Core Routines: Expanding the Senses, Animal Forms
Skills Practiced: Trust, sensory perception, balance, slow movement
Ecological Indicators: Terrain, touch, scent, sound
Qualities Fostered: Awareness, Courage, Inner Stillness
Directions (Shields): Northwest (Inner Awareness), Southwest (Trust), North (Reflection)
Suggested Age Range: 8+ (great for pair work or small groups with trust built)
Timing & Energy Level: Slows the group down—ideal after a high-energy game or before Sit Spot (Southwest/Northwest)
Set-Up & Materials:
- Blindfolds
- Quiet, safe natural trail or area with gentle obstacles
- Pairs or small groups (1 leader, 1 blindfolded walker)
Description:
Participants are blindfolded and gently led on a slow walk through nature by a partner who guides them with touch and voice. The walker listens, feels, and smells the world without sight—moving slowly and often pausing. The experience can be deeply calming and transformative. It builds trust between partners, opens up non-visual sensing, and cultivates quiet presence with the landscape.
Coyote Mentoring Tips:
- Model slow guiding and gentle communication
- Encourage silence during the walk; reflect afterward
- Avoid giving too much instruction—trust the senses to teach
Variations:
- Trade roles and walk the same path again
- Use a rope trail with touch clues instead of partners
- Introduce solo blindfolded wandering (with boundary markers)
Debrief Prompts:
- “What did you notice with your other senses?”
- “How did it feel to trust your partner?”
- “Was anything more beautiful without seeing it?”
Story Seeds:
- Stories of inner vision or blind prophets
- Animals who navigate without sight
- Personal memories of walking in darkness or trust