A story written by one of the UK’s leading meditation teachers from his home in County Durham is capturing the hearts and spiritual minds of dog lovers across the globe.
Gary Heads has been practising meditation for more than 30 years and has helped thousands of people find a sense of calm, from those struggling with mental health issues to people wanting to find a way to deal with stress
Now Gary is spreading his message even further with the launch of his characterful new book, ‘The Enlightened Spaniel: A Dog’s Quest to be a Buddhist’, which is told from the point of view of his own pets – Ella and Indi
The charming story of The Enlightened Spaniel unfolds as Indi, the narrator, and Ella set off on a journey to learn about the reason their ‘dad’ meditates. Gary has weaved all his considerable knowledge into a book, which, thanks to its Spaniel storytellers, is an easy to understand, joyful read.
Said Gary: “I’ve taught meditation for years and a lot of the literature around it can be very academic. I wanted to reach a wider audience but I also wanted to write a book that had humour. I didn’t write the book specifically to appeal to anyone with a Springer Spaniel but it naturally appeals to them.”
Gary’s book has been illustrated by Toby Ward, who is widely known for his animated drawings commissioned to record events, such as President Clinton’s visit to Oxford and the work of the UN Peace Keeping Force in Bosnia. He also accompanied HRH The Prince of Wales on his tour of the Gulf States.
Gary has already sold thousands of copies in the UK and as far as America and is seeing his book stocked in major stores, such as Waterstones. He also has more than 4,000 followers on social media, most of them Spaniel lovers.
Added Gary: “I’ve written an academic book but I wanted this one to be fun and at the same time it teaches you about meditation, mindfulness and the teachings of the Buddha. I hope people smile when they read it and look to learn from it and incorporate meditation into their daily lives. Or maybe they’ll just go off and buy a Spaniel!”
Gary has set up his own publishing company, Right Nuisance Publishing, and is already working on a second book about The Enlightened Spaniel and a cat who thinks it only has one life left to lead
Gary will be signing copies of The Enlightened Spaniel at The Mindful Living Show in London on March 15 and 16.