8 Shades of Play - 2023 edition recordings
One response to what life throws us is to find our sense of play
Dr. Stuart Brown, the author of the book Play, identified 8 “play personalities” based on animal and human natural behaviors:
The Joker - laugh - find lightness in your movements
The Kinesthete - move - find pleasure in moving
The Explorer - go deep - where does this move take you?
The Competitor - games or goals - how much less can you do and still feel?
The Director - organize - guide movement through the body
The Storyteller - imagine - write a new narrative about that block
The Collector -make connections - how many variations can you imagine
The Creator - express - how can you use this move in a different context?
We are built to play. In fact, play is a homeostatic function: if we don’t get enough play, we have to make up the deficit.
Fill up your play deficits with “8 Shades of Play”: classic ATMs explored through the eyes, heart, body and mind of your inner child - plus the adult you have become. Two play styles a week for extra fun.
Lesson 1: Joker / Kinesthete
A variation on the “Pressing and Releasing Ribs” lesson by Alan Questel
This week, the side-lying lesson is the background for trying on “The Joker” and “The Kinesthete” play types. The methodology: press the middle, lower and upper ribs into the floor to soften the ribs, spine, neck, hips.
How we play with it:
The Joker loves laughter. There will be some imaginary - or actual - tickling, heart sounds for joy and lightness. Your silliest imaginary friend teases you with her imaginary hand.
The Kinesthete loves moving her body. Imagine ribs, warm and relaxed, melting into the floor or so light that they levitate. The sensual joy of breath flowing in and out.
The Joker loves to laugh and makes others laugh with her
The Kinesthete loves to MOVE
The giggle is our reference move.
Set Up:
Mat on floor, lying on both sides, with head support so cheek and chest are even. Possible roll between knees to protect the back.
Seated on a flat-bottom, armless chair, knees and hips even
Lesson 2 - Director / Competitor
This week, it’s a seated lesson to get those hips going. It’s a connect-the-dots around the hips in the form of the infinity sign, figure 8, or, in classic ATM language - dual clocks.
As the director, drive the connections from sit bone to sit bone as the hips rock side-to-side, front-to-back and in connected circles with the intention of getting the whole body synched up and coordinated.
As the competitor, seek the flow, meeting the challenge of moment with the skills you’ve developed. Let the competition send you into deeper access of what you have worked on.
Set Up:
Seated on a flat-bottom, armless chair, knees and hips even
Or lie supine on floor with bent knees
Or assume the “beach chair” position, propped up on elbows and forearms, gazing at horizon, legs long or bent
Lesson 3 - Explorer / Artist
Variations on the “Bell Hand” lessons
The Explorer and the Artist both go deep. The Explorer meets her goals through concentration, focus, and laser-sharp intention. The Artist goes deep within to elicit expression. Together, however, these two approaches create a powerful structure for creativity. The Explorer’s curiosity creates the container for the Artist to let her imagination run free. (See post about Mind Wandering.)
The ‘meta’ structure for this exploration is the “Bell Hand” lesson, a favorite of musicians, craftspeople: anyone who uses hands, really. It’s a quiet, meditative lesson conducive to dropping into a semi-hypnotic, meditative space.
The Explorer goes far and deep -
The expresses her deepest understandings
The lesson begins in the mind of The Explorer. Lying quietly supine, the allow your natural curiosity to drift to the amazing movements one hand. Explore lifting one hand from the wrist, palm, knuckles, fingertips, even elbow and shoulder. Do some movements correspond strongly with your habits? Can you remember different ways to use the amazing instruments that are hands.
Having studied one hand in detail, the Artist takes over as her hand begins to express what has arisen from inside: an elegant dance movement, the gestures of a craftsperson, the touch of paint to canvas, the fingers tapping out a beat or melody on an instrument.
Set Up:
Lying supine on a mat.
Seated on a flat-bottom, armless chair with knees and hips level
Lesson 4 - Collector / Storyteller
Week 4 - The Collector / The Storyteller
Variations on several “3 Way Hip” as taught by Alan Questel
The Collector sees connections and creates a whole from pieces. The Storyteller transforms her imagination and experience into a shared expression.
Set Up:
Lying supine on a mat.
Seated on a flat-bottom, armless chair with knees and hips level
