Aspire Magazine: Inspiration for a Woman's Soul.(TM) Feb/March 2018 Aspire Mag Full Issue: Inner Prospe | Page 66

Look for the joke in everything; it’s always there. STEP 4: voice or wear outrageous clothes. Look for the joke in everything; it’s always there. Spend as much time as possible with people who make you laugh. Find ways to make others laugh. Continue saying yes to fun and playful opportunities. As you meet your mammalian need for play, enjoy the way it improves your health and point of view, as well as making life itself feel more like a creative act. List activities that make you feel giddy, free, safe, and invigorated. Can you be silly? Prove it. STEP 5 (OPTIONAL): If you need help busting out of your stoic self, spend the next hour speaking complete gibberish. Don’t do this at work but at home it is a safe activity. It is much more amusing to do it with others, though. Call up a silly or creative friend and tell them you want to practice a new language and they can join in. You will actually notice after a few minutes of gibberish that you begin to understand one another! Your PM is so happy that you are remembering the intense emotion of “fun”. Even if you have trouble playing as an adult, there are many opportunities out there. There’s play in yoga postures and most other forms of movement. There’s play in just putting on music and doing what your body wants to do. The swing-set is always good for adults, even if all you do is sit on a swing and rock gently. If your wrists will tolerate cart-wheels, keep cart-wheeling. Or do somersaults in the pool. Speak in a funny 66 Read Online! Erin Byron, MA - Erin is a psychotherapist, speaker, and enlightenment activist. She co-founded one of the first internationally-accredited yoga therapist training programs and leads retreats worldwide. Erin is co- author of Yoga Therapy for Stress & Anxiety and Llewellyn’s Complete Book of Mindful Living. She has appeared in several media outlets including Yoga Journal and is referenced in numerous publications on mental health and personal wellbeing. Learn more at erinbyron.com. www.AspireMAG.net | February / March 2018