218. Can play help kids release trauma and anxiety?

Big feelings don’t always need more rules and structure. Sometimes they need play, movement, and a bit of silliness.

In this episode of Overpowering Emotions, Dr. Caroline is joined by Sifu Boggy (Paul Brighton), a Taoist teacher who blends Qigong, Tai Chi, humour, and “sacred child” energy to support healing.

They talk about why kids are the real teachers, how fidgeting and wild play help release stress from the body, and why shutting down movement can actually lock in tension, anxiety, and trauma. You’ll hear how Qigong supported Sifu through bullying, depression, and suicidality as a teen, and how simple standing exercises can help kids and adults regulate today.

This conversation is especially helpful for: Educators trying to make room for movement, play, and regulation in classrooms Parents & caregivers of anxious, “fidgety,” intense, or neurodivergent kids Mental health professionals looking for body-based and playful tools that fit well with emotion regulation work

They get into: The “sacred child” and why we’re not meant to grow out of play How fidgeting, noise, and big movement can be healthy discharge, not misbehaviour Qigong as “moving self-massage” that helps clear stored emotional tension How adults’ stress responses teach kids how to handle their own Simple, practical ways to bring more play and movement into homes, sessions, and schools

If you work with kids who are anxious, shut down, “too much,” or always on the move, this episode will give you a warm, playful way to see them—and yourself—differently.

Homework Ideas

🧩 Notice Where You Shut Down Play For one week, track moments when you say or think: “Stop fidgeting.” “Calm down.” “Be serious.” Ask yourself afterward: What feeling in me sparked that reaction? Was the movement actually harmful—or just loud and inconvenient? Use that awareness to adjust one response per day: replace “stop that” with, “Let’s move that energy in a safer way,” and offer a playful alternative (e.g., jumping on a mat, shaking it out, quick wrestle on the floor, running in the yard).

🧩 Schedule a Daily “Wild Play Window” Choose a 10–20 minute slot each day where the goal is: move, be loud, be silly. Ideas: Backyard “animal run” (kids choose an animal and move like it) Pillow wrestling or couch parkour Loud singing, drumming on cushions, “primal yell” into a pillow Frame it as: “This is when we help our bodies get stress out.”

🧩 Try the “Twist the Waist” Qigong Practice Use Sifu’s simple exercise with kids or for yourself: Stand with feet hip-width apart. Gently twist your waist side to side, letting your arms flop and wrap around your body. Keep breathing naturally—soft in through the nose, out through the mouth. Do this for 1–3 minutes. Afterward, ask kids: “What does your body feel like now compared to before?” This can be a classroom brain break, a transition ritual at home, or part of therapy sessions.

🧩 Model Your Own “Sacred Child” Choose one playful thing you used to love as a kid and do it this week: Drawing or doodling Climbing, swinging, skipping Building with Lego Dancing around the kitchen Let kids see you laugh, be silly, and move. You’re showing them that growing up doesn’t mean shutting down joy.

🧩 Reflect on Movement and Mood With older kids or for your own journaling, use prompts like: “When I’m stressed and I move my body, what changes?” “When I’m told to sit still, what happens inside me?” “What kinds of movement make me feel calmer, stronger, or lighter?” This helps link movement → emotion → regulation in a concrete way.

Be sure to grab your free Emotional Literacy workbook! https://korulearninginstitute.kit.com/emotionaliteracy

About Sifu Sifu Boggie (a.k.a Paul Brighton) is a Daoist guide, mentor, and self-healing practitioner with over 40 years of experience in Daoism and Qigong. Trained by renowned Daoist masters, he specializes in Qi Gong, Tai Chi, Shun Dao philosophy, and other healing modalities. Sifu Boggie’s teachings blend Daoist philosophy wi