8 Shades of Play V2 - 1 - The Joker and The Kinesthete
The Joker
The Kinesthetic
8 Shades of Play - Getting Serious About Learning
ATM ‘dress ups’ ‘try on’ different play styles
Week 1 - The Joker and The Kinesthete
A variation on the “Pressing and Releasing Ribs” lesson by Alan Questel
“If you’re not having fun, you’re doing something wrong.”
Play, according to the latest neuroscience (I’m quoting from The Huberman Lab Podcast: The Power of Play) allows us access to different outcomes and our own proficiencies in low-stakes environment. New situations are brain workouts, where novelty increases plasticity. Play releases natural opioids. In fact, we are built to play; if we don’t get enough play, we have to make up the deficit.
The Huberman Play pod introduced Dr. Stuart Brown’s 8 “play personalities” based on animal and human natural behaviors: The Joker - laughs; The Kinesthete - joy in movement; The Explorer - go deep; The Competitor - games or goals; The Director - organize; The Storyteller - imagine; The Collector - make connections; The Artist - express. While I am not endorsing or suggesting that this frame is any more scientific than the Enneagram, Myer’s Briggs, or any of the quadrant “types” taught in management or team building sessions, a dive into ‘play personality’ sounds like fun to me.
“If you aren’t playing, then your aren’t nearly serious enough (or something like that)”
Looking from a different perspective is a basic Feldenkrais Method trick. So let’s try on a couple of play types and see what’s new.
The silliest combination of a Joker and a Kinesthete: PeeWee Herman dances Taquila! (in a biker bar, for his life, in 5” heels)
This week, the side-lying lesson I call the “Shimmy Workshop” is the background for trying on “The Joker” and “The Kinesthete” play types. This is the lesson where we press the middle, lower and upper ribs into the floor to soften the ribs, spine, neck, hips. Get up after this session and shimmy your ‘maracas’ with wild abandon. Also: find more twist in your twists, more reach in your reach, feel taller, and maybe a little friskier.
The Joker loves lighthearted 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.
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
The Voice-O-Meter Healing Sounds choices this week relate to the emotions associated with each organ:
Heart - HAAAAA - laughter, relief, love, joy
Kidney/Bladder - CHOOO - kindness
Liver - SSSHHHHHHHH - gentleness
Stomach - HAWWWW - calm, ground and center
How You Might Feel After This Lesson: Long spine; Open Ribs; Deep Breath; Deep Twists; Extended Reach; Sexier; Sillier; Joyful; Sensual; Fluid; Happy.
New Student Registration for the series. Continuing students use ongoing login. $40/month or $15/individual class. PayPal or Venmo: jackisue@aol.com. Or Jacki Katzman, PO Box 116, Bethlehem, NH 03574