A Little, Often: Play

(free to read) Because you can

A Little, Often is a monthly feature on Balance Practice, offering a (practical) yoga-inspired practice to support you to come into balance off the mat, where it matters most. I’d love to hear your practice is going, please drop a comment if you feel like sharing!

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Again, again! My daughter squeals with delight, laughing at my wobbly handstand. I’m on my butt (again) in the sand, indifferent seagulls gaze past our commotion while my littlest makes a sandcastle alongside the rockpools. 

My blood is rushing so I have another go—hands squish down, left leg rises, right kicks up… head drops, core engages and—ah!—there it is! For a fleeting moment both legs reach for the sun before I land, a little lighter this time, more satisfied with the resonance of the maneuver than the shape itself.

It’s deep summer so I’ll be brief today.

How can play be practice, and practice be play?

Handstands haven’t been part of my yoga practice in ages. Aside from my beloved legs up the wall I’ve never been particularly drawn toward inversions. Over last few months though, I’ve followed my 8 year old’s new obsession with being upside-down, and rediscovered its distinct magic. Inverting has a natural way of shifting one’s perspective. Everything looks different from this vantage, and feels different after, when you rise back to your feet. It’s a total body strengthener but maybe more important is the uninhibited, childlike energy and exuberance it sparks. Playing has a way of reminding us what’s possible.

There’s no formality or perfection to our summer beach, playground, and garden handstand sessions, no particular instruction to this particular practice. Just a suggestion: Play, because you can. Less thinking, more playing. Go on then.

A few possibilities —
handstands
cartwheels
shake it out
dance
skip
run
don’t wait — play!

What does play look like for you on and your mat this season?

Play and feel the difference.