I just got this list from Crystal, and I had to share it with you.

(Crystal runs customer support for me.)

She’s heard from many of you who are taking advantage of the $5 per book holiday special on “How to Meditate with Your Dog” for your holiday list … and you’re being really creative in who you get the book for.

Are any of these people in your life on your holiday list?

After all, dog lovers come in all ages, relations, and professions.

Get “How to Meditate with Your Dog” as a $5 holiday gift for:

best friend
office Secret Santa
doctor
veterinarian
favorite waitress (love that idea, what a tip!)
neighbor
dog park friends (you can start your own meditation group)
hairstylist
banker
mailman/woman
favorite checkout clerk
favorite librarian
teacher
bus driver
hostess gift
church staff
priest/minister/rabbi
animal shelter staff
pet store owner
dog walker
dog sitter
nurse
hot dog vendor (a New Yorker thought of that one!)
boss
coworkers
book club members
exercise partners
bartender (a dog walked into a bar and started meditating …)
doorman (another New Yorker)
security guard
high school janitor
football coach
swimming coach
band leader
principal
yoga instructor
science teacher
brother
sister
mother
father
grandfather
grandmother
stepmother
stepfather
stepbrother
stepsister
brother-in-law
sister-in-law
mother-in-law
sister-in-law
cousin
daughter
son

Can you believe that? Dog lovers are everywhere.

Get your $5 copies (up to twenty) at

http://www.howtomeditatewithyourdog.com

Much peace, love, and Aloha to you this holiday season,

PS: Join me and Maui for a live group meditation on Christmas Eve Eve! Everyone who gets at least one book during this $5 Holiday Special will be invited via email later this month. I’ll tell you more about it later, but here’s the link now:

http://www.howtomeditatewithyourdog.com

Are you still Christmas shopping? If so, I have the perfect gift at the perfect price.

I got the idea at the mall over Thanksgiving weekend. I was so overwhelmed by the high prices and commercialism - even here on Maui - that I left without buying anything.

But the trip was worth it, because I got a great idea for Christmas.

It inspired me to work out a way that you can get my book - which is normally $16.95 in bookstores - for only $5 through this special deal from my distributor.

http://www.howtomeditatewithyourdog.com

If you have wanted my book “How to Meditate with Your Dog” but haven’t had enough money or have put it off for one reason or another, this holiday season is the time to buy a copy for yourself and one for every dog lover on your list.

Here’s why:

Right now I am able to sell directly to you - no middleman bookseller - for just $5 per book, plus shipping.

Since the book costs $16.95 in stores and $12 + shipping on Amazon, this is a really good deal.

(Shipping for one book is $6, and the more you order, the less you pay per book. For instance, shipping two books costs $8, and ten books costs $12, and twenty books costs $15, or $.75 per book.)

Would you like to give your dog loving friends a gift that “keeps on giving” for a lifetime … but only costs you $5?

These days $5 doesn’t get you much more than a trinket or a box of candy (I found that out at the mall on Friday).

But with this deal my distributor is so generously extending, you get

1. a beautiful hardcover book that shows a cover price of $16.95, (your friends will think you spent three times as much as you actually did)
2. an hour-long meditation cd that comes with the book for free (a $10 value)
3. a simple, non-dogmatic (pun intended) way to connect with your pooch and yourself, resulting in better health (lower blood pressure, an increase in good brain chemicals and a decrease in bad brain chemicals, peaceful feelings, and much more) and a calmer, more relaxed, less anxious dog.
4. because I use personal stories about Maui to illustrate every super simple step of meditation instruction, readers tell me that this is “not a boring how-to book”
5. a fun, simple, easy way (and free - meditation costs nothing once you know how) to connect more deeply to your own life (there is no religion or spiritual teacher that does not include meditation or some form of silent prayer as a core practice)
6. peace of mind knowing that your gift will really contribute to your loved one’s life, not gather dust in a closet or pile extra pounds on their thighs

You can’t buy the book anywhere else for $5, and it’s all because of a crazy idea I had on a bad trip to the mall.

