R U free to play?

School holidays have begun, watching the children in my life I remember the concept of play.  It has been on my too do, longed for list for too long.  I can become Missing in action with life, stale with seriousness. “R U Free to play?” is the text message sent out to friends.

RE- creation

The  spark of joy, the spontaneity that clears the mind, inspires imagination and  vitalizes our life is play otherwise known as recreation.  It is an attitude that transforms the ordinary into super powers, common objects are treasures and the moment holds an infinity.  Hang out with a toddler and your perspective shifts as a walk in the garden becomes a science expedition, groove time and ode sung to the fairies.  Play is not reserved to children as it nourishes adults lives to.

Playtime

I worked with a mother who was an artist and she would allocate herself 30 minutes a day to do her art. It was her haven where, what she did was hers, it was not altered by the family and she saw it grow. Giving ourselves permission to play nurtures our wellbeing.   Our mind shifts as we become absorbed in play experiencing the flow of being in the moment.  Learning is possible with play as we explore, trial, invent, discover new skills and roles.  Play is unique to you it may be a jigsaw, a hammock lie or building a sandcastle.

 

The CC’s of Play

The CC’s are competition and cooperation these two elements run as an undercurrent and influence the tone of play.  Competition the drive to win can motivate but when taken to far rivalry, pressure, put downs and cheating arise.  Competitive play can be harmful and limiting.  When  people start to compare themselves, their self concept is measured according to others skills and attributes leaves many of us lacking and wanting.  Recently there has been reports that children are not engaging in sport for fear of losing.  You win when you turn up and participate.

Cooperation is the team work that comes from working together for a common goal.   My sister describes how my nephew was winning a race and turned to see his mate behind him and stopped to wait so they could finish together.  Sharing and striving together can lead to humour outbreaks with seriousness sitting on the sideline.  Seriousness with its judgement and angst needs to be broken down as it can become an aspect of overblown self importance.

Freedom to play

Play is free but there is a cost to your wellbeing if you don’t play.

Deep fried burnout, hyper alert defenses, rigid schedules and the need to be right all the time are some of the signs of play withdrawal.

R U Free to play?

Can you give yourself this timeout?

Can you drop the seriousness of life?

Can you laugh at yourself?

Play exists beyond childhood or holidays. As Wayne Hackett stated:

“Its never to late to have a happy childhood”.

 

 Mooving, moving right along

Morning darkness pierced by an alarm!!! the lure of  warmth, comfort battles with need to move, fresh cool air and an endorphin hit.  Autumn the time when motivation to move is adjusting.   Moving breaks the inertia and stretches us to change our wellbeing.

Ready set Goal

Goals  big or small are what we answer when the alarm goes off and we see our sports gear. A personal goal provides a sense of purpose to a movement challenge: whether it be a race, a waltz on a wedding day or a walk with the dog its yours to create.   A guide to making goals is found in the anacronym SMART :

Specific : I will walk, run, cycle, swim, dance

Measureable: km, minutes

Attainable: “You can do it! Yes you can !”

Realistic it is possible not a flight of  fantasy

Time to be achieved by: this week, month, year

 

 

 

Writing the goal on the fridge, bathroom mirror, car steering wheel – wherever it catches your eye makes it hard to forget or escape.  Telling your friends your goal holds you accountable and provides a fan club to rally you when motivation is flagging.

A word, a touch, a sound are example of triggers that can motivate for example tapping my leg when thinking of a goal grounded me, refocused my attention and anchored my actions.  Break down big audacious goals into achievable bites this reduces performance pressure and changes perspective of the challenge.   For example swimming to Rottnest Island (19.7km) became 4 x 5km races in a day.

Crawl then walk then run – simple enjoy the progression in moving and  identify the steps required to make a goal attainable.  Watch a child learning to walk and you appreciate how far you have come and the steps you took to get here.   Seeing children play reminds me of the joy of discovering and exploring new ways to move n groove.  My nephews and nieces show me how to let go of expectations and be totally present when exercising.   The laughter and smiles of children exercising shows moving is FUN.

 

What went well?

Focus on what went well, what you have achieved.  Answering this question registers your progress, acknowledges where you have been and where you are. Martin Segilman conducted an experiment at Geelong Grammar school asking teachers and parents to ask students “What went well?” this had positive repercussions in their growth (2012, p.33)  A personal best makes you a legend in your own lunch time even if it doesn’t make the newsreel.

Beating your self up for not answering the call to get off the coach, onto the track or pool is futile.   We are all humans doing the best we can, some days there are speed bumps in the way.  Contemplate these moments then you can recognise your own barriers and acts of sabotage that prevent success.   Listen to your internal dialogue. Is your inner coach a harsh critic slinging vile remarks that you would never apply to a friend in your circumstance?  Employ encouraging words to yourself this will let you flourish.

Remember past achievements these are your building blocks for achieving your goal and the keys to how it can be done.  Memories  of getting up after a fall and doing something that seemed impossible provides perspective to a current goal.

