The theme for this month's Practice Series is PLAY.
As adults, many of us view play as a frivolous pastime and a distraction from the serious business of living. As a result we tend to split play off from daily life and relegate it to weekends and vacations once our work is done. But play is the most pure expression of our unbounded true nature. When play gets pushed to the margins, everything—our hearts, spirits, relationships, and, yes, even our work—suffers.
We’re launching our month of play with a practice designed to connect you with the pure joy and freedom you had as a child at play. Remembering the ways you loved to play as a child can begin to tickle and unleash that play drive until it becomes irrepressible—no matter how buried it’s gotten over the years. This 5-minute reflection exercise will help unearth that part of you that’s ready to burst with giggles and wriggle with delight, because it KNOWS life can be lived as play.
Practice:
- Find a comfortable spot and take some deep, relaxing breaths all the way down to your toes.
- Think of times as a child when you were lost in play. Scan through different ages, seasons, and places. Maybe you were playing in snow, rain, or on the beach. Maybe you were alone, with friends or family, inside the house or out in nature.
- What were some of your favorite ways of playing? What did you love about them? How did you feel when you were playing?
- How does it feel now just to think about it?
- When is the last time you played that way?
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Extra credit: Play that way this week.
Tell us: What was one of your favorite ways to play as a kid? Please share in the comments below!
“Dancing in the rain” photo by Fred Mancosu, Flickr (CC)
