243. Play Isn’t Just for Kids: It’s the Fifth Pillar of Health! with Teresa Davis

Most of us know the big health pillars: eat well, move your body, and get enough sleep. More recently, we’ve started to understand the importance of social connection. But according to Teresa Davis, there’s another essential part of being fully alive that many adults have forgotten: play.In this episode, Dr. Lynda Ulrich talks with Teresa Davis, founder of Davis Studio and Play Intention in South Burlington, Vermont, about why play is not a childish escape from real life. It may be one of the most intelligent, healing, connecting, and practical things humans can do.Together, they explore adult play, creative expression, “foraging for joy,” curiosity, resilience, and how small playful choices can help us feel less heavy, more connected, and more human. This conversation is a reminder that play is not a waste of time. It is a way back to ourselves.Learn more and find the full article on the Goodness Exchange.Chapters00:00 — Intro & Welcome04:45 — What If Play Was Seen as Wisdom?07:26 — What Children Teach Us About Connection13:28 — Foraging for Joy19:16 — Is Play a Form of Intelligence?20:55 — What Adult Play Actually Looks Like33:13 — Break35:28 — Bringing Play Into Everyday Life41:10 — Teresa’s Story and Permission to Play48:11 — Can Play Make Us More Hopeful?57:05 — Play as the Fifth Pillar of Health1:07:45 — How to Start Foraging for Joy1:16:12 — Curiosity at the Core of Play1:27:47 — Growing the Movement1:31:52 — What Teresa Wishes People Knew