I didn’t think my distributor would help me out, but they are. I’m really grateful for this opportunity, which would not be possible without them.

This is my Christmas gift to you. I hope you get a copy for yourself and one for every dog lover on your list.

Then I hope you and your canine companion join me and Maui on Christmas Eve Eve for a very special group meditation (I’ll tell you more about it in another email).

Let’s spend Christmas doing something that really makes a difference, and let’s *not* spend a fortune on it.

I can’t believe I can sell my beautiful gift book at stocking stuffer prices - only $5 per book - but as my friend Mary (a minister) always says,

“Christmas miracles happen all year round.”

Visit this website to get your copies today and see a cuuute Christmas picture of me, Molly and Maui:

http://www.howtomeditatewithyourdog.com

Even if you only get one book for yourself, you are still saving a lot of money over other options.

http://www.howtomeditatewithyourdog.com

Much peace, love, and Aloha to you this holiday season,

James

PS: By the way, since you are buying through me, not a bookstore, I can offer you an unconditional money-back guarantee. If for some reason you are unhappy or unsatisfied with the book, just let me know within 30 days and I will refund every penny (and you can keep the book). I’m a member of the Better Business Bureau here in Hawaii and online, and I will always stand by this promise. Get your copies here:
http://www.howtomeditatewithyourdog.com

PPS: Group sales (more than 20 books) are possible through this arrangement, too. If you know an animal shelter or other organization - or a dog trainer or pet sitter - who would like a lot of copies of my book to give away as premiums or holiday gifts, just let us know here:
http://www.howtomeditatewithyourdog.com

I love Thanksgiving.

Any holiday that is only about the food is OK by me (I think Maui agrees with me).

As I have been making my “Gravy List” this month, (a list of all the things I am grateful for) I was surprised to find myself writing down

“I am grateful that I didn’t get Maui when I was a little boy.”

Let me explain.

I started asked my parents for a white doggy when I was four, but they never allowed me to have one.

No matter how often I asked, they put it off until “next year.”

They never understood how badly I wanted that little dog. I never did get her. On my tenth birthday - when I was absolutely sure they would give me a dog - they gave me a guinea pig instead.

I’m sorry, but a guinea pig is not a dog.

I was a good kid and I didn’t complain, so I don’t think they ever knew how much that hurt my feelings.

I was so heartbroken every birthday and holiday when I didn’t get a dog. Remembering it makes me a little lonely for that poor kid.

As I got older, I didn’t expect them to get me a dog, and stopped asking. But I never stopped wanting a little, white, bouncy dog to curl up on my lap.

Then, fifteen years ago, I DID get her!

I gave Maui to myself on Valentine’s Day 1993, and I am so grateful that I did.

As an adult, I understand that my parents weren’t being mean - they just didn’t get how important this was.

And if they had given me my dog then … well maybe I would never have found Maui on my own.

And if I didn’t want her so badly for so long, maybe I wouldn’t appreciate her as much as I do now.

Who knows how things would have been different?

As the holiday season progresses, I hope that you get your fondest heart’s desire.

After all, the child in us deserves to get everything he or she wants.

It may not be possible to get what you want, but that doesn’t mean you don’t deserve it.

For a lot of us, the love we share with our dogs (and cats!) is the purest love we’ve ever felt.

I’m grateful for that love every day, but especially on Thanksgiving.

It touches my heart to know you are all out there, watching Maui’s little movie and hugging your own dogs (and cats) like I hug mine.

Wow…I can almost feel all of you spilling over with love for your dogs.

Can you feel that, too?

Take a minute to “tune in” to all the dog lovers reading this.

Isn’t it amazing?

Thank you for that, too.

Happy Thanksgiving.

