Why Should Adults Play?

I received a new bicycle for my birthday—a baby blue beach cruiser with a large, wicker basket on the front. Having not owned (or ridden) a bike in quite a few years (ok, it’s been more than 20 year), my first few forays into our neighborhood were a bit scary. I was a bit wobbly and, more than a little anxious about falling. 

In a short time, my anxiety faded and I was able to savor the physical joy of riding—the rush of speed, of wind in my face, and the thrill of gliding rapidly down the street. But mostly, riding my bike brought back the joy of play, of doing something for the simple pleasure of it.

Researchers and the National Institute of Play affirm that play is vital in our stressful, non-stop lives. It’s been shown to release endorphins, improve brain functionality (including memory), and stimulate creativity. In fact, play makes us more productive and creative in the workplace. Not only that, but researchers have found that people with “playful” personalities are more attractive as mates. With all these benefits, it clear that play is essential to our social and emotional well-being.

Want to give play a try? Here are some ways to bring sense of playfulness into your yoga practice. 

Approach your yoga practice with a sense of fun

Not long ago I taught a series of classes where the focus was on balance, a skill that becomes more challenging as we age and our fear of falling increases. So I encouraged my students to approach the balance practice as play. We practiced walking on the edge of our mats in the same way we walked on curbs as children and even did a one-legged juggler pose using tennis balls. 

Laugh on your mat

As my students and I “played” with these balance poses, there was much laughter as we dropped balls or fell off the edge of our mats. The laughter helped break the tension and make the work of balancing more of a game. There is no yoga rule that says we have to be serious all the time. Besides, isn’t laughter good for the soul?

Let go of perfection

Although the balance work was challenging, our practice became just that, a practice—not something to master or perfect. Assuming a playful attitude helped dispel the fear and anxiety of falling and instead shifted our focus towards experimentation. 

Be curious

Instead of working to master or “perfect” certain poses in my personal practice, I’ve begun to approach my time on my mat with curiosity. Being curious allows me be open to the daily changes in my body without getting too attached to what I can or cannot do that day. Taking that attitude off my mat, I can choose to infuse that spirit of play to other tasks, approaching them with greater creativity and less attachment. Detaching from doing things perfectly has the added benefit of increasing my sense of well-being and joy on a daily basis, and who doesn’t want more of that?

So, how do you play? What do you do for the shear joy of it? I’d love to hear from you. 

originally posted 2/10/20; updated 3/21/22