We live in a work hard play hard society… how’s that working for you?

Do you get as much rest, relaxation and free time as you’d really like? If you had the power to update your work to play ratio would you?  I enjoy working hard and, I know I would!

Truth is we rarely have the time off that our body, mind and spirit require to rest and rejuvenate.

We’re so used to the grind that we’ve adapted, but there’s a cost… our work and busy-ness is negatively impacting our health, relationships, creativity and innovation.

As humans, we’re designed to explore, play and tap into joy.

It is our birthright and the fuel that leads us to our potential.

Yet, we’ve created a society that conditions and rewards us for working till we drop, for being accessible when we’re on vacation, for coming in when we don’t feel good.

We’re tired. We’re depleted. We’re burnt out.

If we were cars and our tanks were empty, we’d stop running until being fueled up again. Nobody questions it, we’re clear how it works. But, we humans have the capacity to dig in deep, to press on in unhealthy ways. We’ve got to survive, succeed, take care of people and obligations… we do what we’ve got to do.

So we dream and plan for the weekends and vacations. We fill that time with excitement and adventure and then they’re over in a flash.  For most of us it’s just not enough time. In fact, we need vacations from our vacations…

How do we stop the cycle?

How do we make choices with our time that give us the fuel that we need?

With limited time it’s wise to identify the most nourishing ways to spend it… sustainable ways to feel happy and inspired. Read on to learn the Dalai Lama’s answer and to meet Together We Rise workshop facilitators share how they fill their cups up…

Here’s the answer offered by His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama:

Seek joy. Cultivate joy. Live joy… and the path to access this peace-filled state includes three important steps.

3-Steps to Unlock Health & Happiness

The Dalai Lama was influential in my understanding of joy. In his presence I watched in awe… his visible joy, keen intellect and wise perspective continue to influence me today.

His research identified that joy is the path to peace.

As a remedy for shifting the human struggle and turmoil in our world he offered a 3-step process. It’s simple and powerful…

1. Self-awareness.
2. Dialogue.
3. Action.

Joy is a quality and state of being that is cultivated within… it’s not situational, dependent on external influence.

Tapping into the peace-filled state of joy is directly correlated to how well we know ourselves and each other. It’s active not passive, a journey of inquiry that has no ending and requires action… it’s a practice.

I love this! It empowers me to see that I create my reality, that I have the choice to step into my life directing my time and attention in ways that fuel my well being.

As I cultivate joy I’m able to tap into it no matter what chaos or competing opportunity exists.

Awareness + Connection = Joy

When I make time to know me, I see more clearly.

When I take time to connect, sharing and listening with you, we see more clearly.

We see that we’re not alone. We feel lighter. We rest deeper. We laugh and smile more.

This A + C = J equation is the recipe for finding and cultivating sacred play.

This process has helped me develop a relationship with joy that deepens and expands the more I know myself and the more I know you.

Choosing the joyful path of Sacred Play is full of benefits great for your health!

• Allows easier access to restful and playful states.
• Reduces stress and fatigue.
• Improves our ability to show up in our relationships.
• Increases creativity and inspiration.

Tapping into joy is the reason we began the Together We Rise community… to see each other, support each other and celebrate each other, to play! If you’re in San Diego, we’d love to have you join us for the Journey into the Temple of Sacred Play!

Checkout these wise women living + teaching Sacred Play

Golden Drake is a longtime soul sister… I first encountered her as a thought-leading artist, her approach to dance and life philosophy quickly gained my respect. She describes herself  as coach, mentor, artist, warrior, mother, lover, dreamer… I’ll add messenger and healer. Her teaching these days is incredibly potent as she’s been navigating life while on a humbling yet insightful journey healing cancer. Through what she calls the fires of purification of her recent journey along with decades of formal training, she’s accessed and is sharing a liberating point of view. Enduring and recovering deeply painful and harsh treatments including chemotherapy and a double mastectomy has her now devoting her life to supporting others with their awakening and empowerment process.

For Golden, “Sacred play is the recognition that ALL of life is play, ALL of life is sacred. I’ve realized that it’s vital to allow myself to live with more and more authenticity, to take life with more humor and ease. Sacred play is in my life through my spontaneity, sensuality, presence and laughing at the absurdity of being a human. I believe this human experience on planet earth is a dream in the heart of the Infinite Source of All and that we are here to awaken from our Divine Forgetfulness to remember this truth. Sacred play helps me with that.” With elegance, authenticity and power Golden brings forth the medicine that we the people need to hear. Learn more about her work on her new website Life is Golden, Let’s dive deep. Follow her on Instagram at Golden Awakening.

Nicolette Natrin is vibrant, passionate and playful. I tend to be pretty serious, one day I was thinking about my relationship to play… Nico came to mind right away as someone that embodies the spirit of playfulness. She was the catalyst for the Together We Rise event Journey Into the Temple of Sacred Play. We spoke of the many things that keep us from making time for play and it was powerful for me to see that she, the one I thought had this mastered, is also practicing and refining her relationship with work life balance… “Play is sacred… like weekends. We need time and space for activities that bring us joy for the sole purpose of joy, it nourishes our spirits and helps us access our creativity and genius. It helps us release stress… it’s the antithesis to working. We need play to balance a healthy productive life. Just like we need a moment to accomplish, so do we need a moment to do something just for the sake of fun!

