I first heard the word sit spot when I was watching the History channel program Alone. One of the female contestants used a sit spot while living on northern Vancouver Island. My curiosity was peaked after I heard her mention it, and I decided I wanted to know more. A sit spot is a place in nature that you return to on a regular basis. It doesn’t haven’t to be pristine and beautiful, but it has to be a place that has trees, birds and other living creatures. It should be easily accessible, so you can visit on a daily basis or at least a few times a week. Ideally, it shouldn’t be more than five minutes from your front door. By visiting your “sit spot” routinely, you will gain an increased sensitivity to nature, and your senses will begin to function on another level. This small act done on a routine basis will have a dramatic effect on your brain and your life.

Today, most people are programming their brains with technology. They immerse themselves in a world of smart phones, video games, social media and television. Nature has taken a back to seat to these technological activities. According to Brian Mertons, “the constant bombardment of chaotic data is very damaging to the human brain.” The prolonged use of technology affects our brains in very negative ways and is leading to a loss of human connectivity, creativity and communication skills, in addition to the loss of these essential human skills:

• emotional intelligence
• problem solving
• self control and willpower
• creativity
• empathy and communication
• ability to see the big picture
• focus and memory
• musical and artistic talent
• overall success and happiness

For most of human evolution our brains were programmed by nature. Sensory stimulation came from knowledge of plants, trees, birds, animal tracking, and survival skills. In the last 50 years human beings have seen more changes in society than in the entirety of preceding human history. Most of those changes have been technological advances. There are people today that spend their entire lives looking at a screen and this is their only sensory stimulation. There are actually people who have never even been for a walk in the woods. There is nothing inherently wrong with technology, but it is imperative that there be a balance between technology and nature for human beings to be healthy in mind and body.

Benefits of a sit spot:

• Better sensory awareness
• Improved critical thinking and problem solving
• Improved creativity
• Learn naturalist skills
• Renewed sense of happiness, peace and joy
• Releases pent up emotion
• Allows time to step back and see the “big picture” and to see from a different perspective
• Improved interpersonal skills
• Improved connection to others

Where should it be?

It can be a place in the woods, in the suburbs or even in the heart of the city. I live in the suburbs and my sit spot is in my back yard. I have a shady tree and my backyard overlooks a pond and some woods. I got one of those little garden stools and I put it under the tree facing the pond. There are plenty of birds, trees, plants and other little creatures in which to observe.

Things to consider:

The most important thing to consider when choosing your spot is that you feel safe and that there is nature present. As I mentioned earlier, convenience to getting to your spot is important. Make it a place that is as easy to get to as possible.

What do I do when I’m there?

• For 10 minutes to 1 hour, sit observe and be present
• Get familiar with who and what you share your place with. Look around, notice what’s happening with trees & birds. See what most peaks your curiosity and observe patterns.
• Notice the level of activity of the living creatures in this area (or lack of) and see if you can figure out the cause.
• Close your eyes, what can you feel with your sense touch. What can you hear close and far away?
• Tuck away this information in your memory so you can notice differences the next time you visit.
• Don’t zone out – approach with intention and awareness
• Take your shoes off and let your bare feet touch the ground. (this is actually called grounding/earthing – blog with more on this coming soon)

I believe that balancing out our technological habits with time in nature is essential for each and every one of us, and for our children and future generations. Spending time at a sit spot is an easy way for anyone to incorporate nature into their daily lives with very little effort. Teaching our children this simple practice is a gift we can give them that will benefit them in a very impactful way. My grandmother was a very wise woman and one of the things she would always say is, “everything in moderation.” Technology is fine, but it must be used in moderation and in tandem with time in nature. I hope that you have fun finding your own sit spot and that it will be an exercise that you will enjoy for the rest of your life!

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• How the age old philosophy of ikigai can help you find happiness

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