The importance of play

My Memorial Day began with a virtual dance party with a few close friends. We put on a favorite set from Burning Man, popped some bubbly, and boogied. The music was light, chill, and perfect for the summer weather streaming through my balcony door. 

Dancing to the chill beats, I came to a realization: Physical play is really, really important. When we play, we experiment. We embody ourselves in the present moment. And, once we get into it, we move without self-consciousness. 

Physical play is fun, connective, and replenishing. But it's more than that. That same experimentation, embodiment, and lack of self-consciousness is incredibly important for other pursuits. In particular, these components of play are the building blocks of dancing and fucking. 

Think about it: We can learn dance techniques, we can learn how to finger someone or make out. But without the embodiment of play, without practicing maintaining both connection with the other and lack of self-consciousness, we're not going to be able to be fully present in either of these pursuits. 

And that presence is what makes us good at dancing- and fucking. ;) 

So here's my invitation to you this week: play using your body. Try a funny walk to the bathroom, climb over your couch instead of standing up to get off of it, make strange shapes in the mirror, crawl around and roar like a lion.

Don't let your adult body stop you from experiencing the joy and connection of play. And if you're persistent, if you insist on doing it, others will eventually join you.

Lead from vulnerability, and lead from embodiment.