Dear Reader (I might have borrowed this line from somewhere),
Welcome to Leelaby. It's more than a website about the game of Leela. It's a way of living, a feeling of connectedness with your Spirit, and your choice to be happy. So brew yourself some tea or grab a cup of your favourite coffee and enjoy your journey back to yourself. But first, let me tell you how it all started...
Leelaby was never in my plans. I always knew, that sooner or later, I would start another project (I've been running an educational consultancy for the past 10 years); however, never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined creating something like Leelaby.
The game of Leela and I crossed paths in Bali. I had never heard of it before and, since I was just at the beginning of my little life on the island and hungry for new experiences and inspiration, I decided to give it a go. For the record, the week before the game, I tried paragliding (the one with no engine) and went on a trip to the Borneo jungles.
But back to Leela… I had zero expectations and look how it all turned out. No wonder they say all the best things happen when we least expect them.
I played with three other ladies and a guide and I'm forever grateful for sharing this experience with these people (I'm in the middle in the photo). It was a fantastic atmosphere. It helped us talk freely about our feelings and share our thoughts. I'm also glad I played my first game of Leela in a group because I also got some significant insights from listening to other players' stories.
Our guide seamlessly helped us navigate the board, reminding us about the rules and asking questions when we were stuck. I have a degree in Psychology and was excited to see how our guide (who had also studied Psychology) used some of the classical psychological techniques during the game. That's when the thought of "I can also do this" came to mind.
This first game lasted four hours. I ‘entered’ the game on the third attempt, or let's say, on the third ‘request’. So that you know, you can start the game only when the dice shows you number six. Every time you see a number that is not six, you need to change your request and throw the dice again.
Leelaby is very dear and personal to me, and I want to be honest in my blog. My request for the game was: "What should I do to be satisfied with my life?" It's not that I wasn't satisfied, but something was lacking. I think my first request to enter the game was about work and I honestly don't remember what the second one was. The majority of people don't enter the game on the first request and that's okay! Sometimes, you need to sit there with your thoughts before you can realise what brought you to Leela. Only when you are sincere with yourself can you start the game. Same with finishing it, but that's a story for another time.
I got my answers and left feeling light and motivated to introduce changes and take action towards my new life. A few months after my first game of Leela, I started learning the basics of guiding the game, and took a course where I dove deep into the meaning of each field, evaluating how every state manifests in my own life. I learned about the role of the guide and how to apply my knowledge to managing the game flow so that the players get the most from this experience.
I do hope that many people will end up playing Leela at least once. You shouldn't force yourself if you are not ready, or if you don't have a question to ask. When the time comes, Leela will be waiting for you, just like it was waiting for me. It revealed itself to me at the stage when I needed some extra support figuring out my life and providing a path back to myself.
Best, M
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