Moving as Meditation

Swimming is my moving meditation. It brings focus to my breathing, creating a state of calm, detached awareness (Rotan & Ospina – Kammerer, 2007). Worries, self-consciousness and time disappear as I am held and carried by the water, I am in a flow state. Csikszentmihalyi’s (1997) and Chazez’s (2009) findings characterised flow as limited or no cognitive conscious thoughts.   The allure of the flow state is that it provides an oasis from my minds intrusions and an escape route from family tension and work stress.   Moving provides a portal to another dimension where we are free to come home to our body, review our thinking and regain perspective.

Right along

Moving is not confined to the gym, it can creep into your daily life; walking to the shops, dancing to the ads on T.V. or jiving with the vacuum cleaner.   I have a moving memory of two pregnant mothers post their due dates kick starting their labour by dancing to the Wiggles with their toddlers . They laughed and relaxed enhancing the hormone oxytocic which was needed to birth.  Endorphin the “joggers high” is the hormone that provides the rush after exercise and altering pain perception.  MOOVing does bring life in many ways your imagination is your guide dance, climb, run, swim, cycle, hop, jump along.

 

References

Chazez, E. (2009) Flow in Sport: A study of College Athletes, Imagination, Cognition and Personality, 28 (1) p 69 -91,              DOI: 10.2190/IC.28.1.f

Csikszentmihalyi, M (1997) Finding the Flow: The psychology of engagement with everyday life, Basic Books, New York

Rotan, L. & Ospina – Kammerer (2007) Mind Body Medicine Foundations and Applications, Routledge, Lo

Segilman, M (2012) Flourish, Free Press, Toronto

 

Eat up

“food glorious food ! “ Oliver sang.

( Lyrics by Lionel Bart)

Unfortunately this sentiment is not shared by everyone.   Writing about nutrition and wellness is as provocative as talking about politics and religion.   Eat up is a reflection on eating with the who? why? what? when ? and how we eat  being explored in this blog. 

Who ?

Hand on the fridge door the glow of a cave of sustenance or malnutrition?  An evaluation only you can make as you are responsible for creating your temple – your body.  At times my temple is like the Leaning tower of Pisa, out of balance and though I could blame the builders I am the maintenance worker. The body I live in is unique to me thus my diet is my masterpiece with a rainbow palette of colours made of vegetables, fruit, nuts, proteins and fats.

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Coming to your senses

Going bush, cars packed, dog housed – the escape bid south begins.  Looking above the  dawn freeway traffic jam, I see a bird hovering using the thermals to aid its flight.  A vision that highlights how nature reunites us with our lost senses and draws us to think beyond our current situation.   Wishing for wings leads me to an alternative route away from hostile, impatient traffic towards the  coast.

Rebooting

 

Plug into Natures energy

 

 

 

 

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Do we expire to inspire?

Breath out expiration

Breath in inspiration

An automatic, unconscious, reliable everyday action needed to maintain life. Expiration and inspiration are physical and philosophical functions that are so innocuous, it is easy to dismiss until the question is posed : Do we expire to inspire?

Expiration

Expiration, a passive or active response expanding the lungs making space for energy in the form of air to enter.  Expiration can be passive not requiring additional muscular activity as it is a response to the elastic recoil of the diaphragm and chest wall.  Active expiration requires energy to use abdominal muscles or chest muscles to compress air out.  T. K. V. Desikachar stated:  

Finding the natural link between breath and movement is the most important aspect of asana practice.  It requires determining whether it is the inhalation or the exhalation that is amplified or made easier by a certain movement and then making sure that the breath is the one we combine with the movement on which we are focusing.  (1995, p20)

Expiration for example can facilitate forward bends and twisting asanas.

As babes are born they expire, letting go of their tight fit in the womb to lustily cry – a wonderous sound heralded by those waiting to meet the new soul.  In order to grow we abandon what we know, the familiar shores of home to find new spaces and adventures.  Shunry Suzuki described this learning when he wrote

If your mind is empty it is always ready… In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities but in the expert’s mind there are few.

To expire to bring to an end: such as leaving a job, a relationship; the maiden to the mother or student to worker transition – the closing of one door  with faith to open another door. Expiration of the past is to let go, to forgive, lighten the burden of guilt allowing to reconcile with friends and oneself.  Our final act of giving  to the world is to breathe out – to move on.

 

Inspiration

Inspiration is the active use of the diaphragm and intercostal muscles to contract. The diaphragm moves downward and the intercostal muscles pull the ribs up. This increases the volume of the chest and creates a negative pressure that draws air in.  Air is energy, prana, fuel for the mind and body.

Inspiration is taking in sensory input – vision, hearing, touch and taste –  to build  our unique perspective of the world. The act of inspiring can also be described as making things happen,  galvanising and heartening.   Inspiration requires perspiration, effort just as our intercostal muscles lift up we to lift ourselves and others up as we inspire.  There is a quote that I admire on inspiration, but I don’t know the author. The quote is

There is no need to be perfect to inspire others.  Let people get inspired by how you deal with your imperfection.

Expiration to let go

Inspiration to let in Breath – Prananyama a life force

 

Reference

T.K.V. Desikarchar (1995) The Heart of Yoga