How to be a Good Dog Learning to Sit, Stay, and Heal

"How to Be a Good Dog: Learning to Sit, Stay, and Heal" is a field manual for people who want to stop the madness in their minds. Learning to meditate is about taking that wild puppy in your mind— you know, the one eating socks and ripping up the couch—and transforming it into a reliable companion. While meditation may seem simple, it is no easy feat. Training your puppy mind requires discipline, courage, and the willingness to be quiet. No phones, kids, co-workers, or partners—meditation is the bravest solo trek you'll ever take.
When you train your mind to sit, stay, and heal, you open your mind to a powerful force you never knew you had. Your mind will respond to every blow, joy, and sorrow with willingness, humor, and peace. Once your mind is a good dog, there is no going back to the chaos of puppyhood. If you want to heal the world, you must begin with yourself. Your healing will radiate out to your family, loved ones, and communities. Train your mind through meditation, and life will become a walk in the park.

Phyllis Coletta is the fourth of six children in a loud, loving Italian family from Philadelphia. A single mom of three boys, Phyllis was a litigation attorney, so her soul withered for over a decade. Three days after her youngest son graduated high school, she quit her job, sold her house, and gave away most of her stuff. At 48, with everything she needed in her Honda CRV, Phyllis headed to Colorado to be a cowgirl.

She has also been a high school teacher, EMT, ski bum, and writer. As an ordained Zen Buddhist chaplain, Phyllis worked as a hospital/hospice chaplain.

After her adventures in Colorado, Phyllis lives mostly barefoot at the Jersey shore where she raised her boys. You can reach her at phyllis@howtobeagooddog.com