EPISODE 48: [MINDFULNESS] PLAY TIME — FOR ADULTS!
SHOW NOTES
This week’s mindfulness practice is aimed to help you gain clarity on what kind of play you need most in your life right now — especially as an adult! I invite you to create a sense of curiosity. Take the time to breathe and allow for great insights to come through, so you can understand yourself better, evolve your consciousness, deepen your relationship with your higher self, and learn how to differentiate the voice of ego with the voice of knowingness of your soul.
We also explore:
Episode 47 with Marie Bigham
Episode Highlights:
03:56 Why F*ck Saving Face podcast mindfulness practice is good for you
05:47 The idea of play and its benefits
07:05 Exploring the different types of play
11:57. A short guide to self-reflection
14:36 A moment of gratefulness
FULL TRANSCRIPT
Speaker: Judy Tsuei
0:06 Welcome to the F*ck Saving Face podcast. I'm your host, Judy Tsuei, and together we'll explore mental and emotional health for Asian Americans, especially breaking through any taboo topics. Life may not always be pretty, but it is indeed beautiful. Let's make your story beautiful today.
0:23 So this week has been all about education. On Monday, I shared that my daughter goes to a different type of alternative school that really focuses on social, emotional and experiential learning. And then we talked to Marie Bigham, who talked about how there needs to be changed to create real racial equity in higher education and the college admissions process.
0:42 When I was living in Taiwan, I went to the local library in Beitou and found this book by Louise Hay. And in it, there was this chapter that said, "I learned something new every day. Wouldn't it be wonderful if instead of having to memorize all those battle dates, children were taught how to think, how to love themselves, how to have good relationships, how to be wise parents, how to handle money, and how to be healthy. Very few of us have been taught how to handle these different areas of our lives. If we knew we would do it differently”.
1:16 I actually created an email address for my daughter, which I email every now and again, with shared experiences that we've had with photos or tips and tools and insights that I've learned along the way, are just my thoughts upon her different growing phases.
1:31 And so I emailed this image that I took of this one page of the book to her because I want her to know that those are essential skills that I believe are important to grow up into a healthy adult, into a healthy human being. And when I mentioned that I've created an email address for my daughter, other people have said, Ooh, that's a really good idea. So you can feel free to borrow it.
1:53 In last week's mindfulness practice, we explored the dying blog post so that we can have a little bit more levity in our day and really get be ickes out or that extra excess energy that we sometimes have, or when we're really stuck in a rut and thinking about the same thing over and over and over, which I will fully acknowledge is something that had happened to me for a few days this past week.
2:15 I want to elaborate on that idea of play for today's mindfulness practice. But before I do, I wanted to share a few essential updates about the podcast, one of which is that these Friday, mindfulness practices starting in August of 2021. So in about two months, depending on when you're listening to this, they are going to become a paid premium feature.
2:34 So if this is something that's been really helpful to you, and you've enjoyed practicing mindfulness with me, and you know, with every practice that I do, similar to the way that I used to teach yoga in classes, and in person, I would infuse Reiki healing energy into the class. So when I came over, and I did adjustments, I would place my hands gently if people wanted those adjustments, and people would experience the energy flowing from my hands through their bodies.
2:37 Even now, as I'm talking, I can feel the palms of my hands becoming increasingly warmer, which means that this energy is being activated. So when I do these mindfulness practices, it genuinely feels like I'm channeling some sort of universal energy and universal messaging that's essential for whoever's listening to it at the time to hear.
3:18 So it's not just an everyday kind of recording and something where I really aim to be very present and share that healing energy with you. Because it is a personal passion of mine, for people to find their healing paths and to become whole and to feel joyful. And to feel like there's the sense of freedom, and lightness, and even in the heaviest growing opportunities, that it's all part of your beautiful story and your beautiful path. So starting in August, I will be making these mindfulness practices a premium feature, and I will share details on how you can continue to access that for yourself.
