The Power of Play

All work and no play…

We’ve all heard that phrase, but haven’t you found it to be true?

A couple of years ago, while training to become a Forest Therapy Guide, I was feeling upset. While the training was good, I felt restless and unhappy, because I knew I wanted to do more with the training than what was being taught to me.

I started to shut down. I decided I was going to leave the training and try to get a refund.

Then, the trainers shared an initiative called, “Yes, lets.”

Remember when you were a kid, and your friend would say something like, “Let’s play tag.” And then you would agree and dive into the game.

That’s what this invitation was like. I remember that I was feeling very grumpy, still focused on my desire to leave. We had paired up, and my partner had disappeared. I was standing there sulking when I saw a small pine cone land in front of me.

Then, I felt another gently hit my head. I turned to see where they were coming from, and sure enough, it was my partner, inviting me to play.

We ended up playing many things, including building a wonderful tiny town made from pine cones, rocks, etc.

My grumpiness dissolved as I became more invested in the game, and I decided to stay and complete the training.

I am SO grateful that the Power of Play opened my heart and mind to the possibilities that were present. Even though I now use Forest Therapy as just a piece of what I offer, it is a very important piece.

Forest Therapy can really help us let go of stress and monkey mind so we can be present in the moment. It can help us be deeply aware of the More Than Human World. And I might not have been open to learning more about that were it not for the Power of Play.

After completing training, and expanded upon the practices of Forest Therapy, I discovered that the Universe uses nature to communicate with us—sharing Divine Signs with us to let us know it has our backs, and it will help us gain momentum in bringing our big visions into the world.

I hope you' will find time to incorporate the Power of Play into your life. I wonder what possibilities will be waiting for you?