The Power of Playfulness; an Invitation into Presence

You may have this belief that play is not purposeful, that it won’t get you anywhere in life, but to me; life's not about getting anywhere, rather it’s about BEing HERE NOW. Play invites presence into our lives, it is a vital part of our physical, mental & emotional well being. We’ve only been conditioned by our society to see it as a form of irresponsibility or being “too carefree” when in reality it is what creates & sustains our quality of life.

At the park with my family last weekend!

I have this habit of being way too serious. I notice that when I am residing in this energy that it sucks the life force right out of me. When I am in a constant state of trying to figure my life out, I am physically, mentally & emotionally drained. It’s a waste of my valuable time & energy. We can either choose to spend our time analyzing or we can spend it CREATING. One only takes & depletes our “account” & the other increases our “funds”.

When I practice being playful & lighthearted I begin to feel my energetic body shift, filling me full of vitality & wonder. My whole perspective on life begins to shift & as much as my ego wants to tell me that my playfulness is a waste of time, the wisdom of my body is telling me a whole different story.

Playfulness invites us to really listen to what our heart wants, it is a direct link to our Inner Child/ Inner Artist/Higher Self. When we are connected to that part of us we no longer compare our paths with others & we stop judging our lives for what they are. We surrender & embrace.

For me, cultivating more play & pleasure into my life has felt foolish & sometimes even irresponsible, like being my abundant & energetic Self is “wrong”. I’ve had to move ;) through the resistance of allowing myself to be more open & accepting. In order to do this I had to feel like a fool, I had to feel misunderstood & vulnerable, I had to refocus my attention on staying PRESENT. As much as it felt like punishment to my ego, it has been the greatest gift for my soul to EXPAND.

Playing ninja warriors with my nephew! :)

In our society, in this day & age it is rare that we are HAPPY as we are, without constant stimulation & validation, to just BE without so many external conditions needing to be “just right” before we allow ourselves to relax into the moment & be filled with JOY & PEACE.

As much as it sometimes looks & feels as if I have done “nothing”, I have retrained my mind & body to be still so that it can feel safe & relaxed in every moment. To me; that is an accomplishment. For someone who was anxious, depressed, overweight, non-active, pessimistic, hopeless, doubtful & fearful it is like living in a whole new world.

As days pass & I spend more & more of my time emBODYing this energetic state of playfulness & presence I begin to feel shifts in my awareness that elevates me beyond my “small” Self & into Union with All That Is. In this state I feel a sense of connection & belonging that I’ve never experienced before. To come back Home to my Inner Child has brought me into a state of Oneness, into a sense of Family, into a sense of Harmony.

Now, to me; living in PEACE has become the “norm”. I believe that once we ALL find this within ourselves that we become a walking, talking, breathing example of what it means to experience Heaven on Earth. Because we are Heaven & we are Earth.

The one person I’ve spent the most time playing with has been my little brother. Growing up without electronics & a lot of free time made us get really creative & imaginative. Just running barefoot in our yard, creating little villages in the dirt with match box cars, playing volleyball & catch, riding our bikes & running through the sprinkler making mud, playing on our jungle gym & rolling down the hill. Sure we had our fights & arguments, what siblings don’t? But being outside & playing has always connected us, it was how we entertained & cared for ourselves. I think a lot of us now a days have trouble keeping ourselves entertained & occupied without external stimulation, we’ve lost that connection to our own ability to be there for ourselves.

Playing in the water & dirt with my brother! So fun!

One of my favorite things about being a millennial is that we are the last generation to grow up without technology, we are the last generation to truly connect to Mother Earth, to get outside & be one with our humanity & Spirit. I think as the last generation to fully experience this, it is a vital part of our purpose to remind the younger generation what it means to play and be present. To learn how to become at peace with the here & now, to truly value and treasure the Earth & all She has to offer us. I think it is our mission to lead the younger generation back to their roots, back to Earth & back to their souls.

Playing ninja turtles at the park with our stick guns!

We love the slides! :)

What was your favorite way to play as a kid? Let me know in the comments!

Thank you for reading!

Love & blessings, Ashley <3