We Came Here To Play

““The purpose of play is not to win - it is to be in relationship”

My summary of Module Seven: ‘Play’ from The Journey of Intrinsic Health

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I’ve been doing it wrong. 

This module has probably been the most challenging so far. Not for the content, but in the realisation of just how little play there is in my life. 

Sadly our society does not value play.

The whole concept of play is diminished to the realm of little children, or the lucky few who’ve worked hard and ‘done all their chores’. 

Only then is it ‘acceptable’ for you to consider engaging in play. 

If we simply look at how people spend their time, it’s clear that financial wealth (and status) rank highest in our list of priorities, followed by family and health, and then probably somewhere in 4th or 5th would be the concept of play. 

Which implies that to be able to play, we must be wealthy and healthy.

But what if we have it all wrong? What if we played anyway, regardless of our finances or medical status. 

Ironically, we’d be far healthier if we did, and I’d put money (no pun intended) on our finances flowing more freely too.

Why do we play? 

Sadly, most of what we define as play today has been designed in the masculine archetype of winning and losing.

We play only in competition, with failure for one, if not many, as a required outcome.

I’d never realised it before, but it doesn’t have to be this way.

The purpose of play is not to win - it’s to be in relationship.

That’s how nature designed play. 

Think of the way dolphins or kittens play. There’s no ‘winner’.

There doesn’t have to be purpose or outcomes in play.

We can just play. For play’s sake.

And I think that’s maybe why we’re here.

Is it really play? 

Another big realisation in this module was how many of us - myself included - confuse play with distraction. 

There’s certainly a place for distraction (i.e. a good movie, a harmless social media scroll, a magazine etc…) 

Sometimes that’s exactly what you need.

But it’s important to be able to recognise what play is (and isn’t) and that it is in the expression of our creativity that play truly begins. 

So how can you start to bring more creativity into your life?

Play is simply an act of self expression

What I learned in this module is that it starts with the recognition and understanding that every human holds the qualities and traits of both the masculine and feminine within them.

We all have both. It’s not about gender at all.

We can all relate to the goal oriented masculine (i.e. the desire to accomplish something) AND process oriented feminine (the desire to simply be with something)

We have both at our disposal - in fact we need both.

As we start to accept that we have this balance within us, and we start to allow space to express each side of ourselves, we start to come back into balance with who we truly are. 

And from there, we can start to create - to play - with the life we really want. 

What does the concept of creation mean to you?

A hike, drawing, a campfire, a song, a dress, a poem, a garden, cooking, writing…. it can be anything. 

What turns you on to your fullest expression of life? 

Do more of that!

You don’t need permission. It’s not ‘unproductive’.

In fact it just might be one of the most productive things you can do. 

Your body needs to play

The best part of all of this is that our biology responds well to play. 

Studies show that when we laugh and smile it has a potent neurological and biological effect.

It literally reduces disease in our body - particularly neurodegenerative diseases such as alzheimer’s and dementia. 

Interestingly, the part of the brain that creates and processes sexual energy is also the same part of the brain responsible for creative flow.

So ask yourself - what gets you interested in life?

How can you become more expressive? 

It’s time to play.