When was the last time you took time for yourself and truly let yourself play?
Not scrolling your phone. Not checking off your to-do list. Not doing something because it was “productive.”
I’m talking about real, full-hearted play. You know, the kind where you lose track of time, laugh until your belly hurts, and feel more yourself than you have in years. The kind where you can’t stop smiling and you feel like your heart is filling back up with love and creativity.
As kids, play was our natural state. We pretended, we performed, we made up stories, we embodied magical beings without hesitation. But somewhere along the way, many of us traded play for responsibility, structure, and seriousness.
Yet here’s the secret: the healing power of play never left us. It’s still inside, waiting for an invitation to resurface. And in my own journey (as both an actress, professional mermaid, and a retreat leader,) I’ve discovered that play is one of the most powerful tools for healing, self-expression, and transformation.
Why Adults Forget How to Play
As adults, we’re taught that play is “childish” or “a waste of time.” Productivity becomes the measure of our worth. We’re encouraged to perform, achieve, and hustle…
Not seeing any results? HUSTLE HARDER!!!
But our inner child never disappears. It waits patiently for us to remember how much joy comes from silliness, movement, imagination, and creative expression.
When we ignore play, we cut ourselves off from the very things that help us heal: laughter, connection, freedom, and presence.
We lose who we are and feel burnt out, uncreative and disappointed in ourselves.
Lessons from Acting: The Stage as Playground
As an actress, I’ve had to re-learn play again and again. Acting isn’t just about memorizing lines, it’s about presence, spontaneity, and willingness to step into something bigger than yourself. To be vulnerable and commit to your choices as a character.
Some of the most profound lessons I’ve learned came through acting techniques rooted in play.
Improv, for example, asks us to let go of control and respond in the moment. Embodiment exercises invite us to use our whole bodies to explore a character.
And rehearsal games often feel like recess for grown-ups…moving, laughing, experimenting without judgment.
These practices are more than theater warm-ups. They’re reminders that play isn’t optional, it’s essential. Through play, actors drop their masks and reveal truth. We remember that life, like theater, is more vibrant when we stay curious, open, and willing to take risks.
👉 Try this: stand up and walk across the room as if you’re a mythical creature. Notice how your body changes. Notice how your mood shifts. This is embodiment: a playful key to stepping into new versions of yourself. It’s super fun and is also something we do in PCAP or MOCAP!
Lessons from Mermaiding: Embodying Magic
If the stage is one playground, the sea is another. At my mermaid retreat, I’ve witnessed the same transformation that happens in acting, but in an entirely different container.
When someone first slips into a mermaid tail, something shifts. It’s not “just a costume”, it’s an act of embodiment. They’re suddenly not just a woman on the beach; they’re a mystical, otherworldly being. And in that moment of playful transformation, self-consciousness dissolves. Confidence rises. Joy returns.
We play in the water. We laugh as waves crash around us. We celebrate each other’s beauty in a mermaid photoshoot that feels less about posing and more about remembering. It’s inner child healing disguised as fun.
Guests often say, “I haven’t laughed like that in years,” or “I forgot how good it feels to be silly.” That’s the healing power of play! Unlocking parts of ourselves that daily life keeps hidden…
Why Play Heals
So why is play such a powerful medicine?
- It relieves stress. When we’re laughing, moving, and being silly, our nervous system resets.
- It boosts creativity. Play invites us into new perspectives, unlocking solutions and inspiration we can’t access when we’re rigid.
- It reconnects us to the body. Through embodiment, we feel present and alive.
- It nurtures connection. Play is contagious! When one person plays, others feel permission to join and magic ensues!
- It awakens the inner child. Our younger self, the one who believed in magic and possibilities, gets to re-emerge.
Both acting and mermaiding prove this truth: when we let ourselves play, we heal.
A Personal Story: Rediscovering My Own Play
For a long time, I thought my worth was tied to performance… nailing auditions, booking jobs, “being serious” about my craft. But the deeper I went into acting, the more I realized: the actors who shine brightest are the ones who haven’t lost their ability to play!
They are the ones who study hard, but play harder! For they know how important it is to take time to live and explore
When I started hosting retreats, I worried people might see mermaiding as silly. Instead, I discovered the opposite: participants are craving the transformative and healing powers these events possess. They will leave glowing. Feeling lighter and freer than every before.
It’s a chance to release any heaviness you might have carried for years.
How to Bring Play Into Your Life
You don’t need a stage or a tail to tap into the healing power of play. Try these practices to bring play back into your life right now:
- Improv at home. Say “yes, and…” to whatever your partner, friend, or even your own imagination throws your way.
- Embodiment exercises. Walk, dance, or stretch as if you were another character or mythical creature.
- Art for fun. Paint, draw, or sing out of nowhere – not to be perfect, but just to express.
- Mini rituals of silliness. Put on music and let yourself move however your body wants, even if it feels ridiculous.
- Join spaces that celebrate play. Whether a theater group or a mermaid retreat, choose environments that remind you it’s safe to be free.
Answering the Call of Play
The stage taught me that play is the heartbeat of artistry. The sea reminded me that play is also the heartbeat of healing. Acting and mermaiding may seem worlds apart, but both reveal the same truth: play is sacred and you have the power to transform if you are open and willing to let it happen naturally!
If your soul has been craving more laughter, magic, and freedom, consider this your invitation. Step away from the seriousness of daily life. Step into the water, the costume, the story. Step into yourself.
Because the healing power of play is waiting for you.
And if you’re ready to embody it fully, I’d love to welcome you to my Halloween Mermaid Retreat. A space of embodiment, creative expression, and inner child healing on the beach. Our pod is small, our magic is deep, and the ocean is calling this Halloween!