And if you haven’t watched the movie “Do You Remember Love?” in a while, go see it now. My mother-in-law says it is the perfect way to start the holiday season and remind ourselves of the true meaning of this time of year.

As I’ve been making my list of everything I am grateful for - what Molly calls a “Gravy List” - I’ve been feeling great.

When I focus on what I’m thankful for, life looks pretty awesome.

This morning I thought “What about Maui?”

I hate to leave her out.

So I taped this video version of what I imagine she is grateful for.

Please post a comment and let me know if you are making your own gravy list this month. And if not, why not?

Aloha to you.

In This Issue

A Note from James
How to Make Your Own Gravy List
Favorite Letters of the Month: My Answers, (Video)
Winner of the Pet Communication Drawing: Lynn L.
Pet Communication and Pet Loss Teleseminar with Alecia Evans: Pre-Holiday Gift for You and Your Friends
Dogspirational Quote

A Note from James

Aloha …

It’s November, when even here on Maui things get a little cooler and a little more cuddly as we head into the holiday season.

Molly has started me on a new tradition: writing a Gravy List. We’re each writing down everything we can think of that we appreciate and are grateful for. The person with the longest list on Thanksgiving “wins.”

So I’m starting my Gravy List today. I am grateful for the wonderful birthday celebration (October 30) I experienced yesterday.

I am grateful for Maui, who turns 15 next Tuesday, November 6.

I am grateful for Thanksgiving Day, my favorite holiday on the calendar.

I am grateful for the whole holiday season with my new family and all of my friends.

I am grateful to Alecia Evans, my Animal Communicator friend, who has agreed to do a free “webinar” with me next week (see the story below - based on your response to our survey from last week, you will be very interested).

I am grateful for all the letters I get from all of you (see the video below where I answer some).

I am grateful for you, my ohana.

Ohana (oh-hah-nah) is a Hawaiian word that translates as “family,” but it means much more than blood relatives.

There’s a saying that “In Hawaii, everyone is ohana,” and we mean it.

Small children in grocery stores who are lost look up to the nearest adult and say “Uncle, do you know where my mother is?” or “Auntie, can you help me find my daddy?”

They are taught that everyone is their tutu (grandmother), auntie, uncle, brother, or sister.

When I think of all of you who appreciate Do You Remember Love? and read these emails every week, I think of you as my ohana.

And I’m grateful to you.

Will you start your own Gravy List?

Enjoy this November, and I hope you join me and Alecia for our one-hour teleseminar on Pet Communication and Pet Loss - it’s our gift to you, and I’m really excited to share my friendship with Alecia with you.

Warm Aloha,
James Jacobson
Creator, Do You Remember Love?
Author, How to Meditate with Your Dog
Creator, Paws Up Paws Down

How To Make Your Own Gravy List

It’s simple. Take a sheet of paper and write Gravy List at the top. Then list everything you can think of that you are grateful for … from the stars in the sky to the food on your table to the dog at your side.

Keep adding to your list every day until Thanksgiving.

On Thanksgiving, you will have a really deep appreciation (and a detailed list) of everything good in your life.

Favorite Letter of the Month: My Answer to Gypsy Rose, Video-Taped

Instead of writing this section, I thought I would try a video. Press play to hear my favorite letter and see my (and Maui’s) reactions.

Winner of the Pet Communication Drawing: Lynn L.

Last week’s survey on Pet Communication brought in such a huge response - wow, there are a lot of you out there who believe in it!

And some who are skeptical.

There were so many questions generated in my mind as a result of YOUR questions on the survey that I decided to beg Alecia to do an interview. She agreed, and she also agreed to let you all participate (details below, it’s free).

Meanwhile, the winner of the drawing for a free, private, one-on-one session with my friend Alecia Evans, Pet Communicator and Animal Wellness Consultant, is Lynn L. Lynn, congratulations!

