“Find one place you can get to know really, really, well. This is the most important routine you can develop. Know it by day; know it by night. Know it in the rain and in the snow, in the depth of winter and in the heat of summer. Know the stars and where the four directions are there. Know the birds that live there; know the trees they live in. Get to know these things as if they were your relatives, for, in time, you will come to know that they are! That is the most important thing you can do in order to excel at any skill in nature. Nature and your own heart are the best teachers, but your body, mind and spirit all have to attend the class, and do the homework. There is no replacement for this experience!”
~Jon Young
Sit Spot is quite possibly my favorite ritual. I rely on it often to help me return to baseline in times of stress, anxiety or frenzy, and to promote gratitude in times of ease. This practice invites you to find ten minutes of space in your day to do nothing. Absolutely nothing. On purpose. And to go outside while you do it. If being outdoors is not possible, then sit by a window.
Often, we think time spent like this – sitting still, doing nothing, resting – is time that is wasted. We live in an age and culture that moves fast, rewards production, and craves instant gratification.
But the human experience, the one we are biologically and psychologically designed to thrive within, is not fulfilled by only “doing”. Just as there are polarities around us in nature – of light and dark, winter and spring, sleep and wakefulness – we too are born from nature and must design our lives to include both action and stillness.
Sit Spot is a term that Jon Young, co-founder of the Wilderness Awareness School and co-author of Coyote’s Guide to Connecting with Nature, coined to describe a sense meditation practice that helps connect a person intimately with their natural surroundings. I fist came to know Jon’s work through a parenting coach in 2014, and it impacted my life so deeply that I later pursued nature-based coaching training.
When I slow down and make time to sit outdoors, my life feels more deliberate, more calm, more attentive, more intentional. I end up getting more done in my productive hours because I have clarity of mind and focus that was otherwise competing with mental clutter. I learned that getting still is how the snow globe flurries of life begin to settle; how things come into focus.
Just as plants go dormant and inward every winter, replenishing their reserves for the spring season ahead, so too must humans make space for stillness, reflection and rest if we wish to have energy for times requiring action.
If we give ourselves the space to pause, we begin building an unconscious muscle that is far better tuned, during both times of stillness and action, to see through the snow flurries and strategically navigate or design the experiences we want for our lifetimes. If intention is the campfire, stillness is the spark that ignites the flames of passion, creativity, and inspiration.
Surfacing this kind of magic can only happen when I find space to silence my mind’s chatter. And while some people embrace traditional meditation, the best way I know to do this is to sit outside and notice everything around me. By taking in the details of nature, my creative mind more effortlessly uncovers and utilizes the gems I’m holding within.
Getting started:
Find a space outdoors to sit for ten minutes each day without interruption. Observe everything around you, with open eyes, ears, and nose, and preferably with your butt on the ground. After you sit, I invite you to simply notice if your life feels a little more ease in the hours and days that follow.
We can adopt some of the The Wilderness Awareness School’s Sit Spot tips when it comes to choosing where you will sit:
1) It needs to be close to your house,
2) you need to feel safe while there, and
3) accessibility is more important than aesthetics.
I use my backyard for sitting. I leave my kids and dogs inside, turn my phone to airplane mode and set the timer for ten minutes. And then I sit.
The first time you try to sit without interruption, you may find it frustrating. If you experience a “crawling up the walls” sensation, start smaller. Sit for three minutes instead of ten. Likewise, if you find ten minutes is not enough for you, stretch it to fifteen. Play with what feels right, but don’t throw in the towel if you start with an amount that feels unsatisfying. Just adjust and try again.
If you can do this practice for a week, wonderful! Thirty days, and I can almost guarantee that your life will feel changed and more your own.
Since learning this practice, my life has evolved in both measurable and immeasurable ways, and I am without a doubt a happier, more satisfied, integrated person than I was before I began. Now, anytime I feel lost, sitting outside is the first place I turn toward. I rely on this practice, of being quiet outdoors, as a means of returning home to myself.
Thank you for stopping by! If you’d like support reflecting on your life, relationships or habits, check out The Handmade Life! There I offer coaching sessions, share healing traditions, workshops, and herbal consultations. Find more DIY maker posts at my blog, The Nature Wheel.