Using Play to Ease the Way
A workshop retreat to explore how your unique Play Personality can bring more lightness and joy to your life's work.
Feeling the weight of stress and responsibility? Whether you're navigating mission-driven work, personal challenges, or simply carrying more than feels sustainable, this workshop offers a different approach:
Tamara, one with unicorn, after Portland to Coast
Play as a practical tool for resilience.
Play isn't a retreat from serious work — it's what makes serious work sustainable.
Through Nia-inspired movement, hands-on exploration with LEGO, and connection with others, you'll discover your unique Play Personality…and learn how to integrate more lightness into the heavy spaces of your life.
What we'll explore together
The neuroscience of play and why it matters for resilience and vitality
Stuart Brown's eight Play Personalities and which ones resonate with us
Embodied movement sequences that help us experience different ways of playing
How our Play Personality shows up in our work and life
Time in nature as a restorative practice — and why it matters for creativity and resilience
Practical ways to access our lighter side when the weight feels heaviest
Connection with others navigating similar challenges
What makes this workshop different
This isn't about forcing positivity or pretending your responsibilities aren't real. It's about discovering that we can hold both - the gravity of what you carry AND the lightness that sustains us. Through movement, creative exploration, music and community, you'll tap into aspects of yourself that help you navigate stress with more ease, creativity, and gusto.
You'll leave with:
Connection with a community of people doing meaningful work
Evidence-based strategies for stress regulation you can bring back to your work and team
Movement practices you can use to shift your state
A tangible integration plan (an image of your LEGO build!) for bringing more play into your life
A music playlist to support your playful resilience practice
This workshop is for you if:
You're a purpose-driven leader or community member feeling the weight of stress and responsibility
You're a committed small business owner, consultant, or professional looking for sustainable ways to lead and perform without burning out
You’d like to find more sustainable ways to navigate stress
You're curious about how play and movement can support your wellbeing and effectiveness
You're ready to access your whole self – not just the part that pushes through
"Through movement and laughter, I discovered something new about myself and the world around me." — Lori
Join us for an easeful afternoon of exploration, movement, and community — because you can't sustain meaningful work if you can't sustain yourself (and sometimes, the way through is lighter than we think).
Workshop Agenda
Welcome & Connection
Arrive, settle in, and connect with others over light refreshments
Playful opening activity to get us moving and meeting each other
The Science of Play
Why play matters for resilience and vitality
Introduction to Stuart Brown's eight Play Personalities
Embodied Exploration
Nia-inspired movement sequences exploring different play personalities — outdoors if the weather invites us
Discover which ways of playing feel most alive in our bodies
Connection & Discovery
Connect with others who share our play personalities
Explore how different play styles can work together
Discuss how your Play Personality shows up in our work and life
Short explorations around the property to experience the restorative power of nature — and optimally catch a glimpse of what AWE actually feels like in our bodies
Integration Through LEGO
Hands-on building time to capture our insights
Create a tangible plan for bringing more play into our lives
Share discoveries in small groups
Closing & Community
Reflection and takeaways
Receive the curated music playlist
Optional mingling and continued connection
Workshop Facilitators
Tamara Staton
Tamara is an Integral Master Coach®, educator, and facilitator with over 20 years of experience in human development and community building. She spent 13 years with Citizens' Climate Lobby developing expertise in navigating emotional terrain while maintaining effectiveness, and now helps individuals and organizations build sustainable engagement strategies through her company, Lighter Side of Climate. She blends positive psychology, mindfulness, wilderness leadership, and somatic practices to help people access joy and resilience as the foundation for sustained impact.
Tudie Stropparo
Tudie is a Nia Somatic Movement Instructor, singer, certified life coach, and community connector who discovered Nia in 2010 and has been sharing this transformative practice with the Portland community for years. Through her Schwee-Schwab coaching practice, she helps individuals clear and reclaim their spaces to reflect where they are now. Guided by a mission to live in her gifts and foster interconnected community, Tudie teaches Nia at local community centers, leads ‘hike.Nia.hike’ experiences throughout the Portland area, and brings her love of music, movement, and meaningful connection to everything she does. Learn more at TudiePoppins.com.
Workshop Logistics
Location: Two Cedars (private residence) 44751 SE Wildcat Mountain Dr, Sandy, OR 97055
When: Saturday, May 9, 2026 | 1pm - 5pm
Doors open at 12:30pm for early arrivals — come settle in, connect, and enjoy the property before we get started. We'll kick off at 1:15pm. Dinner is served at 5pm and is included in your ticket — stay and linger into the evening, if you’d like. If the weather is nice, I hope to be outside on the patio and /or around the fire.
What to Bring:
Water bottle
Comfortable clothes you can move in
Layers for indoor and outdoor exploration
An open-mind, ready to learn, play and connect
Getting There: Two Cedars is about 45-60 mins from Portland. On-site parking can be limited - carpooling is encouraged.
Food & Refreshments: Light snacks, coffee, and tea will be provided during the event and dinner will be served at 5pm.
Pricing & Registration
Early bird pricing is available through April 26 at the following price points.
Pay it Forward: $120
Your generosity helps make this experience accessible to someone who needs it. Price
increases to $130 after April 26.
Access: $80
For those for whom cost is a barrier to participation. Only 4 available. Price increases to $90 after April 26.
Standard: $100
Includes all programming, light snacks, and dinner. Price increases to $115 after April 26th.
This workshop may qualify as a professional development, employee wellness, or continuing education expense. Receipts provided upon request. Contact tamara@lightersideofclimate.com for invoicing needs.