Hérault / Black’Oz: you can go there with your eyes closed!

To see without seeing. This is the unusual experience offered by Christine Augustink with Black’Oz. The concept is simple: participants are encouraged to take part in all kinds of activities, whether family adventures, meditative walks or even workshops combining meditation and creation. All this while blindfolded. Why ? To get to know each other. After having conquered the Paris region and the north of France, Black’Oz has been tackling for more than a year now Herault.

An initially therapeutic concept

The Black’Oz project did not germinate by chance in Christelle’s head. Professional psychomotor therapist, she gave consultation after consultation for twenty years in a psychiatric hospital and then in an office. Many patients came to consult for stress management issues. Christelle testifies: “I gave them a few movements to perform with their eyes closed so that they could introspect on their bodies. “.

His meeting with a little boy will, however, turn everything upside down: “One evening, a young patient came to the office very excited and no classic relaxation exercise was working. So I had the idea of ​​a little game where he played a superhero and had to find as many smells and noises as possible in the village with his eyes closed. He went from an angry little boy to a calm little boy. “.

“One evening, a young patient arrived at the office very excited and no classic relaxation exercise was working. So I had the idea of ​​a little game where he played a superhero and had to find as many smells and noises in the village with his eyes closed. He went from an angry little boy to a very calm little boy.”

After having tested this concept with other patients by offering them small missions to carry out in town with their eyes closed, the psychomotor therapist began to set up short meditative walks which were unfortunately quickly stopped by the Covid-19 pandemic: “I moved away from the fundamentally therapeutic to go towards the fun so that everyone can experience adventures with their eyes closed. “. Black’Oz was born!

To see without seeing

Meditative walks, family adventures, fairy tales or sunsets to feel: Christelle offers everyone an event in their image. However, even if it is not obvious at first glance, the therapeutic aspect is there, buried somewhere. The founder of Black’Oz often receives requests from companies for a service adapted to their needs.

She remembers a particularly strong moment : “I performed a service in Paris where the business manager asked me to make his employees experience a classic working day blindfolded. Productivity was certainly not at the rendezvous but they drew other enrichments. “. Federating team harmony around games to encourage interaction or teach staff to relax and disconnect: Christelle knows how to do it.

“I performed a service in Paris where the company manager asked me to make his employees experience a classic working day blindfolded. Productivity was certainly not there, but they got away with it. other enrichments.

The Black’Oz experience thus offers much more than a simple adventure to participants: another image of themselves.

A concept between success and surprise

In the summer of 2020, Christelle begins to forge links with the tourist offices of Montpellier and of La Grande Motte. Touched by the concept, the two establishments allow the project to see the light of day in early 2021 and launch the first activities. More than a year later, the balance sheet is more than satisfactory “Some arrive very happy to live an unusual experience and leave just as satisfied. “.

However, the founder of Black’Oz admits: “At the beginning, many are a little cautious and come to accompany those who participate. “. However, as the activity progresses, the element of surprise sets in until it convinces. Christelle affirms it: “They saw that there was a multitude of interior riches of which we are not aware”.

“They saw that there was a multitude of inner riches of which we are not aware”

Such situations often occur during family activities, as when parents are dizzy and initially refuse to participate but eventually manage to climb obstacles with their children. Same thing for old people who find it difficult to move. Christelle explains that this happens frequently: “Older people who travel with a cane are very skeptical at first and don’t want to follow their grandchildren on the trails. As soon as I blindfold them, deprive them of their sight and they just have to listen, some manage to walk without their cane. “.

“Older people who walk with a cane have a lot of doubts at first and don’t want to follow their grandchildren on the courses. As soon as I blindfold them, deprive them of their sight and they just have to listen, some manage to walk without their cane.”

A project carried out from the front

To carry out a project of this magnitude, Christelle is…alone. Sometimes joined by her husband who is passionate about her activities, she nevertheless calls on a small mobile team who comes to lend a hand for big services: “When I have companies with more than 300 people who book a service, it’s sure that I can’t do everything alone! “. For the moment, this reinforcement team does not contain no health or motor skills professional. However, the idea does not fall into oblivion. Christelle explains: “I plan to form a team to give them all the keys to managing people. “.

“I have the project to form a team in order to give them all the keys to manage the human.”

The right price

The performances of Black’Oz are not obviously not free. Prices vary according to the number of people and the means used to organize the activities. Christelle wishes to provide some details: “For example, for the meditative walks, if they are followed by a blind tasting, the price will not be the same as for a walk alone”.

A simple 1.5 hour meditation walk without any equipment costs 12 euros per person. Conversely, for a workshop combining meditation and creation where the participants leave with their works, it is necessary to count 40 euros per head. Sometimes, Christelle acknowledges receiving small financial boosts to organize major events: “The tourist offices give me envelopes so that I can organize well-being days for them”. However, the prices charged remain relatively affordable. A rule to which the founder is very attached: “To make sure that it can be open to as many people as possible is really a value that is dear to me. “.

“To make sure that it can be opened to the maximum of people, it is really a value that is dear to me.”

So don’t wait any longer and dare to dive into the most complete darkness. Black’Oz what!

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