the play’s the thing
photo credit: Jennifer Fitzgerald
Where am I blooming & thriving? Where am I playing it too safe? Where might I lighten up and try something new?
Is it just me, or does it seem to you too that the squirrels are pretty much BURSTING with an extra dose of Spring-ish, twitterpated vitality?
In my backyard, as I write this, a gaggle of squirrels is zipping here and there, frolicking and scampering, and “feeling their oats” as my grandma would say. Their antics are pretty much one long, highly energized, endless playdate with Mama Nature & each other, surrounded by blooming flowers, buzzing bees, and trilling birds.
I love everything that's happening OUT THERE. And that's where our seasoning begins--by really noticing all that there is to see, feel, hear, touch, and sense in the world around us.
With practice, I've learned to shift my notice from OUT THERE to IN HERE--to notice ME. My body. My heart and mind. My energy levels and instinctive, intuitive knowing.
Since the Spring Equinox in late March, daylight has overtaken the darkness and our days continue getting longer. What was hibernating and dreaming in the Winter is literally SPRING-ING to life.
And--we're naturally a part of it!!!
But to really sync with the energy that's out there requires a bit of practice on our part. Shifting to pay attention to ME and getting curious enough to ask myself, "What are some ways I can learn from and sync with what's happening in Time and Nature?” is important.
The timely question for us right now is really, HOW MIGHT I PRACTICE MAIDENING?
This week, I'd like to suggest that we take a page out of the “Squirrels Book on Spring” and explore what might stimulate our vitality.
What I discovered by visiting the National Institute for Play (Who knew there was such a foundation?!!) was right on point. Research conducted by the scientists at the NIP led to the finding that “Play is the gateway to vitality.”
Turns out that engaging in PLAYFUL PURSUITS releases lots of endorphins (the feel good hormones) in our bodies and produces higher levels of optimism. PLAYING lowers our levels of stress and anxiety; it reduces depression.
To put it in the terms of a Well-Seasoned Woman, PLAYING gifts us with lots of blooming, buzzing, colorful, lightening--aka MAIDEN-- energy!
So, dear reader, I have to ask: When was the last time you engaged in PLAYFUL PURSUITS? You know, something not related to your profession or your regular housework or any of the things we categorize as “adulting” behaviors? When was the last time you tried something new, different? When you zhuzhed up your same old/same old with something new and fresh and vitality-restoring?
For me, it's been awhile.
To get the benefits of play, the research shows that it doesn't have to be a grand expression of PLAY--although if you feel led to embark on a fun road trip, or hire an ice skating coach, or create a craft room in your home, or spend several days at Disney World-- go for it and we'll cheer you all the way!!
But, what about the 1 or 2 new things daily that we might practice doing in a new, fresh, playful way--like setting a timer at intervals to enjoy a one-song, solo dance party, or parting our hair on the other side, or driving home by a different route with the windows down, reciting Shel Silverstein poetry aloud?
Or what about committing to simply saying YES when you're invited to do something fun with other people (even via Zoom)? To carve out some time to play & laugh with your pet? To put the croquet set out on the lawn and challenge others to a game? To visit the playground and swing?
And if/when when that hyper-vigilant inner voice in our head begins whispering, “This is a waste of time. You should/could be doing tasks XY & Z right now” or when it begins criticizing, “You know, you don't do this well; in fact you'll probably never get this perfect”, let's practice saying, “Oh, thank you, Inner Critic. I know you're just trying to keep me safe and small and productive, but you're not needed, ‘cause I’m getting my PLAY ON and being all #TeamMaiden right now.”
So, here is my call to action: let's honor our curiosity and act on it by PLAYING. By doing one thing a day for (at least) the next couple of weeks that puts a smile on our face, a zing in our hearts, and a lightness in our spirits.
It's a matter of stirring up our vitality. It's an expression of our MAIDENING. It's the practice of becoming Well-Seasoned.
