Description of the Method
In our daily life, sight is the sense with greater importance: we use it to understand the world and to be reassured of what is around us. When we meet or we are in relation with others, we use our sight to understand, “judge” and check the other person. Other senses become, indeed, dormant and this doesn’t allow us to perceive (as we don’t put attention in them) a lot of really important information. This series of exercises has the goal to use other senses and find new ways to experience the world around us, to know others and to trust them.
These exercises are typically developed after an initial warm-up phase and need a facilitator, one person who leads the series of exercises and gives signals.
The participants are in a circle: the facilitator explains briefly what type of exercises they are going to do. They are then asked to start walking freely in the room, paying attention to how they put their feet on the ground and to the sensations this touch gives them.
After some minutes, the facilitator asks them to imagine that something is happening in the room. The participants follow and notice what happens to their bodies:
Some water is starting to enter the room: “The room is starting to have some water on the floor!”. The water is rising a little bit so they have to be really careful not to slip.
After some minutes, the water is becoming higher and higher: now it’s at the level of their ankles, then at the knee, then at the waist.
After a while, the water is at the level of their shoulders and then on their chin (at this point, a lot of participants will start to walk on tiptoes). At this moment, the facilitator asks them to “taste the water” and she says: “Oh!! It’s salty!! Then we are probably walking in the sea!”
The facilitator leads the participants, who are still walking in the room, to head towards the shore. The participants are then asked to explore the sensation of the sand under their feet: the sand can be fresh, warm, or really hot depending on the time of the day.
This walkthrough of imaginary scenarios can be repeated using different stimuli: grass, snow, and mountains are some examples.
At this point, the facilitator asks the participants to form a circle and to share their experiences. Lead questions can be:
Was it difficult for you to imagine these scenarios?
How did the scenarios change your way of walking? How did your body react?
The participants split into pairs and take place in the room: in each pair, one will be the “magician” and one will be the “follower”. The guide tells them to imagine that the magician can create a wire that can attach to parts of the body of the follower. With these wires, he/she can pull and make the other body move. They can keep just one wire at a time but they can change the point where this wire attaches to the other’s body as much as they want. The magician touches a body part of the follower with the tip of his/her fingers and the wire is created. They exercise in pulling and moving the body of the follower. They need to be reminded that the magician has the responsibility to keep the follower safe and comfortable.
They switch roles and the exercise is performed again. The exercise is repeated with different partners.
The last part of the exercise is then introduced to the participant: the follower puts his/her hand on the shoulder of the guide and closes his eyes. The guide will lead him/her across the room being particularly careful not to make him/her pump into obstacles. After some minutes, when the follower is more confident and trustful, the guide can introduce changes in speed, height, and movement.
The roles then switch and the game starts again.
Things to Keep in Mind
Listen to your body needs, pain, and rigidity
Only perform the movements you can do, considering your body characteristics. Remind the group to always listen to their own body, respect their physical limits and avoid movements that can injure it.
Remind the group to be careful and respect the body of others and their limits. The main goal is always to care about others and make them feel good and safe.
Sources & Resource
Here on the right you can see a video of this activity.
Videos are also available with Estonian and Italian subtitles.
Our Conclusion from Testing
In our experience, these exercises can lead to several reflections of both the person on her/himself and of the entire group (for example, do I like to lead or to follow? What is the level of trust of the group?). It is important, in our opinion, to allow participants to explore both roles every time the exercises are performed. As it can be difficult for some people to engage in this practice, the trainer should always consider the characteristics of the group and keep an eye on possible signs of discomfort. The exercises can be presented in different sessions and with graduality.
