Bear's Blog

Here’s the next installment in the Corona Care Kit, in the ”Play” category. Have you been breaking out a few board games, puzzles, or playing cards? Have enough people for charades? Here’s a unique addition…

A few years ago one of my students, Patty Lisieski, was inspired by a child in her life to do a “McKay Method” (Monopoly) game for her graduate project. It’s hilarious, and she was so creative with the format! So now we would like to share it with you, and hope you have as much fun with it as we have had!

Some of its unique features:

All the property groups are the color of – and represent – the seven different chakras (strangely enough, the original game colors are in the same order as the chakra colors.) Each property in the group is named after a quality of that chakra.

So in the first group (red, 1^st chakra) the properties are called “Happy Home” and “Healthy Body”, as those things that are essential to our lives are first chakra issues. Orange properties (2^nd  chakra) are “Emotional Well-Being”,  “Unbounded Creativity” and “Potent Sensuality” (this is a family game.) 3^rd chakra (yellow) consists of  “Personal Power”, “Balanced Mind” and “Self-Knowledge”. Even if you know nothing about chakras, this is a way to get familiar with the basic qualities of each!

What used to be the 4 “Railroads” are now increasingly long Meditation practices. Instead of landing on a “Luxury Tax” you will be taxed for a “Negative Mindset”. Starting to get the picture?

If you know anything about my program the whole donut-gingerbread person thing on the board will make more sense…

And to start building on the properties you must acquire an entire set – or one from each (balancing your chakras!)

And my favorite part is the new cards you draw from – “Being” and “Doing”. (If you haven’t downloaded that free e-booklet from my website, now’s the time - click here!) I’ll let those be a surprise… as well as what happens when you win the game.

The problematic part was how to get this to you in a newsletter. The link takes you to a file with several different components; some things you can borrow from another game you may have lying around. The rest you’ll have to print out.

1) Playing Instructions (print)
2) The Board in 4 sections (needs to be in color, print and laminate for best results – or put in paper protectors/sleeves and tape together?)
3) Property Cards – print pages 1, 3, and 5 (you don’t need both sides; there’s just a bit of color – heavier paper stock?)
4) Being and Doing Cards, B/W, 2-sided
5) Cosmic Cash – print or use from another game – sorry just B/W
6) Player pieces, dice, property buildings – borrow or get creative! We use tumbled stones…

If this sounds like a lot of trouble, you may just want to read the Board, the Properties and the Being/Doing cards for some laughs. The whole Board (not in 4 sections) is also in the file. Click here to download and play!

As always, I – and this week, Patty! – love to hear your thoughts. So roll those die and see what Karma has in store for you!!!

We’re in the middle of this unexpected disruption in our lives, and the middle can be the hardest part. Stay well and take heart.

Bear