# data[].attributes.body
used this format to allow for an interactive hyperdoc format to assess student comprehension

# data[].attributes.headline
Create a thinking map using the white board when broken down into groups

# data[].attributes.subject
Create a thinking map using the white board when broken down into groups

# data[].attributes.body
have students draw along with you, explicitly explain how to annotate and label

# data[].attributes.headline
diagrams, read aloud recording of the texts

# data[].attributes.subject
diagrams, read aloud recording of the texts

# data[].attributes.body
Changing lexile levels /providing translations in different resources like the techbook.

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.textcompactor.com/   http://textsummarization.net/text-summarizer

or

http://rewordify.com/index.php

# data[].attributes.body
Lots of resources and reading levels.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A collection of virtual labs created by glencoe. Many of these allow students to manipulate variables and conduct tests that might be too dangerous or expensive to perform in class.

# data[].attributes.headline
FCPS Digital Resource Alignment Spreadshhet - Gizmos, Standards, DiscoveryEd, etc.

# data[].attributes.subject
FCPS Digital Resource Alignment Spreadshhet - Gizmos, Standards, DiscoveryEd, etc.

# data[].attributes.body
Allows you to embed voice recordings into your powerpoints

# data[].attributes.body
Ask students to find a quiet spot outside to visit regularly to sit and make observations - these observations can be used to make meaningful connections to our content and the environment.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
When I was a teenager, I embarked on a personal mission to consciously transform my connection with nature.

By far, one of the most impactful things I ever did to achieve this result was the decision to use a sit spot.
A sit spot (or secret spot) is simply a favorite place in nature that you visit regularly to cultivate awareness as you expand your senses and study patterns of local plants, birds, trees, animals, etc.
By choosing one place outside that you visit over and over again, it teaches you to develop the most ancient parts of human awareness and gradually acquire enhanced sensitivity to nature.

Many people describe the sit spot experience as like waking up because it gently coaxes your senses to function at a higher level.

With practice, this routine will facilitate a complete transformation of your ability to observe patterns through all aspects of the outdoors and even in your every day life.

It's also the simplest way to cultivate naturalist skills like animal tracking, bird language, knowledge of plants & wilderness survival.

So today I'm going to walk you through all aspects of how to get started with a sit spot routine and get all the amazing benefits for yourself.

We'll start with the underlying philosophy, and then look at how you can actually do the sit spot routine step by step.

There's a lot to cover here so I've created a table of contents to help you quickly find what you're looking for:
Section 1 - Sit Spot Philosophy 1.1 Why Sit Spot Matters In Modern Times Section 2 - Sit Spot Practice 2.1 The Importance of Keeping Sit Spot Simple Section 3 - Integrating Sit Spot Into Your Life 3.1 Integrating Sit Spot With Daily Life
3.2 Choosing Where To Put Your Sit Spot
3.3 Finding Time For Sit Spot (And How Long...)

Technology has changed what modern humans put into their brains...

3.4 Finding Security (Money And Sit Spot)
3.5 Final Conclusions And Next Steps...
2.2 Focus On Nature Observation & Sensory Awareness
2.3 Four Essential Sit Spot Awareness Exercises

Emotional intelligence

Problem solving

Self control & willpower

Creativity

Empathy & communication

Ability to think in terms of systems & big picture

Focus & Memory

Musical & artistic talent

Overall success & happiness in life

The problem is that most people today program their brains with electronics & technology, video games, social media, smart phones and world news, rather than nature (like our primitive ancestors).
2.4 Common Experiences At Sit Spot (What To Expect On The Journey)
1.2 Effects Of Technology On Human Evolution

Human brains evolved in a palaeolithic environment

1.3 How Sit Spot Balances Nature & Technology
1.4 Benefits of Having A Sit Spot In Nature

1. Our communities rapidly grew in size & complexity.

2. People spent less time immersed in nature through hunting & gathering.

3. This is the emergence of possession & ownership of material things.

4. It's also where we find the first evidence of inequality between classes & sexes.

There's a lot to cover, so let's get started with section 1 - Sit Spot Philosophy.
Most important is to realize that new technologies actually change what human beings put into their brains on a daily basis...
Why Sit Spot Matters In Modern Times...

