Author: portiatung

Play coach, storyteller, wishmaker and Founder of The School of Play www.theschoolofplay.org

Happy 7th Birthday to The School of Play!

Play isn’t just an act of hope or faith. Play is an aria of consciousness. Play enables us to self-actualise through accompaniment and mutual support. This is why laughter is the sound of play. Laughter is the sound our heart makes when we are having fun.

It's Love Obviously

Having played for the past 30 years – both professionally and personally – for most of my adult life, I’ve discovered the golden key to game-changing transformation is by changing our relationship with play.

When our relationship with play changes, we change, the world around us changes. Play isn’t just good for us. Play is good for everyone.

We hope you’ll join us in celebrating the Feast at the Party of Life as The School of Play turns 7 years old this week!

We made this to share with you. For each and everyone of us who yearns and learns to play the True Play way.

by Categories: Play Alchemy, Play Now, Play Your Life, Playful Leadership, Systemic Constellations

Are You Ready to Emerge and Play?

If so, we’ve assembled a gorgeous range of play adventures, be it in-person or online, that will inspire you to play well and play better – be it at work, at home or anywhere you go.

Playful Leadership

An exquisite and transformative in-person leadership programme held at beautiful Ashridge House, Berkamsted, UK

COURSE FULL: 8-10 May 2024 @ Ashridge House, Berkhamsted, UK

Four Seasons of Play

A highly enjoyable online play programme made up of individual one-off workshops designed to resource, restore and re-invigorate you through the Four Seasons

Begins 14 June 2024

PLAY THROUGH THE SEASONS

The Magic Circle

A 6-week online circle of like-hearted seekers who wish to manifest their playful selves through Play Alchemy

Begins 18 June 2024, every Tuesday for 6 weeks

MAGES ASSEMBLE

Play Alchemy

A deeply nourishing 3-day in-person introductory course to explore your roots of creativity

17-19 September 2024 @ Ashridge House, Berkhamsted, UK

ROOT TO RISE

Resonance Summit Recordings Package

You can hear Portia’s latest talk Play’s Hidden Symmetry: Constellations Through Play Alchemy by purchasing the amazing Resonance Summit 2024 recording package from Neuroscience Educator and Constellations Facilitator Sarah Peyton.

PURCHASE SUMMIT RECORDINGS

The Play Jungle Calls…

Isn’t it time you reconnected with your greatest superpower? If you long to answer the clamorous call of play, creativity or rejuvenation but aren’t quite sure how best to get started, why not schedule a chat over a virtual cup of tea with me and see what emerges?

One thing’s for certain, it’s never too late to start playing for your life or re-ignite your play brain. Let’s have a chat to get you on your way!

Tea Time with Portia the Play Alchemist

CHAT OVER A CUP OF TEA WITH PORTIA

by Categories: Play Alchemy, Play Now, Play Your Life, Playful Leadership

Explore the Healing Power of Play

Playful You and Me

Do you love the moments when you experience spontaneous bubbles of exploration and joy? And are these moments too few and far between?

Are you often holding your breath waiting for the other shoe to drop and for the goodness in your life to disappear? 

Delight is one of the most joyful experiences humans can have. From bursts of spontaneous laughter, to genuine smiles shared, to shared exploration of ideas, to goofy and rambunctious expression. 

Are you curious to learn how to cultivate the safety and self-care that will allow your nervous system to turn towards playfulness and joy with ease? 

Do you long to be surprised, enlivened, and nourished by your healing journey?

Did you know that each of us has a neural circuit and body system dedicated just to play?

Play is our birthright. 

The experience of playing lets us and our brains become who we are meant to be.

Playing brings balance into the body’s and the brain’s endocannabinoid system, which is the system that is responsible for our homeostasis. When we play, we balance every tissue in our body. 

And it feels so good.

Play–not the shallow, competitive kind, but the deep play that comes with both emotional discovery and surprise, and with truth-telling in safe environments– is spontaneous, emergent, and unexpected. 

