1.

The group is divided into pairs.

2.

One member of the couple blindfolds themselves and give their hand to the other (it just LAYS on the other hand – no grabbing allowed) 2 min with eventual example (see tips)

3.

The member who can see guides the blinded one without speaking, it guides the other with care and careful to the other person comfortability

the guide leads the blinded across the room/garden to discover different stimulating places where there are particular sounds, smells and objects with different textures to touch; Average of 7 min

4.

The partners swap roles and do the same exercise in reverse;  (approx. 7 mins).

5.

Once both partners have finished their turn bring everyone in a group and ask for a round of feedbacks: up to 10 minutes

• What did they discover?
• How was it to be led?
• How was it to lead?
• When telling a story/memory to someone, we take the place of the guide, it is our role to lead the listener through the many scents, sounds, textures and flavours of our story.

6.

The group divides into pairs again.

7.

Now each person tells their partner a part of their story/memory focusing each time on a different sense,
The facilitator calls out which sense should be used from time to time (2 mins. per sense)
and makes sure that both members of the pair tells a fragment from their story (2 mins each)
for each sense involved (that means 10 min per person in total)

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If some participants do not like to be blindfolded – the same exercise is possible by just closing one’s eyes.

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Before starting the exercise, give an example on how a guide should lead the blindfolded person by demonstrating the exercise with a partner for a few seconds.

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Be careful that the guides don’t talk to the blind followers and that the followers are comfortable at any time

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In the second phase of the exercise, when the participants are dealing with the sounds, ask them to first reproduce the sounds (stomping/clapping/reproducing noises with their voice) and then ask them to describe the sounds heard.

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If it can be helpful during the middle session of feedback to ask the participants to list some of the sensory elements in their own memory or Story, it can be helpful for the second phase of the exercise.

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If you are in a place that doesn’t offer many stimuli, bring them yourself and scatter them in the room:
leaves and other plants or herbs which give off a scent
different scraps of cloth and objects that can be touched
things that produce sounds that you or the guide can trigger at will (nothing too noisy that would upset the blinded)