144. Permission to Play (the Wisdom of Leela)

Adulting can be serious business most of the time. But what about fun? Play, I ask?So this week we're diving directly into the beautiful yogic philosophy of Leela, or divine play. Leela points to the whole universe as a joyful creative expression of consciousness. Life as sacred play. A dance, if you will.If we're not already working together, and you're wondering what the VIP private coaching is all about...schedule your session here:https://calendly.com/rashmi_schramm/activateinnerpower1-1_30minsI get into what I learned hanging out with my niece and nephew this summer, which is that being an auntie is significantly more fun than being a mom to littles. I talk about improv, which I started two years ago and which has become my ongoing practice in lightness. (We're literally called *players.* Okay?)We also talk about the yogic idea that you are the one playing the role, and the way we forget it. We get so identified with being the physician, the mother, the wife, the leader, the responsible one, that we lose track of the human underneath all of it.Then I bring receipts, because play turns out to be shockingly un-frivolous. One study followed more than 8,500 people for up to 25 years and found that tennis was associated with almost ten additional years of life expectancy. Badminton, over six. The sports that came out on top were the social, interactive ones. Movement, connection, laughter, competition, novelty. Play. (I'm extrapolating straight to pickleball. The haters can come at me.)And then we get practical, because play doesn't need two free hours and a reservation. Ten minutes counts. Paint something badly. Skip instead of walk. Be a beginner at something.Mentioned in this episode:Leela / Lila — a Sanskrit concept from yogic philosophy, often translated as divine playThe arrival fallacy — the belief that you'll finally feel whole once you get thereSchnohr et al., "Various Leisure-Time Physical Activities Associated With Widely Divergent Life Expectancies: The Copenhagen City Heart Study." Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 2018. 8,577 people followed for up to 25 years. Life expectancy gains compared with the sedentary group: tennis 9.7 years, badminton 6.2, soccer 4.7, cycling 3.7, swimming 3.4, jogging 3.2, calisthenics 3.1, health club activities 1.5. It's an observational study, so causation isn't established. The authors did note that the sports involving the most social interaction had the strongest associations with longevity.Reference:https://www.rashmischramm.com