140. LETS PLAY MEDITATION

Speaker: 00:00:02

Welcome, friends.

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Welcome to the Creative Spiritual

Journey podcast meditation, Let's Play.

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Wow, that's a lot of words just

to say I'm so happy you're here.

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In this meditation, we are

going to awaken our inner child.

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Now, that is just modern age guru

talk for, "Hey, remember when you

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were little and you loved to play?

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That was what life was all about."

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I don't know about you, but when

I was young, on Saturday mornings

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after the cartoons, and of course my

chores, I was out the door looking

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for someone to come out and play.

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Now, play may seem like a waste

of time now that we've grown

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up, or maybe even embarrassing.

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just recently, I found myself at the base

of a 50-yard slip and slide water slide,

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and I hid behind the camera videoing our

grandchildren having the time of their

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lives going up and down that slide.

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Why was I hiding?

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Why didn't I get up on

that slide with them?

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I don't know.

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But I think about it now, and

I'm so sad about missing out.

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So this meditation is not only to

awaken the inner child, but also

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to give her permission to go play.

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And also convince my frumpy, old,

soul there's some great benefits

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to playing Play should be fun and

voluntary, something done outside

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of the usual way of doing things.

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Scientists have discovered that

play is intrinsic to our nature.

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It is not a learned activity, but

it can be a forgotten activity.

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And the clear delight humans and even

animals take in various forms of play

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cannot be considered a happy accident.

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It seems God, has created us to play.

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So to get ready for this meditation,

I invite you to first wiggle

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You know how children love to

wiggle They're full of energy.

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So move your body, wiggle.

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Maybe you haven't done this for a while.

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Shake your hips.

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Jump up and down.

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And giggle.

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Maybe a forced ha ha ha to start with.

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And then settle into a meditative

pose sitting upright, and

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we will begin a meditation.

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Let's begin with this question.

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What did you use to do purely for fun

before your life got so full and grown up?

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Gonna give you a moment

as you relax into breath,

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softening jaw and shoulders.

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Let's put a smile on our face as we

remember and recall what it was like

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to be a child and to go out and play.

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And as you bring this moment,

these memories to the front of

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your mind, I want you to take in

all that you can into your senses.

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The sights, the colors.

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What does your surroundings look like?

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What makes this a playful, joyful space?

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The sounds

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There's some laughter, sounds of

nature as you play in the backyard or

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Sounds of water splashing

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Is there any taste?

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Snow cone popsicle.

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Candy

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Fresh picked green apple

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And the textures.

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Maybe there's grass beneath your feet

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Or hot asphalt as you run

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A pasture?

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A swing?

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Are there toys in your hands?

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Friends around you, just take it all in.

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Remember as much as you can of the

feeling that it brought within your heart

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and your soul to play, to imagine, to

create, to go on adventures, to be brave

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Then I'd love for you to

imagine this child calling out

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to you, "Come out and play."

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Come and join me

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As you breathe into this moment, I

want you to just notice if your heart

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rate has slowed, maybe your shoulders

feel lighter, breathing a little easier

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Hopefully that smile is still on your face

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And let's tell ourselves

it's okay to choose to play

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Play, imagination, creativity.

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It sparks new life within our soul.

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Let's welcome her in.

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Come in.

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Let's play

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I can choose to play

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To jump in, laugh

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to lighten up

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I feel such joy when I take time to play.

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I feel a connection to

those I take time to be with

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I am playful

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That was fun.

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Let's do it again.

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Today, I choose to play, to use my

imagination, and create an adventure

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I feel such joy

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As I run into life with a playful heart

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I am

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Joyful, creative

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Playful

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And as we come back to the moment here

and now and breath, wiggle your toes

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Smile again

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Say

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Let's do that again to your

inner child, to that memory

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And look forward with hope.

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Look forward with joy to

some time today to play.

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What's it gonna be?

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Remembering those things

that brought us joy.

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The play just for the sake

of play that came so natural.

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We can do it again

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Let's open our eyes.

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Bring yourself

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Back.

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Maybe stretch.

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Begin that wiggling again

and the giggling again.

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see yourself today as life comes

at you as it will, and you find

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yourself hiding behind the camera

or locked down into that to-do list.

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Allow yourself some time

to skip, to laugh, to play.

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Namaste.

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And I will see you on the trail