The Milling

Where it's from

The Milling is a Work that Reconnects practice involving setting up a series of encounters between participants with the intention to help people to see each other more fully in their shared humanity. The term "milling" refers to "mill" which is the act of circulating around the room.

What you need

Duration

20-40 minutes.

Preparations

• A large open space in a room or an area that allows for free movement.
• Encourage comfortable attire suitable for movement.
• Instructions ready for guiding participants through the various stages.

Things to note

• Before beginning, explicitly obtain consent from each participant regarding their comfort with physical touch, as this practice involves various degrees of physical interaction. Explain the nature of the touch involved in each encounter.
• For those uncomfortable with touch, offer alternatives such as maintaining eye contact, speaking affirmations or acknowledgments, or using gestures that signify connection without direct contact. Ensure these participants can fully engage in the practice in a way that feels safe and respectful to them.
• Ensure that your comments are non-manipulative. Never tell people what to think or feel. Keep your suggestions in accordance with present reality. For example, do not say: “See this person as a victim of nuclear attack.” Rather: “Let the possibility arise in your mind that this person might ….”
• Use an ordinary tone of voice without drama or sentimentality.

How it's done

Here's a list of step-by-step instructions to conduct the Milling as a group as well as possible scripts you can use (highlighted in italics).

1. Prepare the Space and Participants
   Clear the room to create a spacious area. Participants start milling around the room, circulating energetically but silently, using soft vision to avoid collisions.
   “Let your eyes go out of focus; you won’t bump. Use the whole space so we don’t get into a snarl in the middle. Keep a soft vision and you won’t collide. If you find us all going in the same direction, turn around and go upstream.”
2. Part One - The Busy Streets
   Participants move as if on busy city streets, embodying the hustle of the Industrial Growth Society. Remind them to feel the tension and importance of their activities. This sets a pace and a mindset reflective of daily life's urgency and disconnect.
   “Hurry! This is the Industrial Growth Society, and time is money. Keep moving. No talking. You are an important person with important things to do. Feel in your body the tension of having to make your way through all these moving obstacles.”
3. Part Two - Slowing Down
   Gradually slow the pace, instructing participants to become aware of each other's presence and engage with eyes as they pass. This shift encourages a transition from isolation to communal awareness.
   “Now we slow down a bit. We see the faces around us. “Oh, I’m not alone here.” Our eyes engage as we pass.”
4. Encounters Series
   Instruct participants to engage in a series of one-to-one encounters, each with a specific focus as follows:
   • First Encounter - Shared Presence
     Participants stop in front of someone, take their right hand, and acknowledge the shared choice and moment of being alive together in a crisis-ridden world.
     “And you find yourself in front of someone — and stop. Take their right hand in yours. This person is alive on planet Earth at the same time as you, born into the same period of crisis, danger and speed. And they’ve chosen to be here today. There are plenty of other things they could do on this day — catching up on work, hanging out with family or friends. But they’ve chosen to be here, to look together at what’s happening to our world. Notice how you feel that they made that choice and now take your leave of this person in any way you want.”
   • Second Encounter - Recognising Strengths
     In front of another person, participants contemplate the strengths and gifts the other might bring to facing the world's challenges.
     “Again, you find yourself in front of another person, and take their hand in yours. Behold this sibling, who spoke today of things they love. Open your awareness to the strengths and gifts this person can bring to the Great Turning — their patience, their love of adventure, their knack at problem solving, their kindness.”
   • Third Encounter - Acknowledging Awareness
     Participants honor the other's awareness and courage in facing global realities, touching on specific global issues.
     “You are looking into the face of someone who has a good clue what’s going on in our world. (Give two or more examples of what’s going on, such as the following: deforestation, war, radiation spreading from nuclear power plants, the huge threat of climate change.) This person knows this is going on, yet they haven’t closed their eyes, haven’t turned away. Honor their courage.”
   • Fourth Encounter - Sensation of Touch: With closed eyes, participants focus solely on the sensation of holding the other's hand, enhancing sensory connection and imagination. If you plan to use the Cradling in the same workshop, omit this encounter.
     “And again we find ourselves in front of another person, and again we take their right hand in ours, but this time we close our eyes as soon as we’ve connected. Close your eyes so that all your attention can go into the sensation of touch. What is this object you are holding? There is life in it ….”
   • Fifth Encounter - Common Danger and Gifts: The final encounter is a recognition of the shared dangers of living on Earth and the unique gifts each brings to overcoming these challenges.
     “Moving on, we come to our last encounter. Facing each other, put your hands together palm to palm at shoulder height.… Before you stands someone living in a beautiful, fragile and poisoned planet. In their body, as in yours, are toxins that can bring cancer and immune disease. This person, like you, can die from a nuclear accident or attack, or a plague triggered by climate change. We can face this together. We must not let our common danger separate us. Let it bond us. Keep breathing ….
     Now there’s another thing to see in this face. Allow your awareness to open to the real possibility that this person will play a pivotal role in contributing and making the world a better place. They have the gifts, the strengths, the motivation. Allow that possibility to enter your mind and let them know how you feel about it.”
5. Conclude by reflecting in pairs
   Participants sit with their last partner for a few minutes of sharing.

Take it further

Explore variations

The Milling can be adapted into different settings. In fact, there is an online version where you can do it over a video conferencing app like Zoom.