This form of deepest play can only arise when our nervous systems are fully supported and in the company of people with whom we feel known and understood.  Without supported and safe nervous systems, our bodies are unable to experience the absolutely spontaneous and unexpected expressions that come with our PLAY circuit. 

Play in its purest form requires the interaction of two or more beings (people, pets, anyone that can be responsive). It also requires safety. 

But what do we do if people have not been safe? 

How can we support ourselves to have nourishing playful social connections and a sense of belonging even when we have lived through difficult things? 

Resonance is the experience of another human understanding what is happening for you, and you being able to say yes to their expression of understanding. It has the transformative capacity to connect and heal us by offering new experiences of safety and acceptance to our nervous systems, which opens the door to play.

With the help of a neuroscience-based understanding of what makes us safe, Resonant Language works directly with the nervous system to restore our birthright of safety so that true delight becomes possible and even frequent. 

Resonance enables us to have the experience of making sense to ourselves and others, sometimes for the first time. Often social safety is the missing piece that allows our bodies to find relaxation and open to joy. 

As our nervous systems become fully supported, the movement towards spontaneous emergent play is actually unstoppable: like a bubbling brook cascading down a mountainside after the snows melt. 

The Resonance Summit 5-9 April 2024

The fourth annual Resonance Summit, hosted by Sarah Peyton, offers a deep exploration of the latest neuroscience research on play plus wonderful interactive sessions, and an opportunity to immersively experience and learn resonance in community.  

Each morning of the Summit features a keynote address by five exciting voices in the field of relational neuroscience, play, and trauma healing. Following keynotes, the days unfold through workshops and practice spaces led by some of the most creative and rigorous resonance practitioners working today. 

My session “Play’s Hidden Symmetry: Constellations Through Play Alchemy” will take place on Tuesday, 9 April 10.30 am – 11.55 am PDT. I hope you’ll come to play!

Register here this free five-day experiential learning immersion to begin to change your brain into a kinder and more playful place, discover your own relational self, and catch a glimpse of the rich world of emergence that resonance and play can make possible for you.

What if you can’t make it to the LIVE summit?

In that case, you’re welcome to support this wonderful event by purchasing the summit recordings package available now with a pre-summit discount!

by Categories: Conferences, Play Alchemy, Systemic ConstellationsTags: , , , , , ,

The Wheel of Time

“Can I read you a poem?” my new friend Di asks me just now as our video chat draws to an end. “It’s called Today by Billy Collins. I heard it on the radio earlier this morning and I thought you might like it.”

My heart giggles quietly with joy at being offered a poetry reading by an adult. I can’t, for the life of me, remember the last time this happened.

Meet Dianne Gammage, author of Playful Awakening – Releasing the Gift of Play in Your Life. I first came across Di’s soul-lifting book on play in the summer of 2023. The book resonated with me the moment it crossed my path and I’d been daydreaming about the kind of conversations we’d have over a cup of tea. So I wrote Di an email (I would have written her a letter if that were still fashionable) introducing her to my baby oak tree Querkie and telling her about my PLAY book.

As I move ever closer to completing the manuscript of my next book (next Thursday!), I cherish the many new and profound friendships I’ve made on my personal play adventure. It reminds me of what making true friends was like as a child. A time when I truly played and now that the wheel has turned – I am being invited to play again. And I extend that invitation to you.

You can find Di’s talk about Playful Awakening and play therapy here.

If you’d like to explore ways of experiencing more joy through play in your life – be it at work and/or at home, for you or with your team or with your family – let’s have a chat over a virtual cuppa.

by Categories: Play Now, Play Your LifeTags: , , , ,

Happy Birthday to an Agile Adventure!

Your team’s fate is in your hands. Choose badly and you’ll come to a sticky end. Choose wisely and you stand the chance of living happily ever after. What will you choose to do?

I’m delighted to share with you that my first book The Dream Team Nightmare: Boost Team Productivity Using Agile Techniques published by The Pragmatic Bookshelf turns 11 years old this year!

