'The silly side of life'

POST FALLS — “Who here feels like they’re on autopilot?” Heather Pincelli asked the audience at the Mamas in Business conference at Prairie Falls Golf Club.

In a day full of tips for entrepreneurs, presentations on making your business balance with your personal life, the audience loosened up as Pincelli led the crowd in a series of lively activities.

As a therapist, she focuses on helping clients check in with their bodies and connect with themselves through breathwork rather than overanalyzing.

“Most of us live our life in our heads, all day, every day,” Pincelli said.

Mamas in Business is a network open to everyone offering educational sessions and community-driven events.

The conference featured “Beyond Limits” as the theme and hosted local experts, interactive workshops and networking opportunities for regional business professionals Friday. Ways to clarify their message and building a business that serves their life, not a life that serves their business, were among the other presentations.

Pincelli said trauma responses to stressful events affect breath, sound and movement, but by breaking through habits formed over the years, people can reorient themselves to wants in life and better set themselves up to pursue them.

“As adults, we’re often so proper and go, go, go,” Pincelli said. Instead, she suggested we “get back to the silly side of life.”

Icebreakers and activities moved the crowd literally and figuratively as people were encouraged to reignite the playful nature they were born with and communicate with someone in goofy and often unusual ways. An eye-gazing exercise required partners to maintain eye contact with no speaking and just hold on to the silent connection and become comfortable in an otherwise awkward situation.

When the attendees were encouraged to become cheerleaders for one another, Kim Carlson got into the spirit by using her whole body to communicate. Kristi Parry reveled in the dance and movement portions of the talk and Tanya Dolan got in touch with her inner model.

Using a spin the bottle game Pincelli worked on opening the audience up to tapping into their more playful sides. 

When it came to tensions or unspoken conversations in relationships Pincelli suggested people not feel afraid to use social game prompts to open the door to conversations they’ve been putting off.

“Let another human see us, all of us, and be willing to just entertain parts of you that you’re afraid to own,” Pincelli said.

 Kim Carlson acts as a cheerleader for her partner during an exercise at the Mamas in Business event Friday at Prairie Falls Golf Club.

  

    Taylar Hurley, Tami Martin and Felicia Jones close their eyes during a meditative exercise led by Heather Pincelli.
  

    Kim Carlson, Kristi Parry and Tanya Dolan cut loose to the song "Get Low" to unwind and get a little silly at the end of a presentation on finding the fun again.