Sunday, January 20, 2013

The Power of Play

I love these Juggling jesters :)
As I think about my England trip, (yes I am STILL thinking about it...it had that much of a profound effect on me) I think about what else I want to write about. I already talked about some of my favorite experiences from the first couples weeks in my last post, but haven't really touched on the rest of the trip. There is so much more to share!

One of the main things I think I gained from the experience is a new outlook on how I want to structure my life...and my time. What's important to me? I think that my value system has shifted slightly. That's why we travel, right? New perspectives on life...stuff like that :) 

I am a Type-A personality, I have a slight case of the overachiever syndrom. This can be both a good and a bad thing! I have been taught from a young age how important it is to work hard. Do good in school, and do so by working hard. Study, spend time, read. Reap the benefits of that hard work! It can be rewarding! I have transfered this approach into my daily life and into my business. Self-employment means that you do have to work hard, very hard. Especially in the industry that I am in. A self-proclaimed performer and teacher in the circus/dance arts seems like a fun route, but it is not always the easiest. As a self-employed entrepreneur, you can ALWAYS be working. There is always something you can be doing for your business. I think I have allowed myself to get sucked into that and have put too much importance on spending time being productive. Sounds silly but it's true. I can be my own worst critic and I can really push myself, sometimes too much. 
Playful Bags at the beach!

Being in England and having free time to JUST PLAY showed me how important playtime is. Playtime is just as important as productive time! Lots of my days in Bristol consisted of spending hours in the practice space at Bags, Nick and Gail's house. I did have some obligations like workshops on the weekends and a couple shows, but for the most part I had more free time than I usually allow myself to have in San Diego. I felt myself grow tremendously. Not only did my hooping skills grow, my psyche was bursting with freedom. No constraints! Having such an amazing play partner around like Bags didn't hurt either. The balance between play and work is super important! It has been so easy for me to get wrapped up in the work side of things, I think I forgot how important it is to play!

When I was learning to juggle, I experienced a meditative state that I had never felt before. I was able to have an out-of-body experience where I could look into my own brain and see my thought process pathways. Whoa! Nothing like that had happened before! I think I haven't given myself proper meditation time up until now. A similar thing happened when I went to my friend Monica Grave's meditation class last week. It was my first structured meditation experience. I was able to see what I think about! Having a mantra to continue to repeat in your head allows you to see what your thinking about that's NOT the mantra. So funny. I actually kind of laughed at myself when I thought about what it is my mind wanders when left to it's own devices. A lot of it was about hooping, some of it was about guilty pleasures like fashion, clothes and costuming. I'm such a girl! Definitely some worries, insecurities and anxieties came to the surface too. I think meditation, weither it be through movement or not, is a good way to see what your voices are telling you in your head. Awareness is the first way to stop some of the negative ones.  
Playfulness with 2 of my besties :)
WHD, Nov 2011

Well the reason I finally did start writing this blog post today (I have been putting it off until it felt like the right moment) is because I am so blissed out from my day. I spent about 4 hours hooping and juggling on the grass at the end of Saratoga in OB. I nailed some super tricky tricks I've been working on. Finally stuck the foot hooping headstand! YEAH!!! I do also feel like I am officially a hoop juggler. Got it on lock down! Also feeling solid on a couple 4 hoop tricks. Today in between my little mini training/flowing sessions, I found myself just dancing and jumping up and down. Literally I was just jumping around. For no reason at all. Well I guess there was a reason...purely for the sake of joy. PURE JOY! WOW endorphins are the best drug in the world! Thank the goddess who invented endorphins. They rock!

So my current outlook, mantra, mission, power-word, whatever you want to call it...is PLAY. Another concept I am really feeling right now is collaboration. Collaborating with a partner or with groups of people, many people...to make something bigger than what you can do on your own. The power of collaboration is most evident to me right now because of all of the partner circus fun I've been having lately. Partner poi, partner juggling/passing, partner hooping - GROUP hooping! Yes it's possible and I have been playing with some super rad group hoop awesomeness (a la Bags) with my troupe. I really love the feeling of partner work in circus, it's addicting. To have that connection with someone else, get on the same wavelength, the same rhythm as someone else. It's magic. Especially with hoops!   
Hooping Headstand!

I dedicated today to me! I carved out the whole day to do things that are fun and that, in itself, is productive. I am building the skill of play. I am building skills in hooping, in bonding with others and in nourishing myself. Nourishing myself with things that I enjoy and that feel good. It's important! It makes me happy and makes my work better if I'm happy while I'm doing it.  

HERE's a video my friend Ringo made about Flow.