Power Play
"Play is defined best by experiencing it." -Unknown
When was the last time you played? Really had fun and lost track of time, and outcome didn’t matter.
This last week at a retreat, I began the introduction of the circle by asking everyone to share one funny thing that happened to them or made them laugh in the past week. As we went around the circle, a woman sat perplexed, and said “I can’t remember laughing or having fun this week, or even this month….”
She was shocked, not because she hadn’t laughed but because she hadn’t stopped to realize - she was NOT having fun in her life. Now, no two ways about it, LIFE IS CHALLENGING at times, and for seasons.
But WHAT IF we had agency to assist our nervous system, our brain, our cognitive functioning, and that what could contribute to bringing more ease (not removal) of pain….was PLAY!!!!!
PLAY is a TREMENDOUSLY powerful force throughout nature and it’s incredibly pervasive in the animal kingdom!
Ants engage in play-fighting
Fish have bubble blowing contests
Bears teach their cubs to toboggan downhill on their backs
Octopus play with objects for no reason
Elephants use mud embankments as waterslides
Perhaps squirrels chasing each other is not about protecting their nuts, but having FUN? In his book
“Play” Dr. Stuart Brown, shares a story about a 1200-pound polar bear that came into a dog sled camp and headed straight toward a dog named Hudson.
It was November and the sea had not yet frozen, denying bears access to seals - so they were hungry. One swipe of the massive paw would have killed the dog.
What did Hudson do? He wagged his tail and bowed (classic play signal) …the Bear responded - the two wrestled and played for fifteen minutes! And shockingly, the Bear came back EVERY day for a week TO PLAY! The need to enjoy outweighed his need for survival and sustenance!
The impulse to play is also in HUMANS, it is part of our DNA, it is essential for us to come back to being PLAYFUL for our overall wellbeing. We may have been taught that play is for children and it’s pointless, we may have been raised feeling guilty for taking time.
But what would it feel like to allow yourself or give yourself permission? Now I’m not suggesting we quit being responsible and play all the time, that’s unnatural. And I’m not dismissing seasons that we need to withdraw, but maybe the first step is being open to considering its undefinable importance.
Did you know that play positively affects your VAGUS NERVE? My what, you ask? Your vagus nerve, it’s one of your main cranial nerves that govern your nervous system. Chronic Stress can leave you stuck in the sympathetic side of that system – either in chronic irritation, anxiety and the inability to shut off, or the opposite - which is feeling in a state of disconnection, where you feel flat, with a sense of hopelessness/helplessness.
Here is a thought bubble to play with: What if we allow ourself to be more PLAYFUL?
And that reminds/teaches the body to apply the “Vagal Brake” which assist your body to increase your energy when you feel depressed, and in turn could also create a feeling of calm when you are anxious?
Essentially it takes your body off fight/flight and puts the system into rest and digest for a time. By choosing to play (sometimes to start - it will be a conscious choice), you are assisting your body to re-regulate. Everyone will have a different experience of what play is for them…that’s the fun of this life.
To begin can be simple: Start by setting an intention that you want to learn how to be more playful. And then pay attention to what sparks your interest or used to spark it.
WHO brings out your playful side?
WHAT activities add energy to your system?
WHAT activities calm you and you lose track of time?
WHERE are you most playful?
It’s NOT another thing you need to DO, it’s ALLOWING yourself to be OPEN to begin…start observing play around you – watch a cat play with a string, or two birds chasing in the air, perhaps a child playing in a puddle. What we put our attention to is guaranteed to grow.
Maybe start wagging your tail and assume the play stance – see what happens… haha!
Rosie