There are some days when we feel so beleaguered by anxious thoughts and agitated feelings that we need some sort of special help to loosen their grip on our mind, especially if we want to meditate. These are the best times for practicing the “Tippy technique.” Author Andy Caponigro learned of this method for bringing anxious feelings under control from taking walks with his dog, Tippy.

Learn how a dog’s unflappable behavior can teach you this detachment technique:

The Tippy Detachment Technique

When intruded upon on walks by barking, fierce, and nasty dogs, Caponigro would flinch, but not his collie Tippy. Tippy always remained completely calm, aloof, and self-possessed. He had a foolproof system for disarming even the most hostile dog without making single growl or menacing bark.

Tippy’s method was incredibly simple: When a dog came running toward us barkng, he’d completely ignore it and casually continue sniffing at trees alongside the road. This unflappable behavior would usually cause the other dog to come even closer and bark louder than ever. But Tippy would remain unflappable.

The other dog, nonplussed, would come closer to check him out. Once the dog got close enough, Tippy would suddenly turn and thrust his nose directly into his face, as if to say, “yes?” The dog would be so intimidated, he’d immediately turn and walk meekly away.

The anxiety-based scenarios we create in our minds are just like those barking dogs. Watch your breath, focus your attention on the simple, obvious things in your surroundings. Most important of all, never get into a dialogue with your worried thoughts. Don’t try to figure them out, and don’t try to push them out of your mind.

The harder you work to ignore your barking dogs, the more control you’re gaining over your mind.