Remembering to Play

Hello, my buddy-o's.

Simple though this week:

PLAY!

(simple isn't always easy)

If you've known me for a long time, at some point you've probably heard me mention the next bit, but just in case you haven't!

A bunch of years ago, I was working full time as a nanny while also making theatre while also doing my first yoga teacher training. The kiddos and I would sometimes roll out some yoga mats and do a lil something (though to be honest, we had epic dance parties more often).

Most days as I left, I had a mat with me, on my way to class.

Leaving one day, but oldest lil buddy asked, "Allison, where are you going right now? Are you going to play yoga?"

I had never called it 'playing yoga' before, but the moment I heard his curious, sweet, thoughtful voice use the phrase, I knew that's exactly what I wanted to do.

Play. Yoga.

It doesn't mean our practices will always be joyful, or silly, or that we always have to be positive and happy. It just means, staying interested. Trying things. Being courageous and less attached to results. I hope that if you've ever taken a class with me, you've felt welcomed in this way of exploring yoga.

In Sanskrit, the word lila means play or amusement. The idea that the universe has been created as an act of play by the divine. The idea that when we forget our connection to the interplay of everything that exists, we lose sight of the full reality and spectrum of life.

Through play, we find our way.

We find freedom.

We find revelation.

We find illumination.

Without play, we get stuck in patterns. In our habits. We do things the way we do them because that's the way we do them and somebody else maybe said do them this way or somebody said do them another way and we said absolutely not and so we made up our own way and now that's the way we always do them.

We can be like that.

(it happens)

OR. AND.

We could remember to play.

(we can make it happen)

We could be filled with wonder each chance we are given the gift of time to practice. That wonder might lead us to delight. When we find delight, we want everyone around us to find delight.

If we're making choices from a sense of playful creativity, we might lead ourselves away from choices made from scarcity and fear.

Which can make us more kind.

More compassionate.

More inclusive.

More awake.

Aware.

JUST BY REMEMBERING TO PLAY.

Isn't that cool???

Just saying.

Don't take yourself too seriously.

And the serious work will take care of itself.