The Way of Play: Reclaiming Divine Fun & Celebration

Can we play our way to enlightenment? In The Way of Play, University of Arizona psychologist Dr. Victor Shamas reveals a powerful spiritual path that focuses on the notion of divine play. This unique spiritual manual shows us how play can unlock the doors to spiritual awakening, given the proper intention. Making the case that spiritual life has become too serious, Shamas offers an enjoyable and infinitely rewarding alternative for spiritual seekers. The Way of Play also recounts the unusual circumstances that led the author to the path of divine play. Having heard about a Buddhist lama who makes a miraculous discovery during a 45-year meditation retreat, Shamas and his sweetheart, Estrella, set out to find him and to learn his secrets. As they travel through India, they are initiated into an ancient form of spirituality predating all of the world s religions and based on the expression of love and joy. Along the way, they encounter a bizarre cast of characters, including a cave-dwelling yogi, a hydrology professor who is also the high priest of one of India s oldest temples, a disembodied Tibetan master, pool-playing swamis, and the ghost of a U.S. President. The pilgrimage culminates under the legendary Bodhi Tree, where the Buddhist lama appears briefly to provide a simple yet life-changing insight on the nature of spiritual life. The Way of Play offers a practical vision for reclaiming the spirit of divine fun and celebration that underlies the religious impulse. Promoting a radical approach to spirituality that treats play as a sacred act, this lighthearted yet insightful guide shows readers how to find their connection to something greater in themselves by playing music, drawing, dancing, telling stories, singing, laughing, and dreaming: We embrace this moment with every bit of our heart and soul so that we are fully present, fully conscious, and fully awakened. And we share our passion freely with the world, washing away all the sorrow and negativity we encounter in a stream of delight.

Victor Shamas, Ph.D. (aka The Play Doctor) is the author of two books, The Way of Play: Reclaiming Divine Fun and Celebration (2011) and The Chanter s Guide: Sacred Chanting as a Shamanic Practice (2007). He teaches psychology and does research on play, creativity, and consciousness at the University of Arizona. He is also the Executive Director of PlayHaven, a non-profit organization that uses various forms of play to advance spiritual development, create fellowship, reduce stress, promote compassion, and build a sense of community among people of diverse cultural backgrounds and religious faiths. In 1996, Dr. Shamas founded Global Chant, a network of chanting circles that embraces sacred music and spiritual wisdom from all traditions. He has written over 100 chants, has published electronic textbooks for 18 undergraduate psychology courses, and has recorded the following CDs: Chakra Tones , Global Chant I, Biofeedback, Hypnosis, Relaxation , and Four Meditations . Dr. Shamas is the former director of a drug education program funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse.