Play

“Play is a very important – indeed, vital – attribute in the development of growth and fulfillment.  Children play naturally, and so do animals.  For that matter, insects, birds, fish, and all kinds of life play. Even ants and honeybees play.  Their sociability is not just a matter of constant work within a hive or an ant mound. This playful activity is, in fact, the basis for their organized behavior, and they “play” at adult behavior before they assume their own duties.

“Creatures play because the activity is joyful, and spontaneous and beneficial, because it activates all portions of the organism – and again, in play youngsters imitate adult patterns of operation that lead finally to their own mature activity.

“When people become ill, worried or fearful, one of the first symptoms of trouble is a lack of pleasure, a gradual discontinuance of playful action, and an over-concentration upon personal problems.  In other words, illness is often first marked by a lack of zest or exuberance.”

(The Way Toward Health,Session April 10, 1984)