A STORY written by one of the UK’s leading meditation teachers from his home in Hamsterley 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 Mr Heads 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 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. Mr Heads has weaved all his knowledge into a book, which, thanks to its spaniel storytellers, is described as an easy-to-understand joyful read.
Mr Heads said: “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.”
His book has been illustrated by Toby Ward, who is known for his animated drawings commissioned to record events, such as President Clinton’s visit to Oxford and the work of the UN peacekeeping force in Bosnia. He also accompanied The Prince of Wales on his tour of the Gulf States.
Mr Heads 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.
He added: “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.”
Mr Heads has set up a publishing company, Right Nuisance Publishing, and is working on a second book about The Enlightened Spaniel and a cat who thinks it only has one life left to lead.
