How did it all begin?
Well, it all started at the beginning of the year, at beachy getaway down on the South Coast – the stunning white sand and bright blue ocean of Jervis Bay to be precise.
Hyams Beach at Jervis Bay, New South Wales, Australia Photo by Dave Naithani
We were a mixed group of adults and kids. One of the “adults” got quite involved building sandcastles and generally playing in the sand with a bucket and spade. Not so unusual, you might be thinking. However, he was so struck by just how much fun he’d had, it was all he talked about on the drive back to Sydney.
Later, I reflected on what this might mean and why had this experience had such a profound effect on him.
Then it dawned on me, this was more much than nostalgia for the simpler times of childhood. The joy and satisfaction my friend had been feeling whilst he was playing came down to having been totally engrossed in the activity. He had experienced the calm and serenity that comes with living completely in the moment, the much coveted state of mindfulness that many would-be meditators struggle to achieve. But what if play is a way to unlock this ability to live in the moment, I asked myself?
What if play, a skill we are all born with (and lets face it, something we would much rather be doing than work) what if “adult playfulness” is the key to achieving a mindful state, minus all the effort and skill usually required to “quiet the monkey mind” when we meditate?
More to follow …