When did any of us ever lose that? When did we forget that moving is pure fun?
Sometimes when speaking to organizations, I've asked these questions. Occasionally someone replies, "When the aches and pains set in!"
We all laugh, because we can relate - whether in the aftermath of an accident or illness, or over years of moving gradually less and less while accumulating more and more knots, tension, and other movement inhibitors.
Yet when I've worked with people unable to get out of a chair, as they start practicing yoga right from where they are - in a chair - they begin rediscovering the joy of movement, the thrill of embodiment.
Their bodies inevitably respond - as though in gratitude for being noticed and given free reign again to the full extent of whatever is possible in that moment. Time and again, healing in multiple ways, on multiple levels, occurs. And the possibilities begin to expand.
Play is inherently healing. I see this as one reason kids are so quick to bounce back from any injury.
Our bodies are our vehicles for play.
In my daily practice, I experience each pose differently than ever before - even if it's a pose I've done thousands of times.
Sometimes I experiment with different variations and combinations, catching my inspiration from kids and playing like I did when I was two years old. Other times, I simply notice more subtle details of poses, which I'd previously missed when I was in the process of learning the more obvious details.Even if it's a day when - as I first go to my mat - I don't feel like even smiling, let alone playing. Even if it's a day when I'm feeling disappointed or just worn out. I've found these - all the times when I do not feel like playing - to be the most valuable times to go to my mat and start to play anyway.
Always, I step off my mat refreshed. Heaviness I was carrying when I stepped on my mat evaporates while I play.
Taking myself or my perceived problems too seriously falls away when I'm upside down or wiggling my toes in the air. And I am freed. I
experience embodied "enlightenment" - lightness, as in both lack of heaviness and also bright radiance - such as the littlest kids exhibit. This season of gifts is a perfect time to experience anew the amazingly joyful gift we carry with us in every moment. Your body is made for delight and fun. Join us in experiencing our yoga mats as our playground!