I play often to connect with the child within me and like a muscle, it only gets stronger with time and attention. Sacred play for me is found through my hobbies…. playing guitar, reading, painting, yoga, flow dance with hula hoops or fans or poi, going to musical events/festivals. Going out to eat, working on my website, hiking, travelling the world” Nico is a healing force in this world, she is pursuing a Doctorate in Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine. She hopes to one day open a community center that combines her passion for education with her passion for self-improvement and integrative health, fitness and play. She also aspires to travel the world, write a book, and give back to her community in a meaningful way.

Christine Seliger I’ve known this energetic, passionate woman for over 20 years. She’s fun, her laughter memorable. It’s been beautiful to witness the unfolding of her path which included a transition from corporate professional to following her heart and stepping in as a healing arts instructor. So much respect,  I love that we are currently collaborating as professionals. For Christine, “Sacred play nourishes the inner child and cultivates peace and happiness. It’s a form of self-care. And just like all forgiveness is self-forgiveness, all self-care is a form of caring for those we love. We want to be at our best for ourselves & those we care about; a happy, playful me is better for everyone.

I always make time for sacred play most often in the following three ways…

• My self-yoga practice is very playful. I allow instinct to be my guide in the asana I practice. I often incorporate music not normally associated with yoga practice; Techno/EDM and Reggae. I loudly state my affirmations, practice Hara power breath, Lions pose and other forms of Pranayama; lots and lots of breath.
• Adult Coloring… for me, practicing adult coloring, alone is a form of meditation. When I practice adult coloring with my Meetup.com group, it is a meditation on friendship, very fun & playful.
• Wanderlust – I indulge my curious, wandering, Gemini nature, with the sacred play of exploring the world. I enjoy, traveling, road trips, camping & hiking to immerse with Mother Nature & my fellow humans. I commit to traveling light & as inexpensively as possible. I support the local communities I visit, by only spending money at local, independent business. Why drink Starbucks in Hawaii, instead of Kona coffee? I have met some very amazing humans and been guided to magical places off the beaten path.

Christine is an entrepreneur with a successfully growing business, learn more about her offerings at her Peace Always Yoga and Meditation Facebook page. You can also reach her via LinkedIn.

Marie Lapointe I’ve worked with Marie making great things happen more than we’ve shared playtime… I’ve always admired her lighthearted, fun spirit and eclectic nature. She’s funky and cool… she effortlessly models a playful perspective and lifestyle. Sacred play for Marie is a place and time for connecting to her inner child. “It’s a space for laughter and recharging the batteries. Like breathing, it’s an essential part of every day! It’s so important to stay connected to our inner child for that is the core of our being – it’s our why, it’s our heart, it’s our source of life. For the longest time, my family would say to me, “When are you going to grow up?” until they finally came to the realization that this is who I am, and that living could/should be fun. Play does not equate to being irresponsible. Just because I am playing office in my mind when I’m doing my taxes does not reduce my level of responsibility or accountability, it simply increases the pleasure while doing it. If suffering is optional, it’s an option I don’t plan on choosing. I am a firm believer in not tolerating a day without play.

How do I play in my life? I’ve found a way to integrate play in all that I do. It’s who I am. I don’t believe in “chores” — even picking up dog poop in the yard can be shifted into play with a slight change of perspective! Brushing your teeth becomes a massage of the gums, doing the dishes is a bubble bath for your hands, folding laundry is a competition against Martha Stewart and you are embarrassing her silly because you’re killing it! No matter what, I strive to incorporate a form of play into every day!” Marie is pretty amazing, these days she considers herself a reading evangelist… Her work at Traveling Stories is dedicated to getting kids to fall in love with reading and they do this by keeping reading fun and light.

Learning more about these ladies is inspiring to me…

As the Dalai Lama reminded me, knowing myself and then connecting with others IS empowering and has led me to joy.

Wondering how I practice Sacred Play?

These days it’s in learning to surf, my yoga practice, morning walks at the seashore with my pup Shaka, and bringing people together in community. Together We Rise is my passion project, my solution to the pain and suffering I see in the world around me. Creating safe spaces where people are free to be themselves, to share their stories, to give and receive support… This is my my Sacred Play and my contribution to being the change in this world.

We ALL deserve a life that is joy-full.

Together We Rise is a “practice” of coming together, when we do we receive the life-giving magic that happens in circles together. We are safe space to learn more about yourself as you share your story and listen to the stories of others. You’ll learn that you’re not alone. You’ll be accepted exactly as you are…

We get real and we have fun and when we part ways we are infused with a feeling I’d compare to healing… we’re seen, supported, and valued.

If you’d like more joy and connection in your life, join me and all of these amazing ladies on July 22, 2018, It’s going to be fun!