Where it's from
Open Sentences is a practice derived from the Work that Reconnects, pioneered by Joanna Macy and others. It is rooted in principles of deep listening and spontaneous expression and is used in various therapeutic, educational, and spiritual contexts to foster deeper communication and understanding.
What you need
Duration
Approximately 20-30 minutes total, with a couple of minutes allocated to each open sentence, plus brief pauses.
Preparations
- A conversational partner who is willing to listen fully in confidence.
- Find a quiet, comfortable space with seating for pairs to sit face-to-face.
- Ensure there's a method to keep time and signal transitions (e.g., a timer or a small bell).
- Decide how long each partners gets to speak for.
- Prepare a list of open sentences to use during the practice.
- Participants should be divided into pairs and decide who will be Partner A and Partner B.
How it's done
- Seating and Silence
Participants sit in pairs, face to face, close enough to engage fully and take in each other's presence. Before the practice begins, all should be silent and attentive. - Determine Roles
Decide who is Partner A and Partner B. There are many creative ways to do this. Here are some examples:
- Perhaps by tapping each other on the knee; the first to tap is A.
- Longest hair starts first.
- Name closest to the alphabet Z starts first. - Initiating the Practice
The guide states an open sentence. Partner A then repeats it and completes it with their own spontaneous words while addressing Partner B. Partner A continues talking spontaneously for the time allotted. If there is nothing Partner A has to say, let the time allotted pass in mutual silence before switching roles. - Switching Roles
After the time for one sentence is up, roles can be switched. Partner B becomes the speaker, and Partner A listens attentively. - Continuing the Practice
Repeat the process with a series of open sentences, switching roles as decided, until all sentences are explored. - Conclusion
Conclude with a signal, such as a small bell, and allow a moment of silence or reflection after the last sentence is completed.
Take it further
Here are some examples that are commonly used in Work that Reconnects that you can use in your practice.
Open Sentences on Gratitude
- Some things I love about being alive in Earth are …
- A place that was magical (or wonderful) to me as a child was …
- A person who helped me believe in myself is or was …
- Some things I enjoy doing and making are …
- Some things I appreciate about myself are …
Open sentences that are about the personal self always come last.
Open Sentences on The Great Turning
- To be alive now in this time of global crisis, what is hard for me is…
- What I appreciate about living in this time of global crisis is …
- As I look at my life, it seems that I am taking part in the Great Turning — and some of the ways …
Open Sentences on Honouring Our Pain
- What concerns me most about the world today is …
- When I see what’s happening to the natural world, what breaks my heart is …
- When I see what’s happening to our society, what breaks my heart is …
- When I think of the world we will leave our children, it looks like …
- Feelings about all this, that I carry around with me, are …
- Ways I avoid these feelings are …
- Ways I use feelings are …
Open Sentences for Going Forth
- Something I learned today about the web of life is ...
- Something I can do every day to help life on the Earth is ...
- Something I can do with other people to be part of the Great Turning is …
Open Sentences for Organisations
- What inspired me to work in ...
- What I find hard in this work is ...
- What keeps me going in this work is ...
- What I hope can happen for us in this work is ...
Open Sentences for Couples
- What I appreciate about my partner is ...
- I am sometimes reluctant to share my pain for the world with my partner because …
- The effect of these feelings on my relationship with my partner is ...
Open Sentences for Parents, Teachers or Caregivers
- If I withhold from my children/students/dependents concerns for the future, I do so because …
- If I tell the children/students/dependents my concerns for the future, I do so because …
- In talking with the children/students/dependents about the news, what I want is …
Open Sentences on Time
- When I am in a hurry, my body feels ...
- When I am in a hurry, my mind is like ...
- Nowadays, I don't have time to ...
- Lack of time affects my relationships in these ways ...
- If I had all the time in the world, I would ...
Or you could craft your own!
Feel free to make up your own to suit your needs and the context that you're working in. It can be fun to infuse your creativity, creating novel experiences for yourself and other participants. Just remember to keep them as unbiased and non-leading as possible.