Thank you to everyone who entered and filled out the survey. It looks like a lot of you will be interested in the free teleseminar on Pet Communication Alecia has agreed to give with me next week. Read on …

Pet Communication and Pet Loss Teleseminar with Alecia Evans: Pre-Holiday Gift for You and Your Friends

Have you ever wondered if it’s really possible to hear what your pet is thinking or feeling?

Have you ever wondered what your pet would tell you - if they could talk - about their illness or behavior?

Would you like to communicate with a pet that has passed on?

My friend Alecia Evans is a talented Pet Communicator and Animal Wellness Consultant. (This is a photo of Alecia with her dog, Indie.)

Sometimes called Animal Whisperers, Pet Psychics, and Animal Intuitives, Alecia is one of those special people who can immediately access animals’ thoughts and feelings without meeting them in person. She can “tune in” to pets and communicate to you, for them.

(She certainly can tune in to Maui!)

Alecia has been working with animals and their humans for nearly a decade as a dog trainer, wellness consultant, and intuitive. She has clients all over the country, including dogs, cats, turtles, horses, dolphins, whales, rabbits, birds, snakes, and iguanas. She’s even hosted her own television show.

I’ve asked Alecia to give a gift to you this month, and I’m grateful that she has said yes.

On Thursday, November 8th, at 6pm Pacific time, Alecia will join me on a teleconference call and let me grill her about all things Pet Communication.

And you can listen, for free, and even ask your own questions.

Alecia has promised to answer my burning questions on:

Pet Communication

Why pet communication is actually natural for all humans
What pets really want from their humans
The true intelligence and secret wisdom of animals
Why your pet chose to take a vow of silence
The 3 Secret Keys to unlocking your inner Pet Communicator
Where Alecia’s gift of pet communication really comes from

Pet Health

What pets have to say about their healthcare
Why pets have behavioral, health, and emotional issues, and how you can REALLY help them
How to find out from your pets if you are doing a good job taking care of your pets
How to “read” your pets to see if they need anything else

Pet Loss

How to help your older pet (and you) transition more comfortably
Why your pet chose YOU for their companion
If it’s really possible to communicate with a pet who has passed on, and how
Tips on how to process and heal after the passing of a pet
What pets want you to know about life after death

This teleseminar is free and will last for 60 minutes. I’ve set up a really easy website where you can get the call-in number or listen to the webcast live right on your computer. You don’t even have to use the phone!

If you cannot make the call on Thursday, November 8th at 6pm PST, you will be able to listen to the replay call on the website at your convenience later on.

Click here to get the call-in number and get the details:

Pet Conversation with James and Alecia

I promise this will be an enlightening, informative hour with Alecia. Every time I talk to her I see Maui in a whole new way … she will really bring out the Pet Communicator in you, too.

Pet Conversation with James and Alecia

Please don’t be shy - come to this free teleseminar on Pet Communication and Pet Loss, and bring your friends. Send them to this link:

Pet Conversation with James and Alecia

Dogspirational Quote

“If you are a dog and your owner suggests that you wear a sweater…suggest that he wear a tail.”
- Fran Lebowitz

In This Issue

A Note from James
Favorite Letter of the Month: Frances Worries About Me
Dogspirational Quote
Maui’s Top 5 Relaxation Tips
Paws Up, Paws Down
All Is Well When You Do This

A Note from James

Aloha Dog Lover,

September blew by, didn’t it? As my birthday month, October, draws closer and closer, I find myself becoming more and more grateful.

That’s because I made a commitment to marriage on September 8, and I’m so happy about it, and that happiness grows every day.

But I made another commitment, too: to peace and relaxation. And that commitment was unexpected, and very useful. Here’s why.

I learned something on my honeymoon that I didn’t know before: I have a habit of making stress out of peace. I’m not as “zen” as I think I am!

I’d heard that from friends and loved ones, on occasion. But I just really realized it for myself on my honeymoon.

There I was, at a full-service Hawaiian resort. Lazing by the pool, swimming with the dolphins, no schedule, no agenda, no worries … but I kept finding reasons to get stressed out.

