When did you last play and just experiment with movement for fun? Playing aids our mental wellbeing and yet, when we grow up, we seem to struggle to give ourselves permission to play. An article published in Psychology Today emphasises that play need not stop in childhood and that for adults it has many benefits. It can help us cognitively, reduce stress and help us socially and physically. Sounds like finding some time to play might be a good idea because life is hard enough!
But how can we play as adults? Well it’s not going to surprise you when I say yoga can be really playful. I was reminded of this during a yoga class I went to this week when we played and experimented with handstands. We had so much fun; connecting to ourselves and each other as we urged each other on. I felt a sense of achievement despite not actually doing a handstand but I progressed through some of the stages and had a brief moment when only the toes on my right foot were supported by a wall.
Yoga can ground us, it can focus us and it can calm us. But it can also invite us to explore, push boundaries and open us up to new experiences. When I practise yoga it’s just me and my mat so when I’m playing I just let my body move in whatever way it wants and I don’t care what I look like. It’s how it feels that is important to me. Investigating movement and breath frees us from the social constraints imposed on us in ‘real life’. Being a grownup can be extremely boring if we don’t seek the fun that is just around the corner.
When we play we are very much in the present moment; not caring for the past or worrying about the future. In the classes I teach I bring my sense of humour in the hope that my students are given a licence to explore, experiment and be creative. I would hope people in my classes feel emotionally safe enough to let go and release their inner child.
Yoga practice is often portrayed as serious and earnest. We learn about ways to live healthier; how to embrace stillness and meditation. This is all integral to yoga but give yourself permission to play, to see the less serious side of yoga and challenge your concept of what yoga is.
Practise yoga with lightness and brightness. Sparkle and shine and smile. Probe, seek and test what you are capable of and above all, give yourself permission to be playful and have fun.
Love
Karen x
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