It’s the things we play with and the people who help us play that make a great difference in our lives. ”

Fred Rogers
American television personality
1928–2003

I remember so vividly what it felt like to play as a child. My absolute favorite thing to do was playing with my Breyer horse statues and my dollhouse. I didn’t have everything I wanted—and honestly, that was a gift. It encouraged me to use my imagination, to stretch beyond what was available, and to dream up possibilities on my own.

The dolls and the horses didn’t really work well together, so I needed to improvise. As you know…necessity is the mother of invention. There were no dolls the right size or shape to sit on a horse, so I made my own out of twist ties, tinfoil, and masking tape.

They weren’t exactly realistic, but in my mind, they were perfect. I didn’t have fencing either, so I lined up books instead. To an outsider, it might have looked silly. To me though, it was paradise.

Now, Breyer makes dolls that can actually ride the horses, complete with their own tack. Even today, when I walk into Rick’s Saddle Shop and see the Breyer statues and accessories, I feel that same spark of excitement. Part of me still wants to scoop them up and play, even at 57.

I couldn’t have a real horse—it was far too expensive—but in my imagination, anything was possible.

Somewhere along the way, as we grow older, something shifts. Maybe we start worrying about “acting like a child.” We want to look grown up. We have more responsibilities and we convince ourselves we don’t have time for anything that isn’t productive or serious. Play simply takes a back seat to other things in our life.

This is why I’d like to encourage you to invite play back into your life. Not as an indulgence, but as nourishment. It’s not trivial, it can be fundamental to your overall health and well-being.

Here are just a few of the benefits of Play:

• Improved sense of connection/community

• Increased creativity

• Increased sense of Wonder and curiosity

• Learn faster – neurons/synapses are created faster

• Broadens your perspective and enabling you to see how things relate to one another, even things that at first might seem unrelated.

Here are some ways that I find it helpful to incorporate play into my yoga practice:

• Don’t take yourself too seriously. We often put too much pressure on ourselves to be good at it.

• Develop a Beginner’s Mindset. Being open to new possibilities and finding a sense of wonder.

• Replace perfection with curiosity. You don't have to be "good at it", you just need to bear witness and be willing to learn.

• Use Visualization and your Imagination. You can try embodying the poses. For example, imagine you are a warrior when doing Warrior poses. Or, that you are a puppy taking a big stretch during Downward Facing Dog.

I know life is busy, and the world feels intense right now, but carving out even a little space to play can bring so much joy, creativity, and ease. It reconnects us with a part of ourselves that’s still very much alive—curious, hopeful, and wonderfully imaginative.

How does this resonate with you? What could you do to bring play into your yoga practice and life? I would love to hear.