SPECIAL SECTION
MAHJONG:
STAYING SHARP WHILE HAVING FUN AND CONNECTING What on the surface may appear as simply an enjoyable game is truly so much more when it comes to keeping your mind sharp as you age. A cultural tradition dating back centuries, Mahjong is a Chinese tile-based game blending together skill, strategy, and luck. And more and more people are choosing to learn how to play different variants
Photo © Mahj in the Mitten
of the game, enjoying the process and the community it builds along the way.
“After years of screens and isolation, people are hungry for real,
And experts agree: It’s good for your brain!
in-person connection—and American Mahjong delivers exactly that,”
One study published in Frontiers in Neurology found
they said. “Like a book club or wine night, but more engaging, it brings
that playing Mahjong three times a week for 12 weeks led
people together around a table filled with conversation, laughter, and a
to improved attention and memory in older adults with
shared experience that feels genuinely good for the soul and the brain.”
mild cognitive impairment.
While a misconception exists that the game is too hard to learn, Koster
Before diving in, it’s important to recognize Mahjong’s
and Houlihan enjoy proving that misconception wrong and get folks
important cultural roots. No matter the variant of Mahjong
playing by the end of their first lesson. The learning curve is real, of
you choose, remember that when you’re playing, you’re not
course, but that’s part of what makes it a mentally stimulating activity.
simply engaging in a game; you’re honoring a tradition with
“Mahjong is built for the long haul,” they said. “The strategy and
a rich history that deserves to be respected and properly
mental gymnastics required to play keep your brain sharp and agile—no
appreciated—not appropriated.
matter your age. Beyond the mind benefits, there’s the table itself: real,
Since October 2023, Andrea Koster and Allie Houlihan, founders of Mahj in the Mitten, have been helping players in
face-to-face connection that cuts through screen time and nurtures the kind of social bonds proven to support mental longevity.”
West Michigan learn specifically American Mahjong, which was mostly forged by Jewish American women in the 1920s. “Our teaching program is proof that the next great obsession is always just one lesson away,” Koster and Houlihan said. “In less than two years, we’ve brought more than 1,800 players into the fold, proving that the best communities, like the best players, only get better with age.” The pair credit a perfect storm of culture and craving— especially as a counter to the pandemic’s prolonged periods of isolation—as a reason for the game’s increased popularity.
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“Mahjong is built for the long haul. The strategy and mental gymnastics required to play keep your brain sharp and agile —no matter your age.”