One morning I spent an hour agonizing about whether to have breakfast at 9am or 10am. Molly listened patiently for a long time before she picked up Maui and said “It doesn’t matter when we eat.” Then she started howling like a wolf. Maui joined her.

I don’t know whether the neighbors heard or not (we didn’t get any complaints). But without that howling from the two most important women in my life, I would probably not have come to my senses.

I spent the rest of the day noticing that I look for opportunities to get stressed out - even when I have absolutely nothing to do but listen to a good book on tape.

Thank God I had Maui with me. She spent the week showing me how to relax and enjoy life even more deeply - and has continued to do so since we came back home to Maui.

So this newsletter’s theme is “Don’t Worry, Be Happy, and Definitely Don’t Get Stressed Out If You Don’t Have To.”

It’s a hard lesson for me to learn, but I’m ready to dive in. I hope you will join me!

Warm Aloha,
James Jacobson
Creator, Do You Remember Love?
Author, How to Meditate with Your Dog
Creator, Paws Up Paws Down

Favorite Letter of the Month: Frances Worries About Me

Dear James,

I enjoy reading your messages and I think both of you [James and Molly] must be very special people and I will contact the Oprah show.

My biggest concern is Maui’s age. She won’t be around forever and I just hope James is prepared for this happening. I guess he could be like the dogs and live in the moment.

He seems so attached to her, more so than some people with their animals. I just hope he has everything in perspective and has prepared himself somewhat.

Congrats on the nuptials!

Frances M.

Dear Frances,

Your letter brought up a lot for me. Not only is Maui advancing in age (she’ll be 15 in November), but she’s been less than healthy for years now. You raise the exact question that I come up against when I am in my most anxious moments:

“How will I possibly live without Maui?”

I have had people tell me that I’m too attached to her, and that I should pull back on my feelings. It makes sense, in a way - if I don’t get “too attached” I won’t be as sad when she’s gone.

But in my experience, the opposite is true. In 2005 my father passed, after a harrowing four month battle with lung cancer. I dropped everything else and spent those months getting as close to him as possible. It was like we squeezed decades of communication into those few weeks.

When the inevitable happened, I felt drained and terribly sad. I probably still haven’t quite gotten over it. But on the other hand, I didn’t feel regretful. My father left this life knowing how much I loved him, and having told me how much he loved me. When I was a kid it was harder for him to express himself, so I feel lucky to hear him say it.

Maui doesn’t have any problem expressing her love for me - one of the blessings of being a dog - and I feel lucky to have had 14+ years with her close to my heart.

But no, I don’t know how I can prepare for her leaving. How could I? She’s still here. I literally can’t imagine it.

But yes, I know it will happen. And I assume it will be very sad. I’ve never had a dog before Maui. I didn’t even have any other pets as a kid. So I don’t know how one “gets over” the loss of a pet.

I dread that day when she is gone. But I have to “live in the moment,” as you put it, right now, not just when she’s gone. So I’m going to go cuddle her now, and maybe do a little howling. She only howls when she’s happy, after all.

Here’s the video:

Thank you for writing, Frances. You sparked an excellent question, and I appreciate your sweet concern for me. When that times comes, I’m sure I will be writing about how it goes. Until then … I’m just howling with my dog.

Warmest Aloha,

James

Dogspirational Quote

“Dogs are our link to paradise. They don’t know evil or jealousy or discontent. To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden, where doing nothing was not boring - it was peace.”
- Milan Kundera

Maui’s Top 5 Relaxation Tips

Maui really wants us all of us to sloooooooow down in October. The holiday season is coming, and it’s good to enter into it with a relaxed, open attitude, not a stressed out one. So here are her Top 5 Relaxation Tips:

Tip #1: Lap at your water bowl.

