Beyond Competition – The Magic of Cooperative Games — a Conversation with Suzanne Lyons :: Self Hypnosis, Guided Imagery, & Meditation

If we could learn to live in a more cooperative way with ourselves and the planet our civilization could quickly solve many of our great problems. People must learn how to live less violently. If not we are done for personally, in our relationships, and globally.

Problems are at all scales; from the global “war on terror” to our polarized congress, to our personal conflicts and the dysfunctions they produce. Humanity urgently needs to develop real solutions and to move past constant conflict, polarization, and confrontation.Unless we all learn how to cooperate, and soon, we are done for; our own violent, competitive urges and training will destroy us all.
If we really want our world to change, we will begin by changing our children, and learning from how we do that. I know of no better way to begin this process than by teaching our kids about the survival and creative value of cooperation – and there is no better way to do this than by helping them learn the games that Suzanne teaches about.

In this conversation Suzanne and Dr. Miller explore what science has taught us about the effect the games we play as children has had on us. They also discuss games that don’t teach us to compete (where somebody has to be the “Looozerrr”) but to cooperate. There is even a version of musical chairs you will learn that makes people feel closer rather than excluded.

You will learn about her website, cooperativegames.com, a resource for games, and about her latest book, The Cooperative Games Bullying Prevention Program, that clearly makes the case for using these games to prevent aggression in young children as well as nurture their innate drive to care and cooperate.

About Suzanne Lyons:

Suzanne Lyons is the founder of CooperativeGames.com, an educator and author who specializes in integrated science and climate change education. Her textbook Conceptual Integrated Science is sold internationally. It is within the context of a desire to create teaching materials relevant to the challenges of the global community that Suzanne became interested in teaching about cooperation. Cooperative games are games that emphasize the joy of playing together rather than competition. The games and other forms of cooperative play exist for all ages. Playing together rather than against each other is an option for anyone of any age at any time. Suzanne’s latest book is The Cooperative Games Bullying Prevention Program. It makes the case for using the games to prevent aggression in young children as well as nurture their innate drive to care and cooperate. Suzanne believes in cooperation. Play which promotes cooperation is an idea for our troubled times with wide ranging benefits. They can help with bullying prevention, fostering sustainability and helping each individual enjoy more peaceful and healthy personal relationships.

Support Dr. Miller’s Conversations With Your Purchase of:

Books by Today’s Guest:

The Cooperative Games Bullying Prevention Program

The Cooperative Games Bullying Prevention Program is a book about how cooperative games can be used to promote happiness, caring and cooperative skills in young children. Though it is an actionable plan for those who work with children, it will be of interest to cultural observers everywhere. The implications of cooperative games, which are games that promote getting along together rather than competing to be “the best”, are enormous for self and society. This book, by educator Suzanne Lyons, is illustrated and fun to read as well as being rigorous in the research it cites. It’s fun to play WITH one another rather than AGAINST each other. Find out the why and how-to of cooperative play in this cooperative gem of a book! Includes 57 easy and joyful games. Buy it here.

About Healing Times Radio: Conversations with Extraordinary People

Welcome to Healing Times Radio. Since being a part of the launching of the holistic approach to healing and the field of Holistic Medicine 40 years ago it has been Dr. Miller’s passion to seek out other thought leaders – the movers and shapers who could see the disaster looming for our world and were setting about crafting the tools that would help transform the world. Those few who, like Dr. Miller, were in the medical and psychological field could see the enormous waste in our health care system, the crisis it was leading to. The tools they developed – guided imagery, mindfulness, meditation, wellness, nutritional medicine, and physical exercise physiology – are now transforming mainstream medicine.

Those in other fields (organizational development, sociobiology, ecology, climatology, leadership) were developing their respective instruments and tools (e.g., The World Cafe, Gather The Women, Peak Moment TV, People’s Pharmacy) His relationships with this extraordinary cadre have developed through the decades, as they supported one another in the evolution of their collective intelligence and collective wisdom.

On Conversations With Extraordinary People, you will experience Dr. Miller in Heart-to-Heart conversations with his remarkable guests as they explore the challenges to health and sustainability we face personally, collectively, globally. You will be treated to an enlightening intellectual experience and receive powerful, practical tools to:

- Reclaim your inherent personal wisdom
- Use the power of your mind to heal your body
- Harness the energy of stress and apply it to your true goals in life
- Nurture and heal your relationships and your planet

About the Host

Emmett Miller MD is a physician, author, poet, musician, and master storyteller whose multicultural heritage has given him a unique social, medical, and spiritual perspective. A pioneer in Mind-Body Medicine, he fused the tools of meditation, hypnosis, prayer, and autosuggestion to form Guided Imagery – a powerful tool for self-healing and peak performance. Turning his attention to the larger sphere, he now applies those principles to the glaring community and cultural imbalances and the planetary illness they are causing. His examination, diagnosis, and prescription are explored in his latest book, Our Culture on the Couch: Seven Steps to Global Healing, Dr. Miller’s mission is to help us heal ourselves so that we can in turn, heal our planet.