I took part in an improv workshop at the weekend. We started with some simple games and I felt awkward. Somehow I just didn’t seem to be in the mood. I didn’t seem to be in the upbeat mood of everyone else and I was wondering why I was there. I felt torn between the urge to leave and a sense of obligation to stay.
Ah, I thought. So this is a good reminder of what it’s like to be a reluctant partiicpant. It not comfortalbe. Worth remembering next time I’m hosting.
Then i thought well maybe I can play with reluctance. By which I mean, can I see what it’s like to play a tiny bit more reluctantly, or a tiny bit less? Where is this reluctance in my body?
After a couple of minutes, the reluctance was gone and I was engaged. Sometimes we think of play as a distraction but it can also be a way of focussing, and a way of re-engaging with the world around us.
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