Mowgli the Dien Cham Junky!

Mowgli loves the woods (at Raymondskills Waterfalls, PA)

 
Mowgli's Every-day Dien Cham Protocol
regulation/general equilibrium
relaxation/calming
third eye/cervical vertebrae/psychological balance. 

Mowgli's Recent Crisis 
When his digestion was off three weeks ago, I added the following:

• Points treating infections 
• Liver  
• and at times I worked almost the entire face, representing the entire body looking for sensitive areas.   

It was a bit stressful because it took him quite some time to return to normal.  Because he was as tail wagging as usual if a bit weaker than normally at times, we decided he did not not need a vet.  We watched him very closely, however.

What Happened? It all started after R. gave him a special treat.  We believe it may have been the reason for diarrhea, throwing up as well as lack of appetite; then at one point, he was not pooping at all (that worried me the most) although he had eaten.  We stopped giving him wet food, but gave him white rice with a bit of dry food, or cooked chicken.  Every day it was a slightly different story; we went with the flow, and I doubled up on the facial sessions to at least twice a day and added belly rubs; the walks were shortened.  

Dogs are Known to Eat Grass to Throw up.  However, I have never heard of dogs eating wilted leaves.  Well, during his crisis, Mowgli did.  He seemed to pick them with great care.  This resulted in him throwing up immediately.  I concluded he was self-medicating and I felt reassured about him not needing a vet.  Together we could handle the situation.  It lasted for about a week.  His water intake always seemed normal.  And again, there was his wagging tail, indicating "cheerfulness."  Of course, I am aware that dogs do not necessarily show pain (survival mechanism), however I have seen him with his tail between his legs in the past.  This scenario was different and obviously less severe, nevertheless seeing him not completely well off resulted in some worries.   
     

Working the lower jaw...

starting with the ears, also often ending with them.

The below photos were taken at the beginning of the summer when all was well.  

Help - Mowgli has Turned into a Dien Cham Junky!  Giving Mowgli Dien Cham Facial Reflexology sessions daily for the last couple of years resulted in him being a Dien Cham-junky, I am afraid.  Of course, I am not seriously complaining.  I am loving it.  Even some paw reflexology and some stretches have been added. 
Often he immediately falls into what I call a purr that sounds like some very deep ujaii breath (ocean breath).
 

Starting The Day with Dien Cham
Mowgli gets a session in the morning prior to our walk in the park.  When he shows no interest in getting up, when I am ready to leave, he is signaling that he has 
a. not had the session yet or 
b. he has had the session but he is so relaxed that it will take him a bit longer to get up. 

Scheduling Mowgli's Morning Session
The ideal scenario is to do it as soon as I get out of bed, so right after I am done with my own session in bed.  That way he has time to relax.  Sometimes he falls asleep again or starts lazily grooming himself.  
But then when I am at the door (20 minutes later), he is ready, too; just a quick asana (upward/downward dog as you can imagine) and we are off to Central Park for off-leash hours and Chi Gong.    
 
It is a bit annoying when I am in a rush, but then I remind myself that it only takes a minute and honestly, I am smitten.  I love working on my pet son (yes, that is how I sometimes refer to him; fellow dog owners know what I am talking about.  Pets are our children, they depend on us).  

Educating Fellow Dog Owners
Sometimes, I demonstrate the protocol to fellow dog owners.  The issue might come up when they comment on how mellow Mowgli is and how different their dog is.  When I start with the area where the ears attach to the face they usually tell me that they do that as well, but then of course I move on to other areas. 

Difference between Dien Cham vs. Petting
- using a bit more pressure (than if you were just petting) unless the dog is very sensitive 
- duration: a few seconds only 
- areas reflexed very deliberately
- customizing if needed
  As Marie-France Muller puts it; our pets are an extension of ourselves; they reflect us.  
And as Sharon Gannon (Jivamukti Yoga) puts it if I am not mistaken the relationship between owners and their pet children should be 50/50.  At home we often talk about the 50/50.  This concept has been a great guide.  I feel very guilty, for example if I have to rush in the morning and Mowgli only gets a short walk; I make up for it by taking him for a long (possibly off-leash) walk at night, etc.  Vive Mowgli!  Vive le Dien Cham.  (Please, forgive me in case my French is a bit off.)

Birgit Nagele, ARCB, LVCHT™
Reflexology, LV Chair Yoga, Employee Wellness Online (new

web: http://ban-chi.net/