Original Play

Sorry I haven't posted in awhile, again, my lyme came back and I had to go on the antibiotics, which until today I felt pretty awful. As some of you may know, I went to Kona, Hawaii in January to play with sea turtles. Yes, to PLAY with sea turtles. You are probably thinking this crazy and weird. I would, too, if I wasn't educated on play. Taken from the Original Play website, "Original Play is the courage to be kind and safe in all situations.  This practice is a way of relating to the world that transforms patterns of fear, aggression and violence into love, kindness and belonging. Original Play conveys a message of connection that is a powerful alternative to fear and contest behavior.  It allows us to effectively respond to aggression, violence and other unproductive behaviors while maintaining self esteem and not diminishing the esteem of others...The way we connect with people and the world around us dramatically shapes our everyday lives.  For this reason Original Play is applicable to many areas including business, education, family relationships and health.  In Original Play we demonstrate that there are better ways to spend energy than in postures of self-defense and contest behavior.  In Original Play we discover that love is more powerful than fear." Today, I got to play with four year olds who I interned with since they have been two or three, and it was a truly memorable moment in my life. I think it's the best feeling in the world to feel loved by others and to love yourself; I most certainly felt that way playing with my four year olds. You just don't play on the mats, original play has taught me how to play in life. It's taught me how to interact with a puppy who ran away to a business meeting. It's allowed me to truly open myself up to the world and to play throughout my life. I have learned to live in "play mode". What is "play mode"? To me, being in "play mode", is trusting myself, being confident in who I am, being able to trust others, and living in the moment. I encourage you all to play in life, I know I will! Thank you, Fred, Daniel, and Mrs. Inwood, for opening my eyes to play!