They say time flies when you’re having fun so if you’ve ever dreamed of writing a book, I highly recommend giving it a go. With plenty of caution, of course – because this is the only responsible and fair thing to do when it comes to doing work from the heart.

In my case, the result is the first ever Agile business novel in the format of gamebook – a fun and interactive story with eight different endings where you, the Reader, gets to put your Agile knowledge and experience to the test.

Back in the autumn 2011, The Dream Team Nightmare began as a personal challenge to see if I could write a book at a time in my life when I wanted to gift back something of me to the world.

Now, as I complete writing my second book and delight in the gifts of feedback from my first readers, I feel incredibly fortunate to have followed the wisdom of my heart. After all, this is the Play Way.

If you’re part of a book club that enjoys having fun as you read, I’d love to pay you a visit (be it online or may be even in-person) to explore and experience the exquisite adventure that is reading – in community!

The Secret to Heartwork

It’s possible that when it comes to writing a book, you find it easy. Believe or not, I’ve met writers for whom this is true. Or you might find it as tough as climbing Mount Everest which is my case (although I’ve yet to climb Mount Everest for real but I’ve been working on my yoga crow pose – slowly, slowly, catchy monkey – in preparation for a handstand or forearm stand). And that’s the thing. Whenever we do anything truly, madly, deeply important to us, it requires hard work because it’s heartwork.

The truth is, I’ve spent most of my life working from my heart. It may sound simple, but up until recently, it’s been anything but easy. Fortunately, I discovered in my wonder years the profound joy that comes from embracing a challenge and doing something for the sake of doing it and because my heart wants to (regardless of what those around me have to say on the matter).

The trick I’ve found about writing a book is to treat it as an adventure of self-discovery par excellence. If what I have come to know as play alchemy has taught me one thing, it’s that “The greater the purpose, the more fun you need to have”. In spite of the ginormous challenge writing a book may seem to you, just imagine how much more fun and joy you’ll experience if having fun and joy becomes part of the process.

This is the Play Way.

by Categories: Agile, Book Club, Play Alchemy, WritingTags: , , , , Leave a comment

A Beautiful Day

Willen Lake, a playspace of beauty

It’s a beautiful day today where I live.

As I walk around the lake this morning, I’m in awe of the city I have been fortunate enough to settle in with my family – a place of beauty, hope and peace.

One of the places I love to wander and wonder is Willen Lake run by The Parks Trust, a charity dedicated to protecting the parklands and landscapes of Milton Keynes forever.

My path to this place hasn’t been simple or easy. For the longest time, I wasn’t aware this was the place my heart longing for – until I began to occupy myself fully.

What does home mean to you? Where does your heart live?

by Categories: ContemplationTags: , , , Leave a comment

Lead from Your Heart in 2024 with Play Alchemy

If you’re looking to learn how to lead from your heart and have fun doing it, then you’ve come to right play space!

Playful Leadership is a unique, intuitive and deeply resourcing approach to cultivating your own leadership based on the powerful quintuplet of Play Science, neuroscience, psychology, coaching and Systemic Constellations. It is grounded in what Portia Tung, the founder of The School of Play, calls Play Alchemy which is made up of the process, tools and techniques for transmuting the seemingly insurmountable challenges we face into positive outcomes so that we can thrive, have fun and get more of what we want done in a VUCA world.

When asked how best to describe their experience on the Playful Leadership programme, participants unanimously agree with a smile and a cheer, “It’s not a course, it’s a PLAY-cation!” That’s because the word PLAY-cation sums up neatly that wondrous tingling feeling we get after a proper holiday from the routine and mundane and of having achieved a profound transformation that took barely any effort because it was so much fun.

LEARN MORE AND REGISTER NOW!

by Categories: Agile, Courses, Play Now, Play Your Life, Playful Leadership, Systemic Constellations Leave a comment

Meet You Second Star to the Right

Dear Playmakers,

As this year draws to an end and we stand together on the cusp of a new year, I’d like to thank you for your warm interest, enthusiasm and commitment in leading more playful lives and enabling transformational change for greater good – be it at work, at home or wherever life finds you.

