The Principle of Play
Play invites us to explore movement with the sustained curiosity and wonder of a child. What does my body want to do right now? Could it be lighter, freer, or more buoyant? We experiment with changes in speed, size, density, or intensity, cultivating creativity and natural musicality—more like jazz than classical music. Improvising with the body’s natural movement builds an increasing sense of what’s possible through kinetic exploration.
Tools like Body ReMinder Cards spark insights into how dynamic imagery, practiced and embodied through movement, can shift function and feeling. Partner games and other playful structures create a safe space for learning, guiding, and embedding new experiences.
In Trager, play becomes a therapeutic inquiry. It isn’t just fun; it’s a powerful tool for upregulating or downregulating the nervous system and shifting patterns in the brain. When we alternate between “How is it?” and “How could it be?”, playfulness ignites transformative sensory experiences that open pathways to renewed liveliness, freedom, creativity, and joy in both body and mind.
Movement Explorations on Play
Articles and Essays on Play
Intention
To wonder. To wonder with no plan
for where it might lead. No strategy
for arrival. No finish line. No pot
of gold. No perfect score. No striving for.
To wonder. To wonder the way a small child
might wonder when seeing a roly poly for the first time —
oh, look at all those legs. Look at how
it curls! Look how it moves again. Feel
how light it is in the palm. Feel how
it tickles as it moves. Imagine
an awareness that new meeting a life form that old.
Can I be that new as I meet this infinite world?
To wonder not just with my mind
but with my belly. To let every neuron
spark. To notice where there is a channel
and imagine the great wing of life
is scraping it clean so the stream might flow
in new ways. To wonder beyond the edge
of the known, and in that spaciousness, play.
— Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer
Contemplations on Play
What if Play is not only what we do, but how we are? Can we be in a near constant state of Play? Can Playfulness be an approach to all parts of life?
How can concentrated and sustained somatic curiosity lead to becoming more playful in relationships, or in work?
What positive outcomes can we derive from becoming more Playful?
To give our adult-selves permission to be Playful, how much freedom do we need to feel from social judgment? What helps us feel safe enough to Play?
What if we allow Playfulness to be available in the background, emerging naturally when we give it space?
How does Play help us get us out of our patterns? How does it remind us of our childlike joy?
How is Play important for learning, or for breaking up outdated habits?
What effect does Play have on the brain, on tissue regeneration, on quality of life?
Can Play be an important part of therapeutic work?
Book Excerpts on Play
Explore more.
