My Story

I wasn’t always a playful adult.

As a kid, though? I was wildly expressive. A full-on dancing, singing, sparkly little tornado of joy. I’d perform full musicals in the living room, clap and jump when guests arrived, and turn the kitchen into a stage.

Like so many kiddos, though, I learned to tone it down. Be good. Be impressive. Don't take up too much space. 

By the time I reached adulthood, I had shape-shifted so much to belong and succeed that I barely recognized myself.

I spent over a decade in the corporate world, smiling through burnout and chasing the next goal. From the outside, I looked successful. But inside, I felt anxious, disconnected, and completely exhausted.

Then… life unraveled.

Within months, I lost my job. My apartment turned into a cockroach war zone. A meaningful relationship ended. My epilepsy flared up. My childhood wounds kicked and screamed for attention.

It felt like the universe hit a giant reset button.

I was grieving, deep in trauma work, and trying to hold it all together. One day in therapy, my therapist said:

“You need more play in your life.”

I almost laughed. Play? Now?

But something stirred. A whisper of that younger me who shrieked with joy and made up dances for no reason.

I went looking for spaces where she could come alive again, but every “play” option for adults came with competition, achievement, or pressure to perform. There’s nothing wrong with those things (I was very familiar with them — I danced competitively, and I wouldn’t even enjoy board games unless I won). But my self-worth had always been tied to outcomes, and I knew I needed something different.  

I needed to learn how to play without needing to be perfect. I needed to know it was safe to be fully me. 

I wanted to return to that kid who followed what felt good and didn’t overthink it.

So I started experimenting. Awkwardly at first, blowing bubbles, finger painting, dancing around my apartment for no reason. I tried something new every day.

And something amazing happened… I felt lighter, braver, more confident, and more creative.

I started making decisions based on joy instead of obligation. I stopped living for approval and started creating a life I actually wanted to be in.

That’s how The Playful Warrior was born. A space where play has nothing to do with proving yourself, and everything to do with feeling alive, safe, and wildly yourself.

The name came to me during a playdate with my inner child. It was a realization that the same part of me that endured all the hard stuff, also held the key to healing.

The warrior in me had survived.

But it was play that brought me back to life. 

At first, it was just for my personal healing. But people around me started noticing. They saw the light coming back into my eyes, the joy in my voice, the way I carried myself differently.

And as I looked around, I realized I wasn’t the only one. Adults everywhere were burnt out, anxious, and starved for play.

That’s when I knew this wasn’t just my medicine. It was meant to be shared.