Trust Lean

• Create a careful, concentrating, respectful tone. Watch out for bravado; focus on trust and care. • Sequence appropriately e.g., after icebreakers, name games and initial get to know you activities, but often before or as part of team building activities. • If possible, use Trust Lean as part of a progression of trust-related activities, e.g., from Willow in the Wind to Trust Lean to Running Free to Slice N Dice • Ask participants to find a partner of similar height and weight; same-sex pairs are not essential, but often occur • One person is the Faller and one the Catcher. • Faller must have adopt the falling posture: o standing upright o feet together o hands across chest, resting on shoulders o tight butt cheeks and keep body stiff (to avoid buckling) Catcher is taught "spotting" o one leg in front of the other, o arms extended, o "give" with the weight, taking it mostly through the legs. • Start with small falls, then build. • Establish clear communication calls (like climbing calls), e.g., o Faller: "I am ready to fall. Are you ready to catch me?" o Catcher: "I am ready to catch you. Fall away." o Faller: "Falling." o Catcher: "OK" • After about 5-10 minutes, swap Catchers and Fallers. • Can progress to Trust Falls & Dives from chairs, tables, etc. with whole group catching. • Debrief o Ask partners to share with each other:  What made you feel trusting? (e.g., clear communication, positive encouragement, etc.)  What made you feel less trusting (e.g., laughing/joking, lack of communication, etc.) o Invite people to contribute to a group discussion about what things their partner did to make them feel more or less trusting. Equipment: large area preferably with soft ground e.g, grass. Time: ~20-30 mins Brief description: In pairs of similar size, one becomes a Faller and one the Catcher. Teach methods for spotting, falling and catching. Start small and build to bigger falls, then swap. Debrief - what made you feel more or less trusting?