Eyes Wide Shut

Eyes Wide Shut

Aim: To improve balance and foster physical and sensorial awareness.

Level: 3
Duration: 1-5 min

Close your eyes, enhance the other senses and allow them to guide your walk.

Instructions:   

  • Find a safe and obstacle-free area to walk, preferably indoors or in a quiet outdoor location, and ensure you have enough space to walk forward without risks. Set a timer to 5 minutes
  • Standing in a stable position, maintain a relaxed posture. Focus on your breathing, inhaling, and exhaling in a mindful manner.Close your eyes, maintaining a sense of calm and stability, and begin to tune into your bodily sensations.
  • Start walking, slowly and attentively.Feel the contact of your feet with the surface you are walking on and focus on the physical sensations that arise with each step.
  • Tune in to your body. Sense the movement of your muscles and your balance as you walk.Expand your awareness to include the senses, such as hearing, smell, and touch, and mentally record the sensations that they provide you.
  • When the 5 minutes have elapsed or when you feel ready, gradually stop walking and stand still.Take a moment to consciously regain your presence and slowly open your eyes.
  • Reflect on the experience and observe any sensations or changes you noticed during the exercise.

Advice: 

Ensure you perform this activity in a safe and risk-free environment. The activity can be also made in pairs, with a “closed-eye buddy” and a “safety buddy” observing each other in turns, switching roles and giving each other feedback.

If you feel comfortable, you can practice the activity barefoot. 

You can play with variations of this activity, performing it in different indoor and outdoor environments (always put safety first!) and further enhancing the sensorial highlights – e.g., tasting bites of different flavours and textures; touching things of different temperature, material, texture; adding stimulation coming from sounds, smells, etc.

If you want, you can combine this practice with journaling, taking note of anything relevant you have experienced during the process.