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Barred Owl Retreat

The Power of Play as a Pathway

Published 23 days ago • 5 min read

Dear Reader,

When was the last time you did something simply because it delighted you? No shoulds, no end game. Just for the sheer pleasure and fun of it.

Ode to (Summer) Joy

I know the world is a serious place and we have miles to go before we sleep, but sometimes a sacred pause to explore the joy of being is necessary and as productive as anything else on our to-do list. As responsible adults, we forget the power and joy of play. We forget how to let go, be goofy, be vulnerable, to just be in a moment and allow ourselves to experiment. We all know play is good for kids, but it's equally as beneficial for us.

The Barred Owl retreats use play as a mindfulness practice and pathway to regulating the nervous system, tapping into our intuition, and building a future we want to move towards. In fact, those are the themes of the next three retreats in July, August, and October.

So, how playful are you? Are you reaping the benefits of PLAY?

I know talking about research might not sound fun or playful... BUT, research suggests that play is more than a pleasant pastime. It's a powerful contributor to our physical, emotional, and psychological well-being.

Adults benefit from play by experiencing greater brain activity, creativity, vitality, mindful presence, resilience, and restoration. Yet many of us have convinced ourselves that play is something we outgrow or do not have time for. What if we could allow this summer to be an invitation to play more.

If you have pets or children at your disposal, you are well on your way. They provide wonderful gateways into play. In their late twenties, my kids still remind me how to play. I'm also grateful for my husband, Luke, an elementary school principal who prides himself on teaching the kids how to play and have fun while they learn. I often call him Mr. Poppins because like Mary, he can make chores like moving, cleaning, weeding, and practicing fun.

Can you remember what activities once brought you joy as a kid? If I close my eyes right now, I can see myself wearing a candy necklace from Brown's Variety Store while I climb trees or skateboard. (Neither advisable presently.) Now, one of my favorite ways to play is in the garden, which provides months of endless fun. I love getting dirty, and I use my plants and flowers to create new recipes and bouquets.

As I arranged these flowers today, I remembered the summer that I created an arrangement or a mandala made from found natural objects almost every day. I was inspired by my friend and author, Christin Geal, who gets to travel the world talking plants and making flower arrangements. Why did I do this seemingly frivolous act? It made me feel good. It helped me see the real/physical world and get out of my head. It helped me look at some problems and obstacles in a fresh way. It helped me feel more alive, vital, and connected to the natural world.

Embracing Play

If gardening and plants are not your jam, there exist endless alternate pathways toward pleasureful play, AND they don't require elaborate plans or expensive adventures. Small moments of exploration woven into daily life can have a profound impact.

You might:
  • Take a wander and photograph things that catch your attention.
  • Dance to your favorite playlist while making dinner or cleaning.
  • Visit a new trail, beach, or town you've never explored.
  • Learn a new game or sport.
  • Create art for fun rather than the outcome.
  • Sing or play a duet.
  • Blow bubbles, fly a kite, or look for shapes in the clouds.
  • Buy a swing.
  • Get muddy. Get dirty.
  • Try something you've never done before simply for the experience.
  • Like Mary Poppins, or Luke, can you somehow make a chore like moving, weeding, or cleaning fun.

All the while, stay curious.

Novelty is good for the brain. Play invites us to become beginners again. (See me trying to hit a golf ball this week at the driving range next door.) It encourages us to explore rather than control, discover rather than accomplish, and experience rather than produce. Play allows the reward centers of our brains to be lit up. And while it may seem silly or frivolous, play can inspire us, can bring solutions and connect us to our intuition.

How we play here at the Barred Owl Retreat?

We practice yoga; we have sound journeys and sound baths; we create mandalas; we dance; we take photographs; we explore nature; we watch the goofy chickens; we have ceremonies; we use tarot and oracle cards; we write stories; we do divining activities with stones and pendulums; we use our imaginations; we slide; we paddle; we jump in the hot tub; and so much more.

Play = Mindfulness in Motion

What would it look like and feel like to make room for more joy?

Perhaps the invitation this summer is to loosen our grip on doing and striving. To remember that joy is not something we earn after the work is finished. Joy is part of what sustains us through the work of living.

Play has helped me and those I have guided to heal physical and emotional pain. We have playfully rewritten stories, released stored trauma through playing sining bowls and trying our hands at expressive arts - art for self exploration and the process vs the end product. Healing has come through rituals using fire and water that have been as playful as they have been serious. Sometimes healing can happen when we remember how to play.

All of the upcoming retreats at the Barred Owl incorporate play.

​*Mind-Body, Grounding: Practicing the Tools for Inner Peace will use play to activate the relaxation response, reduce stress hormones, and increase positive emotional states through curiosity and experiential use of play to return us to the present moment.

​*Mind-Body, Intuition: Reconnecting with Self-Trust and Inner Wisdom will incorporate play to create the conditions where intuition naturally emerges through wonder, curiosity, flow states, and bypassing the thinking mind to get to inner knowing.

​*Coming Home to Your New Season: Mind-Body & Vision, the 3-day Retreat will spur imagination and vision to feel into the future with playful and celebratory activities.

What if play isn't a break from your real life? What if it is one of the ways you return to yourself and living a more fulfilled life?

This summer, I invite you to experiment with making play your mindfulness practice. Give yourself permission to wander. To explore. To create. To rest. To laugh. To reconnect with the parts of yourself that have been waiting to get curious again.

If you can, I'd love to see you join us this season for a sound journey, yoga experience, or retreat at Barred Owl. Together, we can create space to slow, reconnect, and welcome a little more wonder into our lives.
A young child reaches for a floating bubble outdoors.
A heart made out of rocks in the water

I'm thinking of you and wishing you a summer that includes play and feelings of possibility and vitality amidst the seriousness and rush of life.

With love and light on your path this summer,

Jess

Journal Prompts On Play:

  • What beliefs have you inherited or developed about play, rest, fun, or pleasure? How have those beliefs shaped your life, and what might become possible if you gave yourself permission to play again?
  • If your inner child, wiser self, and future self all sat down together, what playful adventure, experience, or practice would they encourage you to explore this summer? Why?

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Barred Owl Retreat

Jess Bane Robert: Mindfulness & Transformation Coach, Retreat Owner

Do you want peace and fulfillment in your life? To have the tools and practices for living in alignment with your truest self? Are you looking to come home to yourself and align with the wonders of the world around you? I've been teaching and coaching others for almost two decades to live more awake and engaged lives through mindfulness practices, expressive arts, and self-discovery exercises. Join me on the journey.

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