Nature as Scenery to Nature as Community: Using a Sit Spot Practice

A sit spot is a place in nature that you return to, again and again. The simple commitment to consistent return is a practice in itself. It helps you get the benefits of nature exposure as well as deepening your relationship with that particular place and its beings, and developing your understanding of the place and its patterns, aka 'ecological literacy.' 

Sometimes I'm asked about the difference between doing a Quest where you spend multiple days and nights in one spot, versus doing something like a solo hike where you are still alone in nature for several days. I explain the difference in terms of the connection that is developed as being horizontal connection versus vertical connection. On a hike you get the feeling of the landscape but on a Quest you go deeper and deeper into that one place.

By returning to the same place you are no longer distracted by newness and therefore become more and more present and aware to what is there. 

By being a return visitor you also progress from being an observer to a participant over time. When you first arrive in a place your energy impacts the beings around you - birds fly off, for example. Once you are there regularly and learn to become still, you become more accepted as part of the place and you are treated as less of a threat by the other regular inhabitants. The experience for you is a shift from nature as scenery to nature as community.

The sit spot is also a tool to use as a support for other practices, such as nature-based meditation. Again, the returning to the same spot makes presence with depth more possible (aligned with potential goals of meditation). Your nervous system can settle quicker with the familiarity. It also makes it easier simply from a habit formation point of view - if you don't need to make the decision about where to do your practice, that's one less point of friction which makes it easier to start. 

Having a specific place to return to also becomes a resource for you in the broader context of life, a refuge that provides continuity even when everything else feels chaotic. 

To get started

Choose somewhere that is accessible to you. This is really the main thing. I'm sure it is desirable to try to find somewhere as far into wild nature as possible where you'll never encounter another human. The reality is, it truly is difficult to escape the human-shaped world and ultimately if it is too hard to get to you won't make it there very often.

Research shows we get some benefits even from proximity to a pot plant or a view of nature out of a window. So start small and achievable for your regular sit spot and add in deeper forays when possible.