Show Notes
In this episode, I’m out on a spring walk in Alaska, exploring the idea of play as a resource — and how play can support our nervous systems in meaningful, practical ways.

I share a story from a long backcountry ski trip that shifted my perspective from struggle into play, and use that to explore how play isn’t just something we do — it’s a nervous system state we can learn to recognize and cultivate.

We talk about how play lives in the balance between challenge and safety, why it’s essential (especially in hard or uncertain times), and how it differs from avoidance or “escape.” I also share how this concept is showing up in somatic workouts — especially the practice of uncoupling intensity from stress.

Along the way, you’re invited into a simple somatic exploration to notice what play actually feels like in your body, and how you might begin to access it more often — both in obvious “play” moments and in everyday life.

This episode is an invitation to reconnect with play as nourishment, as information, and as a way to support yourself through both challenge and joy.

Timestamps
00:00 — Walking in spring + introducing play as a topic
02:00 — Play as a nervous system resource
03:00 — Why play matters (especially in hard times)
04:30 — Story: wilderness ski classic + caribou moment
08:00 — Shifting from struggle into play
09:30 — Play as a nervous system state
12:30 — Summer Strong + somatic workouts
14:00 — 10 foundational somatic skills (new class)
17:00 — Cultural messaging about play vs. work
18:30 — Play vs. avoidance / escapism
20:00 — Balancing challenge + pleasure (counter vortex)
22:30 — Play as nourishment, not bypassing
24:30 — Practice: accessing play in the body
26:00 — Noticing sensations of play
27:00 — Nervous system explanation (sympathetic + ventral)
28:30 — Homework: noticing play in real life
30:00 — Expanding play beyond “fun activities”
31:30 — Play + curiosity in everyday moments
33:00 — Safety + nervous system awareness
35:00 — Applying play to workouts + intensity
36:30 — Uncoupling intensity from stress
38:30 — Play as an indicator of safety
40:00 — Bringing play into daily life + movement
41:30 — Why play supports growth + learning
42:30 — Connection, shared rhythm, and play
44:00 — Closing: go forth and play

Resources

- Get all the information about Summer Strong here! 

Submit your questions for the Q&A [here]

Photos and links from this episode:
www.mindandmountain.co/podcast