Why Fck Saving Face Podcast - Mindfulness Practice Is Good For You
3:56 The other essential little tidbit is that wherever you're listening to this podcast on your favorite platform, if you would please click and rate the podcast? I would love five stars and feel free to rate it however you see fit. And this is super helpful because I believe that the content that I'm putting out there is unlike any other podcasts that I listened to. And trust me, I have the apps I have like 1000s of hours of listening to podcasts. This is how I learned this is how I digest information.
4:24 And I feel like the content that's being put out there in this podcast particularly really aims to support a longtime marginalized or invisible population of Asian Americans but also bridges the gap between this conversation about diversity and equity and inclusion, and that it offers a lot of wonderful healing opportunities and insights for every single individual to take something away that can help to benefit their own lives or the circle of people around them.
4:54 And I feel like my superpower has always been to be transparent and open. and honest and so because I'm built in that way, I want to be here to encourage you to understand that mental and emotional health is so important that there doesn't need to be any shame stigma or anything around it, that there are many, many modalities for you to find the support that you need, and depending on what you're going through and experiencing, and that, you know, the more that we encourage ourselves to be healthy and whole, the more that we genuinely do help heal the planet.
5:25 So you rating the podcast helps those algorithms, share this content with other people. And you know, you can also simply for the episode along to someone in your life, that would be so so incredibly helpful. And as you've heard in some recent intros and outros, you might have heard my daughter asking you to do the same thing. Speaking of which, I'm about to go pick her up for a playdate.
The Idea Of Play And Its Benefits
5:47 So I will start this mindfulness practice. So if you're like me, then you probably didn't grow up with a lot of play in your life, it was seen as frivolous and kind of wasteful. But play for adults is super critical, because we are constantly go go going. And you know, when we're raising young children, we provide them outlets to get out all of their frustrations or emotions that maybe they don't have the words to be able to handle and process. And so play is one of those ways, getting them out in nature, getting them out just you know, moving their bodies.
6:19 And play has been shown to release endorphins improve brain functionality and stimulate creativity. I can help us feel young and energetic, and it stimulates the growth of the cerebral cortex, which can help improve memory among many other benefits. So if you want an actual definition of what play is, Dr. Stuart Brown is the head of a nonprofit called the National Institute For Play. And he says play is something done for its own sake. It's voluntary, it's pleasurable, it offers a sense of engagement, it takes you out of time, and the act itself is more important than the outcome.
6:54 So raise your hand right now, if you're so used to doing things for the outcome to see the results instead of you know, the presence of being in the experience in and of itself, whatever it is.
Exploring The Different Types Of Play
7:05 There are a lot of different kinds of play, there's a rough and tumble place. So for me, I have a punching bag installed in my garage. You can go to the batting cages, you can go play, you know, a sport, or there's ritual play. So these are like board games or anything with a set of rules and structures.
7:23 There's also imaginative play. So you've seen those adult coloring books, there storytelling, painting, drawing, acting, and there's body play, which is kind of this desire to get ourselves out of gravity. So think about hiking yoga, whitewater rafting, roller coasters, by the way, I live near Lego Land, and I love Lego Land. I don't even love Legos. I just love Lego Land. So the rides are just right to be exciting enough, but not super scary and not going to tweak my neck and my back. So my daughter and I have season passes and we go all the time. In fact, that's where I'm taking her for her playdate today.
8:00 Another great example of body play is surfing, which is also something that I did this morning, I had three people tell me when I was feeling increasingly stressed, have you been in the ocean lately, and there's something about that vitamin C - S-E-A, that salt that you know momentum and then the stillness and being really present to catch the wave. That's absolutely incredible. And as I just mentioned, like Lego, there's object play. So this is like playing with Legos, Jenga blocks, you know, building fortresses, things like that.
8:31 So this is going to be a short and sweet practice wherever you are start to become more present. And one of the easiest ways to do that is to start connecting to your breath. So we'll just take a few rounds of inhalations and exhalations.
