Go inside…or outside…and play

The purpose of life, in my view, is to play. (And, more specifically, to use play as a vehicle for observation, discovery, connection, and learning).

To bring enthusiasm and joy with me wherever I go.  Even (especially!) to the dirtiest and most unpleasant of tasks…and the (seemingly) empty moments between tasks.

Occasionally, external circumstances conspire to make this blindingly obvious. I recently spent a week on a sunny island with my children and my parents. We moved together, as a family, through the following routine:

Wake up

Eat

Go outside and play together in nature until exhaustion

Come in and  share a meal

Nap and read

Go out and play some more

Come in and eat again

Sleep

Repeat

It was fabulous, though not without normal hurdles. Sunscreen. Sunburn. Kid fights. Cranky grownups. Sand in our swimsuits. All first-world problems.

It was simple. And satisfying.

We focused on the highest-quality elements of our lives, connection and discovery.

And we dropped (with absolutely no struggle) the lower value ones: make up, hairstyles, ‘outfits’, junk food, Starbucks, errands, devices…the list goes on…

Each and every action was imbued with a sacred, un-disruptable sense of relaxation and awareness.

We told ourselves this was a special time, sacred time, an experience to be savored and valued.

This is everyday yoga life.

Get up and flow…with open, appreciative eyes and heart…through the simple, sacred, core work of your life. Find a pattern, a rhythm. Share it with your loved ones. Stick to it. Protect it. Enjoy it. Think about it. Talk about it.

Sleep and repeat.

Some of it will be difficult or unpleasant. I was sad to notice my parents aging; they are no longer as invincible as they once seemed. And it is unlikely that I will ever share my daughter’s delight in slimy, stinky unidentifiable sea life.

There is something of value, something to be learned, something to be shared even there.

Most of it will be heartbreakingly beautiful and joyful beyond belief.

The same is true for your yoga practice. Find a pattern, a rhythm. Share it with your loved ones. Stick to it. Protect it. Enjoy it. Think about it. Talk about it.

Sleep and repeat.

This post might more appropriately bear the title, ‘Everything I Learned In Yoga, My Parents Tried To Teach Me.’