There is a moment, somewhere around the third or fourth year of loving a dog, when you realize they have been taking care of you this whole time.
They meet you at the door. They know before you do that you have had a hard day. They lie down beside you and slow their breathing until yours follows.
Pause with Paws is ninety minutes to give some of that back.
Breath
We begin together
Your hand rests on your dog's ribs. You breathe out, slowly, longer than you breathe in, and you feel their breathing settle underneath your palm. Your dog reads your nervous system before they ever read your words.
Touch
We care for their body
Slow, warm, unhurried work along the spine, shoulders, and hind end. Not to fix anything, simply to notice. To learn what your dog's body feels like when it is well.
Movement
We build the strength that carries them
Gentle mobility work drawn from canine rehabilitation: the long stretch of the neck, the careful opening of a shoulder, the sideways step that quietly builds stability into old age. Every movement offered, never forced.
Stillness
We rest together
Quartz crystal bowls played low and slow under a violet sky, always mindful that your dog hears a world far wider than we do. A little Persian poetry, spoken softly.
Why this works
A dog sets the pace
Sit with a dog long enough and your breath starts to follow theirs. The shoulders come down. The jaw softens. Attention stops running ahead of you and settles into the hand that is doing the stroking.
I have watched this happen for years, in my own living room and in every room I have led. Nothing is being fixed and nothing is being treated. There is only an hour and a half where nobody needs anything from you, and a dog who is glad you stayed.
Pack Hour
And then we stay.
Saffron tea is poured, dates are passed around, and the evening loosens. We hand your dog a Golâb Bite, made that morning with rose and sardine and a little pomegranate, and given the way you would give something to a guest. We make slow, guided introductions between the dogs, at whatever pace each one needs. On the Pack Board, guests leave a name and a block, a neighbor two streets over, a morning walk, a playdate for a dog who has been waiting for one.
The loneliest thing about loving a dog is how few people understand how much you love them. Here, everyone does.
Golâb
We send something home
Golâb is Persian for rose water. It is also what we call the small bites we make by hand for every dog who comes, sardine and pumpkin for their joints and their gut, blueberry and pomegranate, a whisper of turmeric, and Persian rose petals pressed into the top of each one. No beef, no dairy, no chicken, no wheat. Nothing your dog has likely ever reacted to.
One is offered during Pack Hour. The rest go home in a small bag, so that a few days from now, in your own kitchen, some of this evening comes back to you.
The saffron is for you. The rose is for them.
Golâb Bites arranged on a small ceramic plate with dried rose petals, warm natural light.
Our promise to the dogs
They come first
We build the evening around what a dog can comfortably give.
- The evening moves at the dogs' pace, not ours.
- Water, shade, and a quiet corner for any dog who needs one.
- No one handles a dog who would rather not be handled.
- Small groups, so no dog is ever crowded.
- Treats are offered only with your yes, and always with allergies in mind.
A settled dog settles the room.
In their words
What guests say
Placeholder. Real notes from guests will replace these after the first evening.
Placeholder for a guest note about the evening.
Guest name, to come
Placeholder for a guest note about their dog.
Guest name, to come
Placeholder for a guest note about Pack Hour.
Guest name, to come
A little more
You leave with something, too
Goodie bags
A small bag to take home, with the rest of your dog's Golâb Bites and a few things chosen for the two of you.
Tasty surprises
Golâb Bites, made by hand for your dog, with sardine, pumpkin, pomegranate, and Persian rose. Saffron tea and dates for you. Nothing here is an afterthought.
Fun photoshoots
A few quiet moments of professional photography, capturing you and your dog as you are.
The rhythm of the evening
Ninety minutes
- 0:00Arrival and intention
- 0:07Co-regulated breath
- 0:14Warm touch and body scan
- 0:24Gentle mobility and stretch
- 0:38Partner shapes
- 0:48Sound bath at sunset
- 1:02Pack Hour: tea, introductions, and the Pack Board
Your guide
Elmira Shahzeidi
I work with sound and stillness, and I have spent most of my life in the company of dogs. My Italian Greyhounds, Niko, Nugget, and now Luna, have taught me more about slowing down than any practice ever has.
I hold these evenings the way I would hold a room in my own home, gently, with room for whatever you arrive carrying. Nothing here is asked of you or of your dog. We simply make a quiet hour and a half, together, and let it do its work.
Niko and Nugget
The two who started it
I brought Nugget home in April of 2009, and Niko followed in July of the same year. Sixteen years side by side, two Italian Greyhounds who set the pace of my days and, without meaning to, taught me what a paused hour feels like.
Nugget passed in September of 2025. The quiet he left behind is part of why these evenings exist, a way of sitting with what stays after something soft leaves.
That same September, Luna came home. Niko showed her the rhythm of the house, and she has been learning it ever since.
Luna
The one who arrived after
I brought Luna home in September of 2025, small enough to fold into one arm. Niko met her with the patience of a dog who has already lived a whole life, and the house found its rhythm again.
Most evenings still end the same way, with a small body settling into a lap, breath slowing to match breath. That is the whole idea behind Pause with Paws, learned from three dogs across sixteen years.
