About Petitations
I'm Elisabeth Paige. I've been highly successful in my academic and professional endeavors, with a doctoral degree from the School of Public Health at the University of California at Berkeley. I also have a degree in E-learning development and have completed many courses at the University California at San Francisco, San Francisco State University, Coursera and EdX. I had a research career at the Division of Research at Kaiser Permanete for 17 years where I was awarded and supervised over $2,000,000 in grants and published a book, as well as several research papers.
But something was missing from my personal life, and my health was suffering. I left Kaiser Permanente and, as a dog lover, went from focusing on smoking research to researching the incredibly valuable ways in which service dogs help veterans, children with autism, and patients with MS, as well as use their uncanny ability to identify recurrences of cancer and changes in blood sugar levels in diabetics.
Petitating saved my life. Fifteen years ago my providers recommended meditating to help regulate a mood disorder. I thought it was hogwash until about five years ago, when I finally decided that my life was becoming unbearable and it was time to take my health in my own hands and do something about it.
But as I tried to meditate, my two Schipperkes were always at the door, whining and crying and demanding my attention. I finally decided to let them in and pet them while I tried to meditate. I was amazed at how quickly they calmed down and how much easier it was to meditate while focusing on petting them or paying attention to them. I took it one step further and, when I was doing a gratitude or an equanimity meditation, included them, and it made my practice infinitely better and a heck of a lot more fun. My dogs learned that when we listened to a guided meditation, their positions were my lap and right beside me (Pippi the alpha dog even when she was a puppy has always had the lap seat).
I now try to Petitate every day, and my life is so much better. As Marsha Linnehan, one of the best known clinicians and meditation teachers would say, "I have a life worth living."
You may notice that many of my blog posts focus on research. My intent is to work on some serious research to demonstrate the effects of Petitating on the mental health of the pet and the human.
Please note: Peititation is not a substitute for treatment of any kind by a mental health clinician. It has been working for me, and I recommend it only as a supplement to professional care.
OnTrack Productions
Steve Gruskin, our executive producer and the composer and
producer of all the music, has been producing audio and video for
television programs, corporate clients and commercials for 30 years.
Thanks
I’d like to take a moment to thank those who made this possible. The first people who influenced my meditation and Petitation practice were Beth Murray, Jill Rodgers-Quaye, Nan Shaw, and Damian Cassells-Jones. Terry Taylor from Terry Taylor Studio and Joanne Gruskin designed the logos. My friends Colleen FitzSimmons and Andrea Altschuler listened to the Petitations and Nanou Matteson was there when the going got rough. I'd really like to thank, my dogs Pago and Pippi and my life partner Kimberly who sat through dozens of iterations of the Petitations
My mother edited the Petitations and the blog posts, and designed the website. Together we wrote The Petitation Companion, our first book, and we have another for children in the works.
Thank you, A. Ching, for the beautiful photos of
Pippi and Pago.
Once you’ve tried the Petitations, please fill out our short survey to be entered to win a $50 Amazon Gift Card. Thank you in advance.
Dedicated in loving memory of Beth Murray. I miss you.