In the midst of the most difficult of times, often my best move is to access the power and magic of play but my first impulse is to try harder, to make something happen. Here’s an example. A few weeks ago, my grandson was adjusting to life with his mother back at work. She has been his sole source of nurturing and nourishment. What I had to offer was not his number one choice and he was making that clear.
Since he would be spending the day with me, he needed to learn to take the bottle and spoons full of food. If I brought the “try harder to make it happen approach”, he would cry louder. Then it came to me, the power of a playful approach and suddenly, the spirit of Mary Poppins visited us. Once I started singing “Just a spoonful of Sugar”, my mood shifted and so did his. He started to settle down and swallow the food I offered.
Play opens many doors within ourselves. By awakening the playful spirit, we can access creativity and the expansive self capable of embracing what comes. It is when your brain is in an optimal state of relaxed attention with access to lightness, humor, creativity and joy!
When we grow up and out of childhood, we retain an inner child, so the spirit of play may be dormant but still living in our adult selves. One of my favorite people ever, (a view shared by my seven siblings), is my grandfather. He was fun-loving, playful and patient enough to teach us many games including canasta, a card game with many rules. His spirit was a source of great joy to us all!
Have you ever watched a young child at play? The healthy child knows what to do and jumps right in with head, heart and hands. Has your inner child remembered how to play?
How to play when you have so much to do?
Here are five suggestions that don’t take a lot of time.
- Start by saying something funny and then laugh at your own joke. Play with made-up words, funny faces, and exaggerated gestures while doing your daily activities. For example, while wiping the kitchen table, extend you leg into the air like a ballerina.
- Look at something in nature and wonder about it. How did the bulb I planted last fall turn into this flower? Let your mind make up stories about it, allowing them to be as wild as you can imagine. Start with I wonder what if…
- Sing a nonsense song. Think of “supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” or “Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo”! Another favorite I mentioned above is “Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down”. It’s instantly uplifting, freeing from the tyranny of repetitive thoughts with absolutely no reason to engage except for a little fun. Which is more important than you might think.
- Do a dance for the fun of it. Believe it or not, my mother would lighten the mood by tap dancing in our kitchen. There were many of us across a wide age range. At times, the emotional energy was high so she siphoned some off the top by being silly.
- Laugh for the fun of it. Put your hand on your belly and let it shake with laughter. When you do, you will access deep breathing. Deep breathing and stress cannot coexist.
You get the idea. Leave the mold that says you have to do what you have to do in a certain way. When you do, you will leave behind rigidity and stress! You will free yourself to channel creativity, the unexpected and magic.
Becoming Champions. of Play with Judith Frizlen: a LifeWays Online Course (May 5–29)
This spring I have had the pleasure of creating a course “Becoming Champions of Play” hosted by LifeWays.
While playing, children get into the zone, a place adults strive for, of alpha brain waves, productivity and calm. It’s when we use just enough brain power but not too much. It is a skill; once experienced, you will want to learn how to come back to.
Learn to understand, support and champion children’s play in this online course. The course runs from May 5 through May 29, so sign up soon!
[button target=”_blank” custom_class=”mb-25″ hover_type=”default” text=”Learn About the Course” link=”https://lifewaysnorthamerica.org/workshops_training/becoming-champions-of-play-with-judith-frizlen”]
If you are interested in human development, a supporter of children’s right to play, or looking to awaken your inner child, click the button below to learn more—and please share!
What if…
What if coming back from a pandemic is not limited to rules and guidelines but just as importantly, finding flow, joy and a playful spirit? It is good for your overall well being. We need to not only fight disease but also support health and what makes life worth living!
Understand the role of play to become a champion of it! Support child development and the inner child in each one of us!
It’s the spoonful of sugar that makes the medicine go down. Click the song below to catch the mood!
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