TOOLBOX
HUMMINGBIRD HAPPINESS
Curated by Hunter Liguore
ONE WAY TO ENCOURAGE MORE QUALITY TIME with family and friends is to host a weekly game night. While playing a game together, we’re more likely to be mindful and present—experiencing life, rather than thinking about it. Games offer us numerous opportunities to play, have fun, talk, explore, and learn something new about each other. It’s also a chance to make some lasting memories! But if a group gathering won’t work for you, you can still get in on the fun. Adding a solitary game or two to your life can bolster memory, reduce stress, and make a work break into a new amusement. &
HAPPY HEARTS
Add a little love to your life with this one-of-a-kind game centered on positive affirmations. Each team works together to develop a morning meditation and relaxation practice while strategizing ways to overcome daily challenges like insomnia and overwork. $19, areyougame.com
BULLSEYE!
Join Don Symanski at Zen Mountain Monastery in upstate New York for a beginner’s archery intensive in the tradition of Kyudo, a meditation practice connecting mind and body. It also serves as a way to move energy through the body as you learn how to stand, hold, and release a traditional yumi (bow) and ya (arrow). For pricing and dates, visit zmm.org.
GAME OF CHANGE
Enjoy this introspective personal transformation activity game developed at the Findhorn Foundation in Scotland. The board is designed to help you make new choices, overcome obstacles, and reach goals. Play it solo or in groups. You can also use the oracle cards it comes with long after the game ends. $65, usgamesinc.com
PLAY LIKE AN EGYPTIAN
Senet is an ancient Egyptian game for all ages. The object is to get across the 30 squares on the board first. Great for those who like to strategize. Kit comes with board, player pieces, and die. $39, gamenerdz.com
GAME THEORY
For the philosophical game player, Bernard Suits’ classic book The Grasshopper offers a superb discussion on the importance of games not only for play but also as a meaningful activity central to fulfilling the ideal human existence. $36, broadviewpress.com
WHEEL OF THE YEAR
Connect with the seasons, sabbats, and solstices with this exciting game that takes you on an intimate and exploratory journey through a magical year. Fosters a deeper connection with the natural world, herbalism, self-care, and other transformative practices. $24, usgamesinc.com
HUNTER LIGUORE is an award- winning writer, professor, and historian. She is the author of The Modern Art of War: Sun Tzu’s Hidden Path to Peace and Wholeness and The Whole World Inside Nan’s Soup. Visit her on Instagram at @hunterliguore.