Walking through the park one morning, I came upon a dog who was running full out in a wide circle in a grassy area. He ran round and round for the pure joy of running. He was all by himself, not running with another dog, not chasing a squirrel – just racing around in a wide circle as fast as he possibly could, again and again. It was an absolute delight to watch him, as he was an embodiment of unfettered joy in his physical experience. He went round and round, his tail wagging occasionally, head straight forward, body elongated and tongue lolling. He was definitely a happy dog and his enthusiasm was infectious.

As I walked on, I noticed that the experience of the dog’s enthusiasm stayed with me, as did the smile on my face. This dog really knew how to grab hold of the moment and life it to the fullest! I carried him with me throughout the day and found myself thinking about what it would be like to take on a practice of engaging life as fully as this dog.

And so, for this week’s experiment, I invite you to pay attention to how you engage the present moment. Do you allow yourself to fully experience those moments when your body enjoys walking, jumping, doing whatever activity you may find yourself involved in doing? What the dog had was a full-blown, full-body experience – holding nothing back, fully being there. Are there times you can be this way? Are there times you can bring your full self to your physical experience, to the pure delight in your senses?

As you explore this experiment, be sure to do so with an open mind, with curiosity, and with a healthy dose of self-acceptance. To be fully present to our senses is a gift of being alive, and I invite you to fully immerse yourself in them.