An article printed in the ‘More to Life’ Magazine, Issue 7, Spring 2009, written by Reuben Kay (Copyright). Slightly amended.

Many years ago, while working in Social Care and also as a volunteer with a drama therapist. I asked myself, should I train as a psychiatric nurse or within drama therapy? Instead I chose the Sacred Clown.

Clowning is more than wearing a red nose. It has been a journey of self discovery, of healing, of laughter, of tears, of joy and learning to let go of expectations and simply be myself in more integrated and holistic way. While the red nose is a simple object, upon wearing it, the Sacred Clown enters a magical space with an inner stillness, a deep presence and a trust in the unknown. This is healing one another with unconditional love.

In 1996, I went to Russia with Dr Patch Adams for two weeks. After five days of visiting two hospitals a day, forty clowns from around the world needed to share their feelings. When my turn came, I said “Clowning is about making a simple connection to another human being.” I remember looking over at Patch and he was nodding and smiling at the same time.

This felt such a revelation because I was in my second year of clowning and the first year of my three year training and I had discovered that Sacred Clowning was about simply connecting with another human being in a beautiful and safe way, with nothing else to do. I don’t have to go in there and do tricks or techniques: I simply arrive with a playful presence. When you sit there with someone without wanting anything, just feeling relaxed and aware, that’s real healing. Play simply follows on from this.

Last Autumn, I travelled up to London to run a workshop for a group of elderly people, some of who were in their 80’s and they were so wonderful. They enjoyed themselves so much, one of them said “I have not moved my body in this way for such a long time.” Another said “Its great because it makes you laugh and laughing makes you happy.” This is about transferring skills from the clowning to everyday life. We were not wearing red noses but simply connecting to one another in a playful way.

Its so easy to fill up our days to be busy, so we feel an identity in the busyness. When we go to work by train, we look at the newspaper and no one is talking to each other. Its about that as a Sacred Clown, about integrating all the different parts of who you are. Most of us, in this modern lifestyle we lead, are quite fragmented in our psyche. We are all rushing and leaving parts of ourselves all over the place. Our minds thinking ahead to the next hour; what am I doing tonight, or tomorrow? We forget about now and being in the moment.

Imagine a child rattling a stick along the railings until something catches their eye, a butterfly flutters past. For those few minutes, times seems to stand still and last forever.

As a Sacred Clown, meeting another person for the first time. We do not know what will happen. Yet somehow, through meeting another, with a simplicity in our play and allowing our thinking minds to rest. We are making a subtle connection. There is the invitation of play between us. I can sit silently with them and or allow a mime story to envelop both of us. Either way, I am fully listening to what may unfold.

I remember at a street festival, I saw a young girl about 5-6 years of age, looking at me with curious eyes. She was with her parents, grandmother and an older sister. I didn’t do anything, I simply smiled with her and silently checked with her parents to see if it was okay if I could come closer. Gradually I edged towards the family and I was so touched, she just wanted to hold hands. She started to shake my hand and we played with the motion of shaking our hands. Then my hands slowly developed into a little butterfly that flittered from the little girl to the shoulders of the parents, the grandmother and the older sister. At first I didn’t go to the young child because it would have been to strong, only later did the butterfly flutter to the child and she caught and became the butterfly and we just played and into our play arrived a little bird, a leaf, then water.

So out of that stillness and arriving together, this little girl was laughing, really laughing and all I am doing is feeling my way emotionally, with her, and with her family to encourage to participate as well.As we silently said our goodbyes, the whole family were smiling. Its so wonderful to be surprised and let something new happen, rather than follow in the constraints of what we usually know and play is such a beautiful process to get to know yourself and other people.