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When life feels heavy, where do you turn?
For me, it’s penguins.
It started years ago at the Philadelphia Zoo. I stood watching a group of penguins slip and slide down their playground, popping back up with such joy that I couldn’t help but laugh. They looked so happy, so free, so playful—like the world was nothing but a game. That simple moment eased something inside me. My breath slowed. My shoulders dropped.
I felt… lighter.
Later, when my kids were little, we got addicted to Pingu cartoons—silly adventures with no words and wobbly dances. Back then, I thought I was indulging them. But in hindsight, I was indulging myself, too. Penguins reminded me that play matters, even for grown-ups.
Then, last fall, I discovered penguin videos on Instagram and watched them in earnest. Penguins waddling, penguins diving, penguins comforting each other. Each video soothed me like a meditation bell, pulling me back to the present moment.
And it turns out, I’m not the only one who's found solace in these extraordinary birds.
Everything's coming up penguins.
There’s even a film—Penguin Lessons—based on a true story about a teacher in Argentina during a coup (on Netflix now). In the middle of chaos and fear, he adopts a penguin. Caring for that penguin downregulated his nervous system so profoundly that he began to see the world more clearly.
Calmer, more grounded, he found the courage to stand up for someone taken by the local police.
There is science behind this. When our nervous system is soothed, when we’re downregulated from constant stress, we can show up differently in the world.
We are present.
We can notice what matters.
We can act with clarity.
We can choose love over fear.
This week’s Bounce Back Stronger podcast is all about the power of presence. I’m joined by Dr. Claire McManus, an internationally recognized healer whose patients range from people… to penguins. Together, we explore how joy, play, and presence can help us find balance in difficult times.
Hope you will take a listen.
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