So you might be wondering...

Why would anyone in the modern world even want to develop their awareness by sitting in nature?

Well, the modern benefits of having a sit spot in nature really come down to evolution and the effect that nature has on the human brain.

Here's what I mean by that...

You can think of the human brain as like an organic computer that has been gradually evolving into it's current state over millions of years.
Human society has seen more changes in the last 50 years, than in the entirety of preceding human history...
And just like any computer, your brain needs programming in order to be used effectively.

So while everyone starts out with the pretty much the same hardware... as a course of life & how we're raised, we each learn to use our brains differently and therefore get dramatically different results.

This is why some people end up being so much more successful or happy than others despite having basically the same intelligence, opportunities and overall potential.

Plus - because of neuroplasticity, we also know that the way you use your brain on a daily basis will gradually change how your brain functions.

Modern human environments dull the senses and have massive negative effects on mental health

So the way you use your brain (or not) over long term patterns can gradually cause growth or atrophy of essential human skills like:

It's this almost constant bombardment of disorganized data that is shown to have significant detrimental effects on the human brain.

Even the best minds in companies developing those technologies are talking about the loss of human connectivity, citing the loss of creativity and communication skills.

The Effects of Nature VS Technology On Human Evolution

The result of a brain programmed by technology is a stark contrast to what happens when human brains are exposed to nature.

For the vast majority of human evolution, nature was the primary source of programming for the human mind.

This means almost all of our sensory stimulation came from cultivating deep knowledge of birds, plants, trees, animal tracking, wilderness survival skills, and the stories of our elders.

We lived in very small & close-knit tribes, where depth of relationships is emphasized over quantity of relationships.

Then with the discovery of farming around 12,000 BC, for the first time in human existence, our species took a dramatic turn as a result of new technology.

Here's what happened when humans discovered agriculture:

For the first time in human history we experienced how technology can dramatically affect our daily environment, thereby causing large-scale cultural shifts that impact human quality of life.

And farming was just the beginning.

The technology of agriculture was followed by thousands of years of further progress & development that both improved human life while simultaneously creating new and unforeseen challenges.

This is a significant thing that affects each living person on our planet today.

It's almost like there's an inverse, one-to-one relationship between nature & technology...

With each new step forward humans take with technology, there is always an associated and complimentary step back and away from our wild origins.

And it's really just in these last 50 years that the biggest changes have taken place.

To the point where for the first time in history, there are people alive today who have almost no discernible connection with nature.

Sit spot awakens the deepest and most ancient of human awareness potential

They've never stepped foot in a forest, or heard bird song anywhere other than movies & video games.

There are people today who live their entire lives inside computer screens, text messages, and busy schedules that scatter their focus to the wind.

Humans function at their peak intelligence, emotional openness and creativity when we are sensorily connected to nature...
And all this creates side effects that wilderness author & survival skills expert Tom Brown Jr called "The Land of The Living Dead."

He describes it as people shuffling down busy city streets in clumps like herds of domesticated animals, day after day, with almost zombie like expressions on their faces.

Their eyes look but they don't really see.
Their ears hear, but they don't really listen.

And while these people may be technically alive, there's a certain passion & spark for life that has been lost in the modern age of electronics.

Just think about it:

What is this doing to our species?
What is the effect of all this disconnection on the future generations?

Well, we know from modern research that human environments that lack connection with nature are associated with epidemics in clinical depression, attention deficit & anxiety disorders.

We've effectively created a society where creativity, passion and a genuine spark for life are stifled.

And this is why taking time to sit quietly and cultivate awareness in nature matters.

Sit spot is truly the simplest cure for this modern disconnect from our full sensory, emotional & intellectual potential as human beings.

Improved sensory awareness & sensory acuity

Enhanced critical thinking, problem solving, deductive & inductive thinking (especially when Sit Spot is associated with studies in animal tracking)

Improved creativity

Better naturalist skills, wildlife tracking, bird language, plant identification, etc.

