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Posted July 9, 2011 12:10 PMBookmark and Share

Are you having fun yet?

Greetings Friends!

For those of you who live here in Minnesota, summer has truly arrived! For me, this means slowing down and indulging in lots of relaxation and play. And, while my schedule allows for plenty of free time to do just this (one of the gifts of being a self-employed yoga teacher), it is something that I have to consciously pursue.

You see there is this loud voice inside my head that is quite persistent. It wants me to be constantly “doing”. It tells me that play isn’t important, having fun isn’t productive, and that if I’m not working I’m wasting my time. I’m here to do something significant gosh darn it! And, if I dare engage in carefree play I most definitely won’t accomplish anything worthwhile and meaningful. Worse yet, I’ll likely have to pay a big price for breaking all of those anti-play rules!

Does this story sound familiar to you at all? Is there an inner voice in your head that objects to playing, cutting loose, and having fun? Does that inner voice reprimand you or beat you up with lots of criticism that makes you feel guilty and shameful if you go with the flow and follow your joy? Does it keep you stuck over-thinking everything that you want to do? Does it make you pay a price after spontaneous playful excursions? Does it keep you from following your desires?

To play in its purest form is to be in the moment. Children and animals illustrate this beautifully. They’re not thinking about time, what they have to do tomorrow, or whether or not what there doing is meaningful or productive. What they’re concerned with is whether or not it’s fun. And, believe me, if it’s not fun they don’t hesitate to move on to something that is.

Now, maybe you’re a very playful person by nature that indulges in every opportunity to go let loose. Great! Your step then is to bring that level of playful presence into other areas of your life like your career, doing the dishes, or having that “difficult” conversation that you’ve been avoiding. Why? Because it’s what we are here to do!

To be joyful is our natural state of being. When we are playing, we are in the moment, going with the flow, and aligned with a stream of abundance that is always available to us. This means we don’t have to try so hard to make things work or be different from how they are. Life doesn’t have to be so hard. We simply embrace each situation we encounter with curiosity, interest, and responsiveness. To understand this, watch a dog play. Does it look like it’s working hard? Can you emulate a dog in all of your life?

Now, of course, there will be times when being playful may not be appropriate, or you just don’t “feel it”. There is no need to falsely create a sense of joyfulness in what you are doing. Instead, accept what is from moment to moment. By fully embracing your sadness after the death of a loved one or expressing your anger about being let go at your job you will naturally and efficiently find your way back into alignment with your inner joy element. If you reject what is and try to avoid, resist, or judge your feelings as they arise, they get stuck. Stuck emotions dampen our life force and cover up our joyful radiant self that always desires expression in the world.

To align more fully with your inner joy element try these things:
1. Make a list of all the things that you desire or that you believe will bring you the most joy in your life. Specifically address these areas: family, relationships, career, and money.

2. Choose one thing on your list that is more important to you right now.

3. Journal all of the reasons why this desire is not manifest in your life presently. . .get it all out! Remember, you are not your thoughts. If you believe what you are writing down you could become hopeless. What you think, however, is only your “story” or “mind/mental programming”. It’s important to know what’s up there in your head because it directs what becomes real in your life. Get all the junk out that is holding you back from what brings you joy. You are simply doing a little “house-cleaning”.

4. Now, after clearing your mind-stuff that holds you back from your joy make a list of action steps that you can take towards your desire. How can you begin actively following your joy?

5. Go to it! When you get stuck or hear that voice in your head chiming in and telling you life isn’t suppose to be fun and easy, repeat this exercise. The quickest way to free yourself from debilitating stories that hinder your joy is to illuminate them. You have no power over unconscious stories running through your mind. Bring them to consciousness, however, and you will set yourself free.

Here’s to everyone choosing to express joyfully in all of their life!
Thanks for reading!
In light,
Amy