Opening in a good way starts before the words, songs, or medicines. It starts with how each of us shows up. Before you step into a meeting, circle, or workshop, it can help to pause and ask yourself:

What are my intentions for being here today? How am I feeling emotionally and physically? Do I want support, and if so, what kind of support would actually help? Am I regulated enough to be in this space right now, or do I need to step back or take care of myself first?

Whether we mean to or not, we all contribute to the energy of a space, in person or on a screen. Our stress, impatience, openness, and care are felt by others. That doesn't mean we have to show up perfect or polished, but it does mean we carry a certain responsibility. If we arrive highly dysregulated, checked out, or ready for a fight, it becomes much harder for anyone to open or hold the space in a good way, no matter how beautiful the prayer or protocol is.

Showing up in a good way can be as simple as taking a few breaths before you log on, naming honestly how you are, and being willing to care for your own nervous system instead of handing that job to the people around you. When each of us does even a little of that work, it becomes easier to open our time together with respect, kindness, and room for everyone present.

Opening well is one part of the work. The next part is how we speak once we're in the circle or meeting. Talking in a good way doesn't mean we avoid hard truths or big feelings. It means we try to bring them with respect.

You might ask yourself: Why am I speaking right now? To be heard, to control, to defend, or to help? Can I say this in a way that names the issue without attacking the person? Am I leaving space for others who don't speak as easily or loudly as I do?

Talking in a good way can sound like using 'I' language instead of 'you always,' checking assumptions, and being willing to slow down when emotions are high. It means remembering that our words have weight, especially if we carry formal or informal power in the room.

Listening in a good way is more than waiting for our turn to talk. It's choosing to be present with what someone is sharing, even when it's uncomfortable, unfamiliar, or challenges us.

You might ask yourself: Can I listen all the way through before I respond or explain? What happens in my body when I hear something hard? Do I shut down, argue in my head, or get defensive? Is there a small piece of truth or experience here that I can honour, even if I don't agree with everything?

Listening in a good way often looks like softening your face and posture, not interrupting, and being willing to say 'thank you for sharing that' before you move to problem-solving. It also means noticing who isn't being heard and making room for them. When we talk and listen in a good way, the opening prayer doesn't stay in the first five minutes. It shapes the whole time we're together.

'In a good way' is a phrase many Indigenous peoples use to describe doing something with respect, intention, and care.

It means slowing down enough to be present, to acknowledge where you are and who came before you.

It doesn't require perfection. It asks for honesty and a willingness to keep learning.

Starting a meeting 'in a good way' can shift the entire energy of a room — from transactional to relational.

A land acknowledgement is not a box to check. It's a practice of accountability.

Learn whose territories you're on. Confirm Nation names and spellings with local sources.

Connect your acknowledgement to action: What's your organization actually doing to support Indigenous communities?

Territories can overlap and change. Be open to learning and updating your language.

If you're non-Indigenous, resist the urge to make the acknowledgement about your feelings. Center the land and the peoples.

In many communities, opening 'in a good way' includes turning to traditional medicines. Four that are widely known on this land are cedar, tobacco, sage, and sweetgrass. Each has its own teachings, and how they're used can vary from Nation to Nation, family to family, and person to person.

Cedar is often used for protection and cleansing. People may hang cedar boughs in doorways, boil cedar for tea under guidance, or use cedar brushing, where a person is gently brushed with cedar to help clear heavy energy and invite strength. Tobacco, in many places, is offered when asking for help, teachings, or prayers. It can be given to Elders or placed on the earth as a way of speaking with respect and intention.

Sage is often burned for cleansing and grounding, helping people let go of what they don't need to carry into a circle or ceremony. Sweetgrass is sometimes called a kindness medicine; when braided and burned or brushed, it's associated with inviting in good energy, gratitude, and connection. These are only broad patterns, not rules, and the deeper teachings belong with the Nations and Knowledge Holders they come from.

It's important to remember that not all First Nations, Métis, or Inuit peoples smudge, and not every Nation uses these four medicines. Some have other medicines that are less widely known, or specific ways of working with water, fire, or local plants. In some places, medicines might be used in openings, and in others, people may open only with words, song, or silence. Whenever you're in doubt, it's best to follow local guidance, ask respectfully what's appropriate, and honour the particular medicines and practices of the community you're with.

Elders and Knowledge Holders carry specific cultural authority that no app can replicate.

If your organization regularly hosts gatherings, build genuine relationships with local Elders. Offer fair compensation, not just honorariums.

Ask Elders what they need to feel supported. Don't assume — ask.

This app can help you prepare so that you're not putting the entire burden on Indigenous staff to 'open every meeting.'

We know every Nation, family, and community has its own ways of opening and closing in a good way. This app isn't here to replace those ways. It works best when it sits beside them.

We'd love to grow Open In a Good Way with the voices of the people who use it. If you feel comfortable, you can share closing words or phrases from your Nation or community, short examples of how you were taught to end a prayer or circle, or any guidance or protocol notes you're allowed to pass on publicly.

We'll only include what you clearly give permission to share, and we'll always name the Nation or community it comes from. That way, when someone chooses a closing, they know whose words they're borrowing and can treat them with respect.

This app supports opening in a good way, but it doesn't replace local Indigenous protocols, Elders, or ceremony.

If your community or organization already has opening practices, follow those first.

When possible, invite and properly thank Elders or Knowledge Holders. Use this app to prepare yourself, not to bypass relationship.