Greater capacity for releasing emotions & negative thinking through a natural state of meditation that promotes mental & physical relaxation

Close encounters with birds, plants, trees & animals that inspire a sense of awe & wonder

A renewed sense of happiness & joy coming from inside

A developing sense of inner vitality & razor sharp focus

Greater peace & joy in daily life

A sense of connection to the past ancestry of our species and planet

Greater flexibility of consciousness, enabling you to see life from a wider and more balanced perspective.

Simply by going outside, sitting your butt down on the ground and consciously opening your awareness, it's possible to invigorate your brain in ways that most modern humans never touch.

If you give it a chance, it's also some of the most fun you'll ever have in your life!

How Sit Spot Balances Nature And Technology...

Now, I want to make it clear that none of this is to say technology is inherently bad...

I think it's important to acknowledge that humanity really has gained a lot from all the progress we've made through the years.

Our understanding of the physical universe has grown tremendously. We're now able to save lives of loved ones who would never have survived without modern medicine.

We've gained a lot of positive benefits from evolving new technologies, so I'm not suggesting that we try to go back in time.

But there's an incredible amount that we've lost.

What I am suggesting is there's a way to balance our relationship with technology & nature so we can improve the level of mental well-being in our society.

Sit spot is an opportunity for humans to merge the best of modern times with the best of our prehistoric origins.

I truly believe this is truly one of the biggest opportunities we have as an species right now.

The crazy thing to realize is that this technological age is only just beginning.

The coming 20 years will bring more technological advancement than there has been since the dawn of time.

And we are currently at a turning point for our species, our relationship with the natural world and our palaeolithic origins.

1. You just go outside.

2. Find a place in nature to sit down.

3. Practice opening your senses & observing nature.

4. Repeat as often as you can.

Right now we can choose to step into an age where humans live in harmony with both nature & technology together in a balanced way.

This is why I've devoted the last 10 years of my life to sharing these teachings with the world.

Benefits Of Having A Sit Spot In Nature:

Connecting with nature through a Sit Spot is a way of optimizing and harmonizing the biology of our human nervous system.

Richard Louv talks about this by saying that nature is like vitamins for the human mind.

It's a way of giving yourself the mental, emotional, spiritual, and creative fuel for your own personal evolution in modern times.

People who practice sit spot enjoy:
Intentionally Connecting With Nature...
Humans are biologically designed to fall in love with nature, and we operate at our highest capacity when we get to live out our biological potential!

Section 2 - Sit Spot Practice

Now that we've talked about why sit spot matters... let's take a closer look at how you can actually do all this!

It's not enough to simply understand the philosophy and benefits of sit spot on an intellectual level.

At some point you have to get your butt outside and actually do something about it. That's really where you begin to see the transformation for yourself.

The most important predictor of success with having a sit spot in nature is actually doing it!

And here's how...

The Importance Of Keeping Sit Spot Simple

Look around at where you are...

Notice what's happening with the plants, trees & birds of this place

Check what kind of sounds you can hear in the landscape

Are there birds? Insects? Squirrels or other mammals?

Notice the overall level of activity (or lack thereof) and see if you can track what's causing these conditions

Pay attention to whatever is present in this environment, and tuck it away in your memory so you can identify the differences later on

One of the biggest secrets to success with having a sit spot in nature is to keep your practice routines extremely simple.

Remember - a sit spot is really about giving yourself the opportunity to quiet your mind and focus your senses on nature (rather than technology or any other distractions).

And this is something that can be done almost anywhere, anytime.

Even 5 minutes sitting in some grass with nearby ground feeding birds is all you really need to get started and be successful.

It's not necessary to be completely immersed in a massive secluded wilderness for days at a time in order for this to work.

In it's most basic form:

This truly is one of the most simple things you'll ever do in your entire life.

It simulates the palaeolithic environment and feeds your brain with stimulation through all five senses at the same time.

In fact, there's a good chance you've already done sit spot type activities in the past, without calling it a sit spot.

Maybe you can remember being a kid at the beach, or a time when you just sat by a lake & chilled out in the sunshine.

Well congratulations - that was a sit spot!

It's really nothing new. People have been doing this activity for hundreds of thousands of years.

