“Play is the highest form of research.”
-Albert Einstein
Pre-kids, I used to tell my husband that one of the things I looked forward to about becoming a mom was being able to play with toys and read kids books again. I do love all those things (except when my kids want me to read them the same book for the 100th time).
What I didn’t realize at first was how my yoga practice would also be an opportunity for play. I should have suspected it since I did teach kids yoga for a few years before I became a mom, but how hard it can be to be somebody’s mama and friend and psychologist and teacher and...the list goes on.
Mamas, whether you intend to share yoga with your kids or just take a more childlike approach to your practice I just want to say that you are totally allowed (actually, encouraged) to play within your yoga practice. Play, experiment, doubt, wonder, try new things, express emotions, and change your approach. It’s so easy to fall into the trap of worrying about the right way to practice, the right alignments in a pose, the right rhythm of breath. Those things are all important, but it’s not all as rigid and serious as you might think.
The problem is, sometimes we forget to play. And then when we finally remember that play is good for us, we forget how to approach it. If you remember how it was to be a kid, what kinds of things you liked, what made you happy, what you were curious about, and some other memorable experiences from your youth, you’re on your way to remembering how to play. Then again, if you already know how you like to play, I’d love to hear about your tips! There’s no one way to play and I’m often so impressed with other people’s creativity in motherhood, playing, and ways people connect with their kids.
If your kids are still very young (under the age of 4 or 5), they tend to just play with whatever you offer. After a while, you might run into very specific likes and dislikes; for instance your kid might start to love the characters from a favorite TV show that you might not like, or you might wonder why they have no interest in certain toys you assumed they’d love. Try to find the things that you both like and focus on those.
But first, you gotta get into the mindset. How do you put your ‘play’ cap (as opposed to thinking cap) on? Here are some steps I take to let myself enter into a frame of mind where play becomes easy and automatic:
Slow down
Look around
Try some “I wonder” or “What if” statements (for example, ‘I wonder if this yoga strap could be a tight rope?’ Or, ‘What if we imagine that we are moving underwater when we do this pose sequence?’)
Tap into your (and your kid’s) energy level: is it time for dynamic, energetic play? Or is everyone a little tired or just feeling calm and ready for some more focused, sit-down play?
After that, the world is your oyster! You have the power to make things up - yoga poses, breathing practices, and yoga games. But of course, I’ll share some of my ideas, too. Next week I’ll get more specific on how I can do some playful yoga on my own or with my kids:)
This post is piggy-backing off my January post about my word of the year: Play. How do we incorporate more play into our yoga to make it more authentic, relevant, and feasible? Read more here on why I realized I needed more play in my practice.