Can Johnny Come Out
and Play?
Dr. Stuart Brown, M.D., author of the book Play, tells us that play holds an
essential biological "place" in our beings (like sleeping or dreaming).
According to Dr. Brown, "Nothing lights up the brain like play". It links up the body and mind in a
state of high integration.
Everyone plays differently. My two year old grandson, Colt, will get a "hike" and go
tearing around the living room with his football, eventually diving onto a big
cushion head first for the touchdown, over and over again with great
commitment. Two thousand miles
away, my two year old granddaughter, Mckenna, will precisely and tenderly take
each of her five big stuffed animals out of her inflatable bobsled and have
them ring the jingle bells attached to the wall, then carefully put each of
them back into the sled, with great dedication and concentration.
Colt and Mckenna are two totally different "players", yet
each operates in a state of extraordinary presence, heightened awareness, and
deep connection with their surroundings.
Adults long for this natural play, this "zone" state, of
children, but it happens so rarely. Adults are encumbered by the past and the
future: we rate our performances,
judge our behaviors, and get stuck in competition - and this pulls us out of
the present moment.
The process of centering and conscious breathing can bring
us back to the present, where simple awareness can lead us back on the path of
focus and purpose.
Come out and play today!
Tom Crum
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