Rediscovering The Art Of Play

https://youtu.be/g6QjpeBRxJY

I love watching children at play. Before they reach a certain age they have no regard for what other people are thinking. They laugh, squeal, run and frankly can be annoying at times – but it's all because of their inborn natural instinct to play.

I think we were born to play but as we grew older, we were told to restrain ourselves, instructed to act our age. In our teens, we became conscious of 'cool' and what our peers thought of us. Then, as we've grown older we largely lost the art of play due to the responsibilities we've shouldered, the worries we've carried.

A few years ago, I discovered the art of play through dance and then that has led to other types of activities where I find refreshment; to laugh, connect with others, get some physical exercise and sometimes just be my playful childlike self and embarrass others. Like the time I asked a girl to dance and she introduced me to her husband. My immediate response was "great, two people to dance with. I'm not bi-sexual but I am a bi-dancer." For some reason, neither of them were that keen to dance with me...

Play is different for all of us and I think the key is abandonment. Abandoning ourselves in the moment with activities that nourish the soul; where we lose track of time; where fun is the core of the activity; where we lose being 'cool'; where sometimes we feel guilty for having wasted time having indulged ourselves - guilty pleasure as I like to call it.

If you are not laughing like you used to and feel weary from the weight of responsibility make it your mission to rediscover the art of play. Ray PS. And just so you know... I purposefully let go of 'cool' with this silly looking video thumbnail of me :)