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So here is a confession. I am an awful sleeper. Like insomniac level. I wake up if my neighbour four doors down closes his bathroom door. It impacts my life to the point I dread going to bed. I have worked for decades on my sleep and pain management, studied it, even taught it. But then...I have my dog as a daily reminder it's possible to instantly fall asleep. He can be deep asleep despite falling half off the couch. Snoring while he is a millimetre away from smacking his head on the floor. Not a care in the world. I want to be more like him. Like so unbothered that i can fall asleep upside down. 😆 But I do notice when I have a very wobbly day health wise, he grounds me out. He seeks me out to calm my nervous system. He co-regulates me. And I am beyond thankful for that. Never trained him to do that. He just offers. No lecture. No advice. Just does and role models. So deeply deeply grateful for him. How does your dog regulate you? Dogs are magic. Much love, Birdy 💛

One thing I’ve noticed lately: Dogs are often better at “being” than humans. A dog can spend just quite a while just lying in the sun. Sniff the same patch of grass with complete sincerity. Play wholeheartedly. Greet you the 100s time that day. Feel something… then move on. Humans? We struggle to sit in silence for 3 minutes without reaching for stimulation. Maybe part of why dogs regulate us isn’t just oxytocin or companionship. Maybe they are constantly modelling a different rhythm of life. Slower.More sensory.More present.More embodied.Less mentally fragmented. Sometimes I wonder if dogs are quietly trying to teach us:“You don’t need to be productive every second to belong here.” And maybe that’s why nervous systems soften around them. Not because dogs demand perfection.But because they invite presence. Honestly, I think many humans are chronically overstimulated and under-rested.Dogs may be one of the last beings still trying to pull us back toward simplicity. What do you think dogs teach humans best? 🐾

....I get to chat with Bow Wow Bill on his podcast! 🤩 So if you wanna join us live, it's on 10 am, Thursday 21.5. Sydney Time. It would be so lovely to have you there to join us! 💛

Hey folks, apparently someone is spamming you pretending to be me. Thank you @Susan Cleveland and @Melanie Sweeney for the heads up. Can you please take a screenshot and send it to me? Thank you and I’m so sorry for the inconvenience I’m trying to find out who it is. 🙏💛🙏