The Milling
The Milling is a silent, moving practice from Joanna Macy's Work That Reconnects in which people walk through an open space and, at the guide's cue, stop in front of one person at a time for a series of wordless encounters. Each encounter is accompanied by a short spoken reflection from the guide on that person: their choice to be here, what they know about the state of the world, what they have lived through, and what they might contribute. It is published in Coming Back to Life by Joanna Macy and Molly Brown and belongs to the part of the Work That Reconnects concerned with honouring pain for the world, so it is far more intense than a mingle and needs a prepared group.
Facilitation script
- 1
Clear the space and brief the group: silence, the sequence of walking and stopping, touch optional, freedom to step out.
3 min - 2
Walk fast as in a busy street, then slow down and begin to notice faces.
3 min - 3
First encounter: this person's presence and choice to be here. Walk on.
3 min - 4
Second encounter: their awareness of what is happening in the world and their willingness to look at it. Walk on.
3 min - 5
Third encounter: their experience of oppression and privilege. Walk on.
3 min - 6
Final encounter: the dangers you share and the part this person may play in change. Close in silence with thanks to the partner.
4 min - 7
Sit with the last partner or form a circle and talk about what the practice brought up.
6 min
Tips
Prepare your words and practise them aloud; plain language in an even tone carries this practice, and anything theatrical or sentimental undermines it.
Offer alternatives to taking hands before you begin, such as a nod or a hand on one's own chest, and say that sustained eye contact is not required.
Place it after the group has already built some trust, and always follow it with time to talk.
Common pitfalls
Treating it as an icebreaker with a group that expected a normal workshop, which leaves people feeling ambushed by its emotional weight
Telling participants what to feel or using a dramatic voice, which comes across as manipulation and makes people shut down
Assuming hand-holding and long eye contact are fine for everyone, which excludes people for cultural, personal or trauma-related reasons
Rushing the walking between encounters, so each meeting blurs into the next and nothing lands
Ending without time to talk, which sends people into a break alone with strong feelings
Variations
The source page is a 2017 revision by Molly Brown that draws on a version by Kaia Svien and adds an encounter on oppression and privilege; an optional encounter explores the partner's hands through touch with eyes closed, which should only be used with groups that have agreed to it. The Work That Reconnects Network also publishes an online version in which pairs meet in breakout rooms or look at the gallery of faces on screen. For groups where touch is not appropriate, run every encounter standing at arm's length. With fewer than ten people, partners will repeat, so reduce the number of encounters.
Where it fits
When to use it
A group that has chosen to work on ecological or social concern needs to arrive with each other before heavier practices
People have been talking about the state of the world in the abstract and you want them to register the humans in the room
A multi-day retreat has built enough trust for silence, eye contact and optional touch
You are guiding the Work That Reconnects sequence and are moving from gratitude into honouring pain
Attendance is voluntary and participants know in advance what kind of workshop this is
When not to use it
A regular corporate team event or kickoff: the reflections name injustice, danger and loss, so use a Mingle or 3 Question Mingle for light contact
Participants did not choose this kind of work or cannot easily opt out, for example a mandatory training
The group met an hour ago: start with something that needs less trust, such as Walk & Stop
People in the room have recently experienced trauma or acute loss and there is no experienced guide and no support afterwards
The cultural or organisational context makes silent eye contact or touch between colleagues inappropriate
Related methods
Frequently asked questions
What is The Milling?▾
The Milling is a silent group practice from the Work That Reconnects, developed by Joanna Macy. Participants walk around an open room and stop several times in front of a different person, while a guide speaks short reflections that invite them to see that person more fully. The practice itself takes about 20 minutes and is usually followed by conversation, so plan 25 to 30 minutes with briefing and debrief.
Is The Milling suitable as a team-building exercise at work?▾
Usually not. The guide's reflections refer to ecological crisis, injustice, danger and mortality, and the practice relies on silence and optional touch. It fits groups that have deliberately signed up for this depth, not a standard team day.
How long does The Milling take?▾
The published version gives 20 minutes for the practice. Plan a few more minutes for briefing and at least five to ten for talking afterwards. The source page does not prescribe a group size; you need enough people for each person to meet a new partner in every encounter.
Do participants have to hold hands?▾
No. The published script invites partners to take hands in some encounters, but a responsible guide presents this as one option and offers others. Say so clearly before the walking starts, because it is hard to decline in the middle of a silent exercise.
May I use The Milling in my own workshops?▾
The Work That Reconnects Network makes its practices available for use and asks that the source be acknowledged, namely Coming Back to Life by Joanna Macy and Molly Brown. Guiding it well takes experience with the wider framework, so attend or co-guide it before leading it alone.
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Try it freeMethod descriptions on Workshop Weaver are original content written by our team, based on established facilitation practices. This method was inspired by work from Joanna Macy and Molly Brown, Work That Reconnects (Coming Back to Life).