Open your arms and spin until you are so dizzy you fall to the ground in ruptures of giggles and stare up at the night sky completely in love with life.
-Renee Faber-
-Renee Faber-
Usually we think of play existing primarily within the world of children. But play is an integral part of all life. When we allow ourselves to play we are releasing the egotistical binds in which we often live. We throw ourselves into the creative flow of life and enjoy a deep connection, free of worry, longing, and fear. How wonderful to throw our heads back and laugh as the swing takes us higher up towards the sky. How blissful it is to hold the hand of a loved one and run freely down the beach.
So much of our lives are spent trying to navigate human social constructs. We become obsessed with praise and blame. We mold ourselves into pretzels in order to receive from the outside what we are aching for on the inside.
Play, however, nourishes our souls from the inside. When we play we are literally embracing life by living in the moment, which is why it is so pleasurable. Being present and not deliberately interacting with conceptual thinking, allows for experiencing life as it is in this moment. This is the essence of play. Playing is an expressive and creative form of joy and gratitude of life itself.
So much of our lives are spent trying to navigate human social constructs. We become obsessed with praise and blame. We mold ourselves into pretzels in order to receive from the outside what we are aching for on the inside.
Play, however, nourishes our souls from the inside. When we play we are literally embracing life by living in the moment, which is why it is so pleasurable. Being present and not deliberately interacting with conceptual thinking, allows for experiencing life as it is in this moment. This is the essence of play. Playing is an expressive and creative form of joy and gratitude of life itself.
Play is an inherent gift of childhood. Children learn about themselves and the world around them through play. They interact with their environment in open and free expressions. It is a delight to observe their freedom, their ease with connecting to spirit through play.
Adults, oftentimes, lose connection to this innate gift of play, but they can rediscover it with a mindful intent to do so. Allowing creative flow to move our minds and bodies is a glorious expression of life. When people tap into this flow, so much joy and happiness floods in, that play becomes not just enjoyable, but a healing energy to our pains and sufferings.
A practice to reconnect to Play:
Find a quite place, free from all distractions.
Close your eyes.
Imagine a place, real or not, that makes your heart smile.
Imagine the look, taste, feel, and sounds of this wondrous place.
Allow yourself to enjoy this visualization for as long as you are inspired to.
Ask yourself as if you were not concerned at all about other's opinions, how you would dress in this place.
Do you have a headdress atop your head?
Do you wear clothes, or are you naked?
Would you paint your body?
What colors?
Do you have items around your body that make sounds reflecting the environment of your wondrous place?
Go into as much detail as is fun.
Rest in this space.
Then, with a smile embedded into your heart, open your eyes.
Become a member of YWM to access the audio meditation, Reconnect to Play.
Play is a time of bonding to those around us. Without play, relations with others can be become so heavy and unfulfilling. When we play, we shed our reservations, our tightness to our insecurities, and allow our love and freedom of spirit to lead the way.
Making time for play, and embracing spontaneous moments of play, are essential for a healthy life no matter what age we are.
Become mindful of those times when play sweeps into life. If we are noticing that there are not times of play, it might be a good idea to make space to play and reconnect to our inherent sense of a free spirit.
Making time for play, and embracing spontaneous moments of play, are essential for a healthy life no matter what age we are.
Become mindful of those times when play sweeps into life. If we are noticing that there are not times of play, it might be a good idea to make space to play and reconnect to our inherent sense of a free spirit.
Connect to friends with play
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Connect to your partner with play
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Connect to your free spirit through play
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And remember ALL of life plays
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