Why unleashing your inner child will help invigorate your workouts — and your mindset

It’s time to let your inner child come out and PLAY. First of all, why would you want to do that? Because play activates our imagination and allows us to explore beyond the constraints of our environment and our minds. “How do I do that?” you ask. Allow us to guide you.

Imagination is the pathway to creativity.

Children have intricate and incredible imaginations. Their sole focus is play. Moving their bodies. Following instinctual curiosity. And then another. I.e., living in the moment. Sound familiar?

As an adult, you can still dip a toe — a leg, an entire body — into your imagination. When you do this, you expand yourself, your consciousness, and ultimately, your life, into the realm of infinite possibilities.

Imagination becomes your freedom.

When we awaken our imagination, we awaken our inner child. As we transition from childhood into adulthood, it’s easy to lose a bit of that carefree dreaming that came so easily in our younger years. We’re expected to focus on our careers, life, and “reality.” Many of these expectations, some self-imposed, begin to direct us away from our authentic selves.

When we activate our imagination, not only are we reimagining and reprogramming our limiting beliefs, but we’re also permitting ourselves to play full out — with passion and freedom.

Let’s PLAY and reconnect to our childlike wonderment.

Get creative and watch the magic unfold.

“Our bodies are designed to move – our pure expression is revealed through dance. When our focus shifts to expressive movement, we step out of our analytical minds and begin to connect with our intuition, inner child, and the authentic message our body is trying to convey. The power of expression connects us to our inner knowing and unlocks catharsis, joy, freedom, and eventually energetic transformation. When we move and embrace our authentic expression, anything is possible.” -Founder Julianne Hough

How To Tap Into Your Inner Child

All of this sounds wonderful, but how do you tap into your inner child? You activate your imagination and expand into the realm of infinite possibilities through various access portals. A portal can be:

Trying something new
When you pursue an adventure, be it a dance class, a ceramics workshop, or even a trip to a new city, you’re creating new neural pathways because you’re putting yourself into a novel environment where you have little to no experience. It is here where you step onto fertile ground for growth and new ideas to flourish.

Daydreaming
Yep, we said it. Allow yourself to wander off into imagination land. Intentionally step out of reality for a moment. Reclaim all of the in-between moments of your life and spend them imagining rather than consuming. Waiting in line for your favorite smoothie bowl? Daydream! It’s easy to pick up a phone and scroll. Let’s practice allowing space for our mind to wander and see where it’s trying to take us.

Let’s take a look at 6 more ways to tap into your inner child…

#1. Focus on exploring instead of learning or mastering. You’re exploring KINRGY, not attempting to “master” a new workout. Allow your internal gaze to shift towards curiosity. How does this movement feel in my body? When I breathe this way, what comes up? What happens if I move how my body wants to move versus how I think or how I’m told it should move?

Imagine getting dressed in a dark room. You can’t see. You can only feel your way through. Oh, this feels like a tag. The buttons go on the front. Where are my feet? This shirt is softer than I remember. When you focus on exploring, you allow all of those expectations of what you “should” be doing fall away because the entire intention is one of noticing and following the nudges of your body and intuition.

#2. Do something every day just because. What do we mean by this? Sit and watch the leaves of a tree whisper in the wind just because. Sip tea longer than you usually would just because. Look into the eyes of your children and nibble their cheeks just because. Do something every day just because.

#3. DANCE! Turn on your favorite music and dance, dance, dance. Even if it’s just for 5 minutes. Shake those limiting beliefs loose and free your body and mind through expressive movement. You won’t regret it.

#4. Make your favorite childhood meal. You know the one. Cook up something that takes you way back. Don’t worry. We aren’t aiming for perfection or mastery here. Let go of what you “should” be eating, and eat what allows you to access a childhood comfort just because.

#5. Doodle, color, or sketch without worrying about the outcome. Allow curiosity to guide you. Sit down without any expectations about what you’re creating and just create. See where it takes you. You might be surprised!

#6. PLAY! Seriously. Go do something you haven’t done since you were a kid. Ride a bike. Go on a journey without a destination. Jump rope. Play hopscotch. Lay in the grass and pick out shapes in the clouds. Pick flowers. Get dirty! Play is the work of children, and it needs to be the work of adults too.

We are ALL born to dance.

KINRGY isn’t about perfection. It’s about expression. An essential component of releasing your inner child and playing is giving yourself permission. Set aside self-judgment, insecurity, and expectations for a moment, and allow yourself to expand.