Moving without sight.

MOVING WITHOUT SIGHT

• We began the session with a warm up to ensure that we were prepared for what was to come within the session. This involved using breath alongside movement to revitalise our mind and body. At first the breath was slow and heavy, and was accompanied by slouched bodies and drooped arms, legs and heads. As our bodies uncurled the breath began to quicken in pace and our movements became more jagged and strong. It was important to not uncurl to quickly however, in order to avoid us damaging our neck or shoulders. Once the warm up was complete I felt awake and read for what was ahead.
• We went on to do an exercise in partners which involved dancing for one another with your eyes closed. One partner would be sat down watching and the other stood up dancing with their eyes closed. This was an experience that was originally quite uncomfortable as you cannot see how the other person is reacting and though you feel alone you know there is someone watching you. It was a very surreal experience and made me feel out of control. However the fact that the roles were then reversed meant that you were allowed to experience the exercise from another angle and realise that person is not judging you and is there if you were to move somewhere shouldn't. This is something I have never done before and it was an interesting experience. I found that my other senses became heightened within the environment and I found myself wanting to use my hearing to sense other people and gain reassurance.
• We then did a running exercise which involved each of us attempting to run from one side of the room to the other with our eyes closed. Two people stood at the opposite end in order to catch the person as they came sprinting towards them. It was interesting to see how different people responded to this exercise. I was within the group of people who failed to reach the other side of the room and actually squealed and screamed as they ran along. I was very nervous about this before I did it and this did not help me to achieve the full length of the room. I think I should have applied some of the breathing techniques I have learn along the course in order to calm myself. This is something I will work on in future sessions.
• Overall I found today's session quite challenging but I believe that I have overcome some of my fears and know what I need to work on in the future in order to overcome the rest. It is good for me to keep experiencing and eventually overcoming such challenges and this is something that I enjoy about the movement module; it is always encouraging me to try my best and continue to improve.