Jason Nemer is a co-founder of AcroYoga. AcroYoga has certified teachers in over 60 countries and hundreds of thousands of practitioners. Jason was a two-time U.S. Junior National champion in sports acrobatics and represented the U.S. at the World Championships in Beijing in 1991. He also performed acrobatics at the opening ceremonies of the 1996 Olympics.
When asked what he’d put on a billboard, Jason easily responded with, “Play! Play more”. He said he feels people are “too serious” and “it really doesn’t take much…to drop back into the wisdom of childlike playfulness”. The two things he’d prescribe to improve health and happiness are movement and play because they are intertwined and you can’t have one without the other. Think about when you were a child. You were doing all kinds of things that you thought were fun and most of them included movement. A great example of this is recess — a dedicated time to spend running around and playing outside everyday.
Reflecting on that now, how much do you actually move your body everyday? Is movement part of your routine or do you barely move at all and sit at a desk all day? Also, if you are moving everyday, do you enjoy the type of movement that you pursue?
Jason wholeheartedly believes that “treadmills kill your spirit”, and says “there are much cooler ways to move your body, way more fun things”, which is why he invented AcroYoga. It’s important to see what we’re doing right now and look for ways to cultivate more play in our everyday lives. It is as easy as enjoying a dance party for one or playing silly games with your kids.
What kind of play and movement do you want to pursue everyday? Share in the comments below!
Ferriss, Timothy, and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Tools of Titans: The Tactics, Routines, and Habits of Billionaires, Icons, and World-Class Performers HMH Books, 2016.