There's some great benefits to "play" it relieves stress, helps focus and can spark creative ideas for problem solving and can connect us to friends and family. so in this meditation, Judy is inviting you to come out and play! And to allow your grown up self to jump in and remember what if feels like to imagine and play.

Welcome, friends.

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Welcome to the Creative Spiritual

Journey podcast meditation, Let's Play.

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Wow, that's a lot of words just

to say I'm so happy you're here.

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In this meditation, we are

going to awaken our inner child.

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Now, that is just modern age guru

talk for, "Hey, remember when you

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were little and you loved to play?

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That was what life was all about."

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I don't know about you, but when

I was young, on Saturday mornings

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after the cartoons, and of course my

chores, I was out the door looking

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for someone to come out and play.

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Now, play may seem like a waste

of time now that we've grown

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up, or maybe even embarrassing.

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just recently, I found myself at the base

of a 50-yard slip and slide water slide,

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and I hid behind the camera videoing our

grandchildren having the time of their

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lives going up and down that slide.

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Why was I hiding?

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Why didn't I get up on

that slide with them?

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I don't know.

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But I think about it now, and

I'm so sad about missing out.

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So this meditation is not only to

awaken the inner child, but also

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to give her permission to go play.

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And also convince my frumpy, old,

soul there's some great benefits

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to playing Play should be fun and

voluntary, something done outside

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of the usual way of doing things.

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Scientists have discovered that

play is intrinsic to our nature.

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It is not a learned activity, but

it can be a forgotten activity.

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And the clear delight humans and even

animals take in various forms of play

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cannot be considered a happy accident.

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It seems God, has created us to play.

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So to get ready for this meditation,

I invite you to first wiggle

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You know how children love to

wiggle They're full of energy.

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So move your body, wiggle.

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Maybe you haven't done this for a while.

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Shake your hips.

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Jump up and down.

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And giggle.

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Maybe a forced ha ha ha to start with.

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And then settle into a meditative

pose sitting upright, and

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we will begin a meditation.

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Let's begin with this question.

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What did you use to do purely for fun

before your life got so full and grown up?

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Gonna give you a moment

as you relax into breath,

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softening jaw and shoulders.

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Let's put a smile on our face as we

remember and recall what it was like

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to be a child and to go out and play.

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And as you bring this moment,

these memories to the front of

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your mind, I want you to take in

all that you can into your senses.

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The sights, the colors.

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What does your surroundings look like?

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What makes this a playful, joyful space?

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The sounds

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There's some laughter, sounds of

nature as you play in the backyard or

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Sounds of water splashing

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Is there any taste?

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Snow cone popsicle.

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Candy

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Fresh picked green apple

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And the textures.

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Maybe there's grass beneath your feet

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Or hot asphalt as you run

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A pasture?

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A swing?

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Are there toys in your hands?

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Friends around you, just take it all in.

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Remember as much as you can of the

feeling that it brought within your heart

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and your soul to play, to imagine, to

create, to go on adventures, to be brave

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Then I'd love for you to

imagine this child calling out

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to you, "Come out and play."

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Come and join me

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As you breathe into this moment, I

want you to just notice if your heart

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rate has slowed, maybe your shoulders

feel lighter, breathing a little easier

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Hopefully that smile is still on your face

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And let's tell ourselves

it's okay to choose to play

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Play, imagination, creativity.

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It sparks new life within our soul.

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Let's welcome her in.

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Come in.

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Let's play

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I can choose to play

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To jump in, laugh

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to lighten up

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I feel such joy when I take time to play.

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I feel a connection to

those I take time to be with

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I am playful

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That was fun.

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Let's do it again.

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Today, I choose to play, to use my

imagination, and create an adventure

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I feel such joy

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As I run into life with a playful heart

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I am

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Joyful, creative

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Playful

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And as we come back to the moment here

and now and breath, wiggle your toes

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Smile again

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Say

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Let's do that again to your

inner child, to that memory

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And look forward with hope.

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Look forward with joy to

some time today to play.

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What's it gonna be?

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Remembering those things

that brought us joy.

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The play just for the sake

of play that came so natural.

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We can do it again

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Let's open our eyes.

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Bring yourself

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Back.

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Maybe stretch.

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Begin that wiggling again

and the giggling again.

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see yourself today as life comes

at you as it will, and you find

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yourself hiding behind the camera

or locked down into that to-do list.

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Allow yourself some time

to skip, to laugh, to play.

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Namaste.

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And I will see you on the trail