8:51 Just notice how it feels to breathe fully, notice the quality of your breath, notice where you feel it in your body. And as I mentioned before, I became a Reiki Master during my yoga training. And it's simply leaving this conduit of the universal energy around all of us, through me to you. It's a kind and gentle healing energy. And if your body needs it, if you need it, it will flow right on through to you. If you don't need it, it will pass on by and I can feel right now that my palms are getting hotter.
9:35 There are many experiences when I was teaching yoga where people will come up to me afterwards and ask what it was that I was doing because they could palpably feel energy moving from the palms of my hands, through the hands to them, into their bodies.
9:47 There are times where I would gently place my hands on their bodies for adjustments, or simply for just that sense of presence. They would ask how I knew to place my hands there because that would have been the place on their bodies where they were experiencing some pain or some sensation. And when I placed my hand there, that sensation went away.
10:17 So allow yourself to receive this energy, if it's something that you need. And if it's not just let it float on by.
10:25 And today's mindfulness practice is aimed to help you gain clarity on what kind of play it is that you need in your life now. So maybe you've gotten into a routine. Maybe it's been a while since you moved your body. Or maybe you're ready to try something new. Maybe Surfing is something that you've always wanted to explore or experience. Maybe you've wanted to join a softball league, a kickball league. Or maybe you simply want to grab a journal, some collaging some coloring.
11:05 But I invite you to create a sense of curiosity. And as you continue to breathe, you're creating more spaciousness. And you're allowing for those greater insights to come through. So that communication from your higher self, your infinite self to you. and observe what messaging that you're receiving now.
11:25 So this is not the mind chatter. It's a subtle difference. And this is an invitation for you to understand yourself better to evolve your consciousness, your relationship with your higher self, by starting to know how to differentiate the voice, the voice of knowingness of your soul. That place that's so calm and centered and grounded, and safe. Versus the mind with its egoic tendencies.
A Short Guide To Self-Reflection
11:57 What you should be doing what you have to be doing the external validation and factors. Start to see if you can notice, if there's been a quiet murmur, or quiet message, that your higher self as I've been aiming to communicate with you. And specifically, bringing this question to the forefront. How can I bring more play into my life?
12:32 I invite you to imagine what it was like for you when you were younger? Was there an activity that you did? That you really did lose track of time?
12:52 Was there something that felt so good in your body as you moved around? without any expectation of a goal, or of calories burned? What felt so good for you to do?
13:12 Is there something that you've forgotten that you're now remembering? So allow for you to have a few cycles of breath that are quiet and just for yourself as you ask that question, and invite the answer.
14:01 Now, as we prepare to close this practice, what will you be able to take with you into the rest of your day that will bring that sense of playfulness, of no attachment to the outcomes, no expectations, of joy and lightness, and pure presence into your day.
A Moment Of Gratefulness
14:36 And this whole time my palms have been open. So I invite you to join me in placing your palms together at your heart center or placing one palm onto your chest and then the other right on top of that volume and chin to the chest. Just taking a moment of humble gratitude. Of all the blessings that we sometimes forget to acknowledge throughout the day. all the factors that are working in our favor to create a greater and greater and greater life.
15:10 Turning the corners of your mouth up into a smile, gently bring your chin back up, you can float your eyes open, and carry that smile with you throughout the rest of your day.
15:20 I look forward to seeing you next week in our next episodes, and have a beautiful rest of your weekend. Wherever you are in the world.
15:30 Please support my mom's podcast. It has a bad word in it, but I think you'll know where to find that.
15:37 Thank you so much for listening to today's episode. If you liked what you heard and know someone in your life who might also benefit from hearing this episode, please feel free to share it with them.
15:46 Also, if you'd like to support our show, you can make a one time donation at fcksavingface(dot)com. Or, you can make a recurring donation at patreon.com/fcksavingface. That's “fck” without the “u.” Subscribe today to stay tuned for all future episodes.
