The very essence of playfulness is an openness to anything that may happen, the feeling that whatever happens, it's okay... you're either free to play, or you're not. – John Cleese
August 1, 2024
Greetings yogis,
This blog post arrives from the sprawling Big Sky state after yet another exquisite yoga retreat in the mountains of Montana, surrounded by nature’s finest fanfare of summer days. During our retreat we received the highest darshan (spiritual blessing or viewing of the divine) in the form of a mama moose and her calf. We were just opening our eyes from meditation when Wesley tapped me on the shoulder, raised his eyebrows and pointed towards the creek. Sure enough, there were the fabled creatures, meandering their way down to the lake for a brisk, morning swim.
Quiet as could be, our whole group cautiously stood with jaws dropped and eyes wide, awe smeared across every face in the bunch. (Photo above). Moose can be extremely aggressive and territorial so we kept a safe distance from our perch. After their dip, they plodded their way up and around the nature deck, equally as curious as we, sharing occasional staredowns in between mouthfuls of grass as they circled around us, weaving in and out of the lodgepole pines. The mother was very poised and aware of every move we made while still munching on the local fauna. The calf however, was quite the opposite.
Frolicking, bucking wildly, headbutting his mom and excitedly trying to get any reaction from her, you could feel an inherent sense of playfulness and joy, his true essence – our true essence. It was really something to behold! I felt my own sense of aliveness watching this youthful enthusiasm. The little one tried earnestly to remind her to play and yet she remained stoic. I also felt the pang in my heart for those of us that forget to play. So much wisdom was received just witnessing this unfiltered, raw moment in nature. No need for mats, this became the yoga practice that morning. We sat for 40 minutes, completely enraptured by the show.
Animals have an uncanny way of arousing our inherent and instinctual sense of curiosity that we can often lose with our ‘rational’ minds. They are so adept at harmonizing with their surroundings, staying present and living free. Three vital qualities that we, especially we adults, can use more of. Playfulness helps us hijack fear and contributes to our adaptability, resiliency and capacity to be with the unknown. It is a muscle that can be strengthened and built.
Today, take a moment and remember your own sense of aliveness. Go play, dance, paint, frolic, mess up, sing, tumble, climb, ask, write, run barefoot or whatever is calling you… you need not take it all too seriously. Come alive and play with this life before the calcification sets in, live it up to the fullest and stay young. It is our mindset that determines how we spend and experience our days, and our practice that helps keep the mind expansive enough to play.
May you all be free,
Nat K
Om Shanti Shanti Shanti
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