Walking with eyes closed

Who

A group of 6 to 20 people, teens and adults; exercise takes place in pairs

Where

Any type of space

DURATION

30 – 45 minutes, depending on the group

EXERCISE DESCRIPTION

In pairs
One person closes their eyes, while placing their hands on the shoulders of their guide, who keeps their eyes open. The pair walk for a set amount of time, minimum 7 minutes. While walking, the person with closed eyes introduces themself without mentioning their job or role, instead speaking about themself, their life, or a childhood memory, etc.

As a group
The group comes back together. Each person who was guiding and listening shares the story or memory that was entrusted to them. The person sharing speaks in the first person (using “I”) and offers a summarized version of the story. Each story remains anonymous. This exercise allows a group to begin working together and getting to know each other while setting aside predefined roles. It highlights each person’s singularity while also drawing attention to shared themes.