The entryway of my house has floor to ceiling windows, meaning that a person standing on the porch can fully see into our entrance and vice versa. A questionable design choice? Maybe. A great way of forcing ourselves to keep a neat and tidy entryway? Definitely (not that we ever follow that rule, however). There’s a nice courtyard that surrounds our front porch and it would be a missed opportunity if it wasn’t invited inside by these windows, so a very compelling case can be made in these windows’ favor.
Halloween is my favorite American holiday. Maybe it’s because of how it’s been presented and romanticized in the movies I’ve been watching since I was a kid, but I’ve always wanted to be part of it. I just find it endearing: we all embrace a fun spirit and, for once, agree on playing the same game.
The rules are simple: half the team dresses up and goes around collecting the candy that the other half holds in cute bowls at their decorated house. There are variations to the game: you could potentially get a trick. And if your lights are off, it’s implied you’re not playing.
We just had the most picture-perfect weather, not much different from the ones in the movies I used to watch. Golden leaves everywhere, gorgeous sunset, clear skies, temperatures just right so big coats wouldn’t ruin costumes.
The trick or treaters started knocking on our door around 5pm and the game began: we would see them coming, they’d wave through the windows, then knock on the door and offer a deal: trick or treat?
My husband and I were playing board games, sipping tea, listening to music, and eating the delicious pumpkin pie our friend Marina made when we saw through the windows this little boy of around 4 years-old, dressed in an animal onesie, literally tip-toeing on our porch, holding his Jack-o’-lantern basket as he knocked on our door and then “hid” to the side (right in front of our giant windows but, to his credit, away from the door), covering his face with one of his hands. His mom waited for him a few steps back.
The moment we opened the door, he jumped right in front of it with his little paw-hands close to his face and shouted “Boo!” at us.
Trick it is.
We, of course, were incredibly spooked and made sure to tell him how scary he was. He celebrated his successful prank by grabbing a Kinder Egg from us and wishing us a “happy Halloween” before his mom reminded him to say “thank you”. We watched him walk away, skipping and showing his bounty to his mom.
Why do we do this only once a year? Why don’t we play together more often?
In the yogic philosophy, the concept of Lila describes the creative, spontaneous play of the divine, viewing the creation and functioning of the universe not as a rigid or stressful task, but as joyful, effortless divine play. Lila describes activity that flows freely rather than from need, deficiency, or ordinary obligation.
Lila can be used to encourage curiosity, creativity, adaptability, and a less rigid approach to practice. This can be a helpful metaphor when it remains connected to the term’s deeper meaning: Lila does not simply mean having fun. It points toward action with freedom and openness, while yoga practice still requires Abhyasa, discernment, and ethical responsibility.
Noticing where effort becomes excessive allows room for responsive action and invites us to hold outcomes more lightly. Lila implies the healthy unseriousness that we very much need these days. What if we could embrace the present moment with simple joy and curiosity?
The deep sense of community that comes alive on Halloween is what makes me love this holiday so much. For a few hours, we are all on the same page, sharing laughter, sweets, jokes, and a world where we can hide behind a giant window and still be invisible - only if the person on the other side is willing to play.
A simple way to explore lila:
Make a point this week to actually play. Team up with someone, make a board game date, go use one of the many tennis courts Sandpoint has. Let go of rules, expectations, and outcomes. Just go a play.
A Yoga pose to connect with lila: Whichever feels the most difficult one to you these days!
Let’s do this next time you’re in a yoga class. We teachers like to give the students the last few minutes of a class to play. The moments before savasana, when you’re already warm and present, are a great opportunity for this. Or maybe you happen to encounter this pose during a class. Approach it from an unserious point of view. let go of how it’s supposed to look or feel. Ask yourself “how can this moment be a moment of play?”