of attention, I felt some subtle walls within me dissolve, as well. There was a
growing sense of rightness, of balance, because after all, everyone should get to play.
Each of us will do well to experiment with these rules, perhaps one a week or
one a month, to emphasize them. Even if you already live your life according to
these tenets, consciously choosing to focus on them can be enlivening, opening
and, at times, surprising.
Adapted excerpt from The Kindness Handbook by Sharon Salzberg. Connect at
SharonSalzberg.com.
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