Yesterday I went sledding!! I bought an inflatable inner tube this fall, and have been waiting for a good storm. By the time I got to Bowdoin Park, where there is a steep sledding hill, the snow was packed down, and you could even see patches of grass. I didn’t even have to push - the tube FLEW down the hill!! I was totally out of control, screaming and laughing all the way. On the second run, I hit the patch of grass at the bottom and somersaulted before coming to a halt. And as you can see, I landed in the mud.
It was a BLAST!!! I can’t wait to do it again!! (Maybe I’ll pick a gentler hill, and skip the somersault - I’m feeling it today!).
Silly fun? Nope. Play is important, and has many benefits, documented by a growing number of studies. Helpguide.org writes: ”Play can add joy to life, relieve stress, supercharge learning, and connect you to others and the world around you. Play can also make work more productive and pleasurable. Play is one of the most effective tools for keeping relationships fresh and exciting.”
Yet, it’s easy to stay busy doing “important” adult stuff, and neglect play. As George Bernard Shaw said, “We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.”
What comes up when you think about playing? What do you notice in your body? It’s natural to feel resistance; after all, we live in a culture that prizes hard work and productivity. A play buddy can be helpful - I went sledding with my neighbor yesterday; I might not have done it by myself. Who can play this role in your l
Erotic exploration can be playful -- sensual exploration, with curiosity, without a goal, with a partner or solo.
Would you like support around bringing erotic play into your life on a regular basis? I will be offering a loosely facilitated online communal erotic experience, a time to play with your body from head to toe, to explore sensation and pleasure, with no rush or agenda. It will go something like this: we meet on Zoom, fully clothed and cameras on. I’ll lead a body-based exercise (using breath, sound, movement, imagination, and/or touch) to support you in this mindful erotic together-play. We check in about our curiosity or intentions for the playtime. Then, ~30 minutes for personal erotic play -- this will be private, with video cameras and sound off. I will provide a music play list which you can listen to, or not; this will include 5 minutes of silence toward the end, for savoring and integrating.
Email me directly (bodysouljourney@protonmail.com; please put "Let's Play" in the subject line) if you’d like to be invited to a Q&A call I’ll set up soon.
Curious to learn more about how play matters, a lot? Here are a couple articles and a Ted Talk on the benefits of play.
I hope some of this resonates with you, and I wish you some play time today.
Blessings,
Melody