July 14th
Eighteen years of Niko
This July, Niko turned eighteen. We gave him a simple party, candles on a cake, a table of treats, and the people he loves most: Iman, me, and Luna beside him. After all these years, he is still here, still gentle, still teaching everyone around him how to be still.
That is where Pause with Paws lives for me now, in the long arc from Niko and Nugget, through Luna's arrival, and into a summer evening where an old dog sits between the puppy he helped raise and the humans who have loved him for nearly two decades.
Every month, we make a little space for that same feeling. Slow breath. Soft light. You, your dog, and the quiet that settles when nothing is asked of you.
Come as you are
- Every kind of dog is welcome, whether anxious, senior, or simply here to lie down and watch
- Nothing to be good at, no experience needed
- Twelve pairs only, so there is space for you both
- Mats, water, tea, and treats provided. Bring your dog, their bed from home, and their leash
- Every treat we serve is free of beef, dairy, chicken, wheat, soy, and egg, the things dogs actually react to
What to know
- Venue
- The Meridian Hotel, pool deck. 418 Meridian Avenue, Miami Beach, FL 33139.
- First date
- Sunday, September 6th, 2026. Doors open at 7pm.
- Duration
- Ninety minutes, beginning an hour before sunset.
- Capacity
- Twelve pairs.
- Who it is for
- Any person and any dog, at any age or stage.
- What to bring
- Your dog, their leash, and their bed from home. We provide mats, water, tea, and treats.
- Allergies
- Tell us anything we should know about your dog when you reserve, and we will make sure what we hand them is safe.
- Please note
- This is a wellbeing practice, and not veterinary care.
Questions
What dog owners ask
What kind of dog is this for?
Every kind. I have designed the evening so that anxious dogs, senior dogs, young dogs, and dogs who simply want to lie down and watch all have a place. Nothing is asked of your dog. They are welcome to participate, observe, or rest.
My dog is nervous around other dogs. Will this work for us?
Yes. The space is small, only twelve pairs, and we introduce dogs slowly and at their own pace. There is a quiet corner for any dog who needs distance, and every part of the evening is optional. We move at the dogs' pace, not ours.
What should I bring?
Your dog, their leash, and their bed from home if they have one that helps them feel settled. We provide mats, fresh water, saffron tea, dates, and Golâb Bites for your dog. If your dog has a favorite comfort item, bring it.
Are the treats safe for dogs with allergies?
Golâb Bites are made without beef, dairy, chicken, wheat, soy, or egg, the things dogs most commonly react to. When you reserve, there is a place to tell us anything else we should know. We will make sure what we hand your dog is safe.
Can I come without a dog?
This evening is created for pairs, one person and one dog. If you do not have a dog but would like to experience something similar, LUNA, our full moon sound bath, is open to everyone.
What if my dog does not want to be touched?
Then we do not touch them. The touch portion of the evening is offered, never forced. You are the one your dog trusts most, and you will always know better than anyone what they are ready for.
Is this veterinary care?
No. This is a wellbeing practice, not veterinary care. The gentle touch and movement we share are meant to deepen connection and calm, not to diagnose or treat anything medical.
What happens if it rains?
The evening is held outdoors on the pool deck at The Meridian Hotel. If the weather does not allow us to gather safely, we will notify you by email and reschedule.
Can two people bring one dog?
Each reservation is for one person and one dog. If you would like to come as a pair with one dog, or if you have a different arrangement in mind, please write to us and we will do our best.
What is your cancellation policy?
We will share the full policy once tickets are available. If you cannot attend, please let us know as soon as you can so we can offer your spot to another pair.
Tickets
Tickets and flier
We will place the ticket link and event flier here as soon as they are ready.
Link coming soon
Link coming soon
Private gatherings
An evening of your own
The same evening can be held privately, for a birthday, a small celebration, a group of friends who have been meaning to gather, or a hotel or brand looking for something quieter than a party.
We shape the rhythm around the space, the group, and the dogs who will be in it. Tell us what you have in mind and we will write back with what is possible.
Or write to us at info@platform.miami
Contact us
Write to us
Questions about the evening, your dog, private gatherings, or partnerships. I read every message that comes in, and I reply from info@platform.miami.
Stay close
More ways to gather
A monthly sound bath
LUNA
I also lead LUNA, a Platform Wellness sound-healing experience under the full moon. It is a Persian sound bath rooted in ritual and intention, featuring crystal and Tibetan bowls. If the quiet of this evening speaks to you, LUNA may be the next one to join.
Learn more at LunaSoundBath.comWhatsApp community
Platform Wellness Collective
A WhatsApp chat of more than 400 members, dedicated to wellness events happening in Miami. It is the quiet place where we share what is coming, from sound baths to sunset gatherings.
Join the chatWhatsApp broadcast
Peace & Presence
A soft, gentle space from me for wellness tips, upcoming sound baths and gatherings, thoughts on living well, notes on keeping our sweet pups happy and healthy, recipes, and the occasional reminder to breathe.
Link to join coming soon