The main difference is that now we're going to approach it with a lot more intention.

In the past - you probably weren't focused directly on being present with nature.

You probably didn't realize the positive benefits this activity was having on your brain (though you may have been aware of a good feeling).

You were probably just hanging out & relaxing.

So now... we're just going to do the exact same thing, but we're going to approach the scenario with a lot more intention and awareness.

Rather than completely zoning out, instead we're going to consciously activate the animal parts of our brain.

There are specific awareness activities & exercises that you can do at your sit spot to help you tune in at a much deeper level.

Focus On Nature Observation & Sensory Awareness

The main thing you should always have in the back of your mind whenever you go to sit spot is consciously tuning yourself to the patterns of nature.

I cannot stress enough the importance of tuning in rather than zoning out!

Even if your reasons for doing sit spot are more for personal growth than any specific naturalist or wilderness tracking goals...

It's really this whole process of deeply tuning your senses with local birds, plants, trees & environment patterns that sparks a surge of new connections in the brain.

Most humans only use a very small portion of their innate capacity to be aware, whether in nature or in the office or walking down the sidewalk.

Yet with practice and attention, it's possible to develop your sensory awareness far beyond what most modern people ever realize.

It's very much like dusting off old neural connections and firing up the more animal parts of your nervous system.

Just notice what you feel inside both physically and emotionally

Allow yourself to relax and release any feelings, tight muscles, discomfort, etc.

Relax your breathing & allow it to slow down a bit

Allow your mind to clear (as best you can)

You might want to close your eyes and really get into your body for a few minutes

This facilitates an expanded state of awareness that's very practical both for hard skills like tracking & nature observation, yet it also has significant mental/emotional/spiritual repercussions.

Connecting deeply with nature will result in tremendous personal growth, however you do need to practice the fundamental awareness skills before the desired evolution in your personality will emerge!

This is crucial!

If your primary goal for using a sit spot is to facilitate emotional or spiritual growth, then you need to be very careful not to get so focused on your inner journey that you disconnect from your senses.

You cannot force growth to happen by introspecting and getting lost in a maze of thoughts and ideas!

Simply focus on going as deeply as possible into nature and everything else will take care of itself.

(We'll talk more about what to expect in the evolution of your sit spot learning journey in an upcoming section)

So here's what you need to do...

4 Essential Sit Spot Awareness Exercises

When you get to your sit spot, you'll find it useful to develop a consistent practice routine that helps you get the most from your time outside.

The repetition of simple exercises that stretch your sensory awareness & nature observation skills will help you progress along the journey much faster than just sitting outside with no plan.

So here are 4 things you should include in every sit spot experience:

1. Relax, Breath & Tune Into Your Body
Touch
When you first start going to sit spot, it's perfectly normal to feel a bit fidgety or unsettled.

Most modern people are so trained on constant distraction that when you drop everything and just sit quietly outside, it can feel a bit uncomfortable.

You might head out with the intention of really connecting with the birds, plants & trees of your landscape, only to discover you feel anxious or frustrated inside.
Hearing
You might sit down in a beautiful place only to discover you have very little capacity to be quietly present.

This is a sign that your daily life is putting too much stress on your nervous system (again, it's extremely common if you live a fast paced or technology driven lifestyle).

This is why early on in the sit spot journey, I highly recommend you begin with some conscious mental & physical relaxation exercises.

Your state of awareness is linked to your state of mind, so if you're distracted inside, then you'll also likely be distracted externally, which dulls the senses and makes you feel disconnected.

You can help yourself relax into the moment by consciously tuning in with your body and releasing any tension:

Simply look for a feeling of peace or inner relaxation, like a very casual state of meditation.
Sight
Don't worry if peace & relaxation doesn't immediately appear in the first few minutes.

And don't worry if you can't release 100% of the stress right away... even 10% is great!

Just do your best, then move on to the next step and try again later 🙂

2. Sensory Awareness

You'll notice that as you begin to relax your body physically, suddenly your senses will also become much more acute and aware.

As soon as you feel this opening sense of relaxation inside, you're ready to switch your attention towards the external world.

