Arm linking
What makes you vulnerable makes you beautiful. ―Brené Brown
👥 Serves: 11-25 people, 2-10 people, 26-40 people, 41+ people
🎚 Difficulty: Medium
⏳ Total time: 11-30 minutes
🥣 Ingredients: An open, quiet space
🤓 Wholebeing Domains: Community, Discomfortability, Liberatory Learning, Radical Care
💪 Wholebeing Skills: Acknowledgement, Closeness, Compassion, Diversity, Empathy, Holding space, Inclusion, Relating to Others, Trust, Vulnera-bravery
Arm linking
📝 Description
A vulnerability exercise to build a sense of connection and shared humanity.
Designed to induce vulnerability and remind participants of the human experiences we all share, this quick activity creates a sense of openness, empathy, and presence. It is a powerful icebreaker if you would like to create a space for deep and meaningful connections in the group.
This recipe has been kindly donated by our friend Natasha Zimmerman of Unchatter and it is sure to bring grateful smiles, spark laughter, and foster a collective sense of vulnerability and camaraderie.
👣 Steps
Step 1 – Set up
Ask a person in the group to volunteer and stand in the middle of the room, while other participants form a circle around them. Alternatively, the facilitator can go first to demonstrate the exercise.
Step 2 – Link arms (5’)
Invite the volunteer to begin making “I” statements, ranging from lighthearted to deeply vulnerable. For instance: “My favourite season is winter” or “I’m the youngest child in my family. The statements can then graduate into more vulnerable territory, such as “I have cried in the last week” or “I have a difficult relationship with my dad.” As they make each statement, if it resonates with someone else in the group, they join the person in the middle and link arms. This continues until everyone is linked.
Step 3 – Repeat (10’)
The exercise can be repeated as many times as the agenda allows, rotating the person in the middle each time.
Step 4 – Debrief (15’)
Once the exercise is complete, the facilitator may wish to lead a debriefing round for participants to share what they experienced, what surprised them, and what feelings may have arisen.