The Soil Fitness
Uploaded by: Erika Karman
Objectives:
- - To understand the soil as a living system. and develop systems thinking skills by observing relationships, cycles, and feedback loops in soil life.
- - To explore the roles of different soil-dwelling organisms and understand their connections.
- - To recognize the interconnectedness within the invisible soil ecosystem.
- - To energize participants and support connection within the group.
- -To strengthen body awareness through movement-based activities linked to soil processes.
- - To foster empathy toward non-human life by embodying soil organisms.
- - To promote cooperation and communication through group-based movement or role-play.
Preparation: It is best to do this activity outdoors on a grass surface. If you need to do it indoors, make sure the space is clean and comfortable enough for participants to lie down. Invite participants to be barefoot.
Tools needed: Some gentle, nature-inspired music can support participants’ movement, but the activity also works well in silence.
Description
Participants stand in a circle with enough space to move freely.
1. Start with a short story (ideally connected to the surroundings or the theme of the event) that helps participants imagine they are living in the soil.
For example: in summer the soil is dry, in a forest there are huge families of species, etc.
You can support their imagination by naming a few soil organisms or bacteria and briefly explaining their characteristics if they are unfamiliar.
2. Ask participants to choose one of these creatures, step into its role, and begin moving like that organism.
The others can guess who they are sharing this small patch of land with today.
You can support participants by demonstrating possible movements, exaggerating or refining details.
It is completely fine if more people choose the same creature.
3. When everyone is moving according to their chosen roles, the space will start to resemble a “soil disco.”
Invite participants to “travel” around the space—either taking long journeys or short, limited movements, depending on the nature of their organism—and connect with others.
4. Introduce different situations and ask participants to react to them.
For example: it starts to rain; a herd of buffaloes crosses above the soil; it is spring or autumn; an important species disappears from the system, etc.
Be creative—any situation can be fun and meaningful.
5. Ask participants to gradually slow down and eventually stop.
Invite them to look at the other “creatures” around them and then step out of their roles with a simple turning-around movement.
Facilitation notes
- If you use this as an energizer, emphasize movement, playfulness, and connection.
- If you use it as an educational activity, introduce more soil organisms and go deeper into their characteristics and their relationships with others.
- You may close with a reflection round about how participants felt in their roles, how different conditions affected their lives, and what connections they noticed.
(Be aware that adding reflection will make the session longer.)
Variations
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Resources
Case study of the Eco-Training of Trainers II.
Comments
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