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| Artist Noula Diamantopoulos and Leonardo. |
What are you up to this
weekend? Is chillaxing with the non-humans in your life on the agenda?
There’s no doubt that the
presence of an animal can be calming. SAT spoke to artist Noula Diamantopoulos
who mediates with her dog Leonardo.
What is your day job?
I am an artist and psychotherapist. I have three
website profiles: the Studio of Spontaneous Creativity here, the Corporate Buddha (here) and the Mosaic Art School of Sydney (here).
Why do you meditate?
I use art as a way of accessing our intuition and
to awaken our imagination so that we can experience more of who we are.
How did you meet Leonardo?
I have been meditating for almost 18 years and my
meditation practice today is different to when I first began. Today it’s about
connecting with the great unknown, the field of unlimited potentiality as named
by Deepak Chopra. The state that we access when we meditate is clarity. That’s
my experience. In this State of clarity I feel I understand what my place is on
this planet, what I am here to do and how to be.
How does he help you
meditate?
Leonardo is the
first dog I have ever had and I met him at Leichhardt Pet Shop which no longer
sells pets. He was about 3.5 months old when I met him. I had no intention of
buying a dog however I knew this little fellow was one the moment I left the
store without him. I went back the next day and brought him home - that was 7
years ago. He comes to the studio with me every day and the only time we are
apart is when I travel interstate.
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| Leonardo settles down for a session... |
What does he do
when you mediate?
Leonardo is very used to meditating with me. Every
day at the studio we have a small meditation group that meets at 9.15am. We meditate for approximately 20
minutes - different kinds of mediations each time - never the same. We are in a
semi-circle and Leonardo has several cushions to choose from. As soon as we
start the music and close our eyes he props himself on a cushion and lays
silently until we finish.
Sometimes he moves quietly around us as if checking
in before he sits on his cushion. He is not disturbed if we chant or if we
sound. He is the ultimate expression of chilled.
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| ...and proves very adept at relaxing. |
Do you think there is a
unique benefit in meditating with animals?
We are all energy
beings including animals. Leonardo brings a gentleness to the space, a feeling
of safety even. I feel that by meditating with an animal that a different
connection is created between us. It’s energetically different to all the other
activities that are normally shared with a pet.
Aside from meditating,
how else do you and Leonardo spend time together?
Leonardo attends all my in house workshops. He
makes friends easily with people and speeds up the 'getting to know you
process'. He also attends all my holistic coaching/psychotherapy sessions
because he brings a calming force to my clients. Many of them like to pat him
whilst we are in session and other just like having him around because it
creates a sense or normality to the session.
And of course we do the regular stuff like walking
and hanging out on the lounge and chasing birds, or possums and playing with
other dogs.
Thank you Noula for sharing. Do you share an activity with your dog? Let us know!
