Why you need more silly in your life

Last weekend I taught a kids’ Yoga class…

To a group of adults.

This is about the fifth year that I give this one-off class at my Yoga teacher’s studio (I introduced you to my teacher Helene in my video post “What’s a Yoga Therapist?“)

Each year, as her Yoga teacher training is coming to a close, she invites me to demonstrate kids’ Yoga to her newest batch of Yoga teachers.

Because kids’ Yoga isn’t adult Yoga.

It’s a whole lot more.

And it’s always so much fun… For the students and for me!

Because adults get to be kids.

They…

• Sit in a sharing circle to share what they love most about spring
• Wag their tails in Downward Dog and bark
• Hop like frogs from lily pad to lily pad (mat to mat)
• Use their breath to move ping pong balls across the room
• Lay down in savasana (relaxation) with cute little stuffed animals on their bellies.

And they love it.

Everyone is smiling, laughing, and wondering why they didn’t do this sooner.

For me it’s amazing to watch.

Seeing adults awaken into children.

And here’s why I think it works…

1. They can bark, meow, and laugh out loud

Unless you have very young kids or grandkids, you likely don’t often bark like a dog.

Yet it’s incredibly freeing to do this!

I don’t know if it’s just because it’s silly (and as adults we don’t usually do silly), or because we can be loud and it’s fun to be loud…

But something about doing this just feels so good.

2. They can pretend to be pretty much anything

In this class we become owls, bears, turtles, trees, flowers, and even swings and slides at the park.

We get to pretend, and pretending is truly magic.

As adults we’re rarely encouraged to pretend, and in fact we’re probably discouraged.

But pretending opens the mind, sparks creativity, gives us confidence, and I believe we need all these things just as much (or more) as kids do.

3. They can relax with a special stuffed toy and a story

Stories aren’t only for kids.

Adults love stories!

In this case, what I do is read them a guided visualization to help them feel safe and loved, as I do with kids.

They just lie down, let go, listen, and use their imaginations to transport them somewhere completely new and different.

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Each time I teach this class I realize how much we miss being kids.

And that being an adult shouldn’t mean letting go of childhood.

But we do tend to make that finite division in our lives, and cross a line that we feel we can never return to.

We leave the simple, fun, and care-free behind, and run head first into the busy, stressed, and success-driven.

We stop being being silly and funny, and instead use food or alcohol in an attempt to let loose.

The truth is we do want to be kids, and we know how, but we don’t feel like we have permission.

We crossed over that line and feel like we can’t go back over it anymore.

So, I’m giving you permission to go back.

Do something fun, creative, active, and silly this weekend.

Laugh, cry, shout, be a see-saw, crow like a rooster, and be sober while doing it.

You will feel freer, I promise you.

Keep moving forward my friend,

Debbie