A Wise Owl Looks Back…

This year has been a rollercoaster ride of fun and growth as the Playful Leadership programme launched two brand new courses in the beautiful play space of Ashridge House, inspiration for Hogwarts, in Berkhamsted, UK.

In spring 2023, we cultivated greater emotional awareness and intelligence on Playful Leadership: Rejuvenation which re-connected us with some of our most powerful  inner resources to overcome the challenges we face.

In summer 2023, I splish-splashed with delight with Robert Digings on the subject of play and leadership in his podcast series Highly Relational – that play could not only be an approach to work but a credible and effective leadership approach I call Playful Leadership.

This autumn brought together the highest number of The School of Play’s alumni at a single event, along with new playmakers, as we accompanied one another on our individual journey back to our collective point of origin on Playful Leadership: Origination to increase our creativity by harnessing our passions, skills, wishes and dreams.

This winter we gathered in my home city of Milton Keynes for a 1-day workshop Glow in Prosperity to explore our relationship with giving and taking through techniques for manifesting abundance so it can percolate in different aspects of our lives.

Meet You Second Star to the Right in 2024

To celebrate the new year, we at The School of Play are merrily preparing a whole host of heart-warming and new ways for you to say “Yay!” to more play in 2024.

Keep your eyes peeled for upcoming events by signing up for The School of Play newsletter-blog here.

The Play in Me bows to the Play in You and Those You Are Important To,

Portia

by Categories: Play Now, Play Your Life, Playful Leadership, Systemic ConstellationsTags: , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

From Christmas Dinner to a Festive Tea Party

Imagine the Christmas dining table as a clockface, where the first one to arrive sits at 12 o’clock. We continue clockwise as the next one to arrive sits on their left. Each of us continues to take our rightful place until the most recent joiner of the system pulls up a chair nearest to 12 o’clock to complete the circle. As you slowly look around the circle, beginning with the first to arrive in this system, how does it feel? How does your place in this system influence who you are and how you act – be it at home, at work, anywhere you go?

Now lean back a little and notice that this system doesn’t exist in isolation, rather it’s part of a greater whole. In the same way you are, being part of your birth family and all those who came before as well as being part of another system among newer loved ones, perhaps a family of your own.

As the Christmas season approaches its pinnacle, how lucky are you feeling this year? What if instead of trying to play our cards right at the Christmas dining table, we have a go at playing our cards better by making the most of the cards we’ve been dealt?

If you celebrate Christmas, I wish you a merry one. If you celebrate in a different way, I wish you a merry one, too. And if you prefer not to celebrate, I wish you joy in the choice you have made.

Wishing you and your loved ones much love, light and laughter this winter season!

by Categories: Play Now, Playful Leadership, Systemic Constellations Leave a comment

Year 2022: Play – Make – Do You

What better way to celebrate what some are calling the “year of the new abnormal” by saying “Yay!” to play? You’re cordially invited to Four Seasons of Play, the School of Play’s freshest year-long programme where you’re invited to play, make and, most vitally, do you.

Through the unique practical mashup of the latest play science, psychology, neuroscience and coaching techniques, you’ll feast on fun and purpose towards transformative change, leaving each workshop feeling inspired and resourced to embrace all that 2022 has to offer. For you and those to whom you matter.

Enjoy each workshop as a standalone experience or as a combination of 4 modules in a year-long programme where you’ll learn about true play, innovative ways to cultivate your play intelligence and shift towards a play mindset as the seasons change. Play your cards right and you’ll grow as an individual and as a leader so you can thrive instead of just survive in what some folks are describing as “new abnormal” times.

Celebrate Each Season with Play

There’s no need to go it alone when it comes to creating the change you want to see or turning your dreams into reality. Experience the transformative power of play in the company of true leaders, adults who dare to play.

As American director and actor Orson Welles once said, “If you want a happy ending, that depends on, of course, where you stop your story.” Where will you choose to take your story?

by Categories: Four Seasons of Play, Play Now, Play Your Life, Playful LeadershipTags: , , , , , , Leave a comment