What is Meditation and how does it affect the training of my dog?
To me meditation is paying close attention to life while doing nothing special. It does not matter what particular aspect of life you are focused on, as much as presence of quality attention.
It helps me to know that I do not have control of all things and therefore I cannot guarantee my own security. That all I can do is accept situations as they come and focus my energy where it can be effective. It helps me to slow down and be aware of the current moment and the current situation so that the choices that I make are not rushed, but based in the currant moment, to deal with the current situation.  Meditation helps me to recognize my emotion, and the emotions of others, so that emotions do not cause actions, or effect results.  It helps to improve my creativity, and helps me find solutions to problems.
Meditation is like a boat on a wide river. It is just drifting, all attention is on the movement of the boat, and the subtle changes in the environment. The environment is more noticed than acted upon. The boat doesn’t just drift, but it drifts in a particular way. It is guided by nature, if the wind picks up that boat, it drifts faster, if it comes across a current, the boat drifts into it, and takes it’s direction and speed. There are ways that a being on the boat can effect the direction of the boat. One is to use a lot of energy paddling, and forcing the boats course through the river.  Another way is to guide the boat, into currents, and use the wind. If the being chooses the second way then the first step will be to understand the forces that are competing for control over the boats speed and direction. If the being on the boat lacks experience in getting where it want to go while not forcing the boat through the river. Then it maybe advisable to stop, pay complete attention to the environment, sees what can be learned or understood about the situation, or environment. That act stopping and paying complete attention is meditation. From that act of stopping and paying attention, the being may start to learn about currents and wind, and start to understand how to affect them. Eventually the being will know how to travel on the river without paddling hard or forcing the boat.
Meditation is the root of my inner peace, which grows up to the trunk of my calm. Off the trunk, sprouts the branches of my awareness, methods, and techniques. Which in their season grows the leaves of the current situation, the flowers of my relationships, and the fruits of my understanding.
In other words, when I meditate it enables myself to stay at peace, balanced, and rooted. When I am at peace, my mind, emotions, and energy are calm. When I am calm I am able to put my full attention in the moment. When I am in the moment I am able to apply my methods and techniques, the most effective and efficient ways, I am able to stay focused, adapt to changes, to be flexible, and open-minded.
Only through calm eyes can I see, understand, and affect any dog’s behavior.