Maui likes to hang out with me in my office during the day, but I’ve noticed that she heads upstairs frequently to get a drink from her water bowl. To save her the trip, I put another bowl down here, which she appreciates. She likes to drink a lot of water to keep herself hydrated and happy. Without enough water, you may pant with thirst, beg for too many treats (overeat), get itchy and dry under your fur, feel like a sluggish puppy, bark at the pain in your head, or get a cramp in your paws.

Tip #2: Shake it off.

Shaking yourself from head to toe may look silly, but it sure feels great. Dogs do this to “reset” themselves. It puts the nervous system back on “all systems go” and the muscles and bones in their proper places. Try it, I guarantee it will help.

Tip #3: Wag your tail.

No matter what is going on in your life, the most important thing is to honor others. Maui always takes the time to properly greet others. Just today our friend Ramon came over, and she woke up from a nap to lick his face when he picked her up for a cuddle. Then she promptly fell back asleep.

Tip #4: Take naps.

A short snooze can be the difference between a bad mood and a contented one. Taking even five minutes to drift off can reboot your brain and emotions. My friend Phoebe, a great dog lover, takes her cue from her pooches and curls up underneath her desk at work for a short nap every afternoon. Most of her coworkers have never even noticed - it just looks like she’s stepped out for coffee!

Tip #5: Hound lounge.

Hound lounging is the canine version of meditation. She likes to stare off into space and zone out for a bit, just focusing on her breathing. I do, too. Ten minutes to start the day, and everything just works better. If you want to learn more about this practice, it’s the basis of my book: How to Meditate with Your Dog

Paws Up, Paws Down
I have been having a blast rating dogs at http://pawsuppawsdown.com. There are some real cuties there. Go check it out now:

http://pawsuppawsdown.com

All Is Well When You Do This

As much help as Maui has given me, sometimes I need to help her. That’s when I turn to the incredible knowledge bank at DogProblems.net. Check them out:

http://dogproblems.net

If you’ve ever taken your dog to an unleashed dog park, you’ve seen this:

As soon as the leash comes off, the dog is like a race horse bolting out of the starting gate.

In their unbounded freedom, dogs exemplify the joy of being exactly who they are.

Watch a little child running with reckless abandon into the arms of a familiar relative and you’ll see the same freedom of expression.

I love the 4th of July, because fireworks bursting through the sky are great metaphors for the freedom I so treasure (as a citizen of the best country in the world, and as a dog over).

In our modern lives we pack our schedules tight and spend many hours focusing on work. This can inhibit our freedom to just “be” ourselves.

I know that when I am going full speed during my day, a concerned (or should I say scornful) look from Maui helps me be mindful that I may need a “time out” to “tune in” with myself.

She is an incredible mirror for the Free Spirit I’ve got trapped inside. (The one that greeted my grandmother with wide open arms!)

I hope you will let it rip this July 4th, and enjoy the freedom of being the you no one else can be.

And if your dog feels about fireworks the way Maui does … well, good luck with the neighbors.

Happy Independence Day.
.
PS:
Note to movie lovers: do you want to see more movies like “Do You Remember Love?”

I belong to a DVD club called Spiritual Cinema Circle. Every month they send me a DVD with several “soul-stirring” movies on it. I love watching the DVD (Maui does, too).

http://www.spiritual-cinema-circle.com

They have a special this month that I thought you might want to know about.

If you join their free membership trial during the month of July, you get four films free (you pay $4.95 in shipping). You can cancel at any time, so if you don’t like the movies (they’re totally different every month), you can cancel immediately and never get charged. I think it’s worth trying them out.

Also, this month, new members get to be on a teleconference with one of my favorite spiritual teachers (you’ll recognize him from THE SECRET if you liked that movie). Reverend Michael Beckwith is great and inspirational.

It’s just a thought, because so many of you say you want to see more films like “Do You Remember Love?” … and there are a lot of filmmakers out there making good movies with positive messages.

Check them out at:
http://www.spiritual-cinema-circle.com