There's an old saying, "Lose your mind and come to your senses"

It means that in order to see life with clarity, you have to let go of your thoughts.

But it also works the other way around... the more you come to your senses, the easier it will be to loosen your grip on the constant stream of mind chatter!

By consciously exercising your sensory awareness abilities, you will amplify any feelings of inner peace & relaxation, while simultaneously firing up and massaging the perceptive parts of your sensory brain.

Simply take a few minutes to focus very consciously on each of your five senses.
Smelling & Tasting
If your eyes are still closed from the relaxation portion, you might want to start with your sense of hearing or touch.

Notice how your body feels sitting against the ground. Feel the temperature & humidity of the air. Feel the sunshine against your closed eyes.

Really stretch your sense of touch into areas of perception that you don't normally engage. Try and go so deep into your sense of touch that you can even feel your heartbeat.

Then do the same thing with your sense of hearing.

Put your physical awareness in your ears and try to listen more deeply than you've ever listened before.

Notice what sounds are happening in the environment. Do you hear birds? Wind? Even motors or other human noises.

Don't worry if you can't identify the things you're hearing. Just focus on listening deeply.

Try and push your ability to listen far into the distance. What's the quietest sound you can hear? How many sounds can you track simultaneously?

If you're a musician or naturally inclined towards sound, this will likely come quite naturally. But if you struggle at first, just keep feeding your auditory sense and it will gradually open up more and more.

Be patient and kind to yourself!

Next you can open your eyes and take in the whole scene through your visual sense.

Don't just look at things directly with the central focus of your eyes, instead, allow your field of vision to open up into the periphery.

Allow yourself to gaze forward softly and wiggle your fingers at the sides of your visual field.

See if you can find the edges of your visual awareness. It will look like a large horizontal oval.

Just sit and be fully aware of your entire stretched out visual field.

Notice that you can take in the entire landscape all at once without focusing directly on any one thing.

You'll notice that your sense of movement becomes immediately sharper when you do this.

You'll spot insects & pollen floating softly through the land. The slightest flick of a bird's tail many yards away will tell you when there's a cat stalking through.

See how many different landscape elements you can track simultaneously.

With practice, your peripheral vision will become gradually clearer and clearer until can identify birds, plants, trees in a split second without even looking directly at them.

This will represent a massive shift in your ability to perceive beyond what most modern people ever develop.

I often lump smelling and tasting together because they're very closely related.

These are the chemical senses. Rather than detected waves of energy, they tell you about the physical environment.

Spend a few minutes really honing in your sense of taste & smell.

You'll notice that each landscape, season, even time of day has it's own particular character that can be experienced through your sense of smell & taste.

Notice that the middle of a pine forest on a warm summer day has a very particular smell to it. This sense includes how moist or dry the air as.

You can even put your nose to the earth & take in a deep breath.

Just work that sense of smell and it'll get better and better!

3. Practice Nature Observation

It's important to realize that sensory awareness is not the same thing as observing nature.

It's possible to have your senses completely switched on, yet still be completely oblivious to what's happening with the birds, plants & trees around you.

It means there's a huge difference between simply seeing a bird... and actually taking the time to watch that bird, and interpret that bird as an individual... those are two very different skills.

The real secret here is that we're stacking together different yet complimentary brain skills that activate various parts of your brain all at the same time.

We started with the physical relaxation which slows your heart-rate and brainwaves.

Then we added in massaging the sensory parts of your brain by consciously seeing, hearing, feeling, smelling, tasting.

And now we're adding in the actual awareness of patterns, relationships & sequences happening with the birds, plants, trees, etc.

So how do you do this?

You simply need to practice carefully watching, listening & observing whatever is unfolding in the environment around you!

During your sensory awareness practice you probably noticed certain trees, plants, birds, or animals occupying the space around you.

But how much did you really observe these things?

Did you really take the time to watch that bird moving along in the grass and recognize it as an individual?

What was that bird doing? Was it feeding? Was it listening & watching for predators like hawks or cats? Why was it acting that way?

Did you make a real connection with that bird?

This is really what it means to observe nature. It requires a level of perception and attunement beyond sensory awareness.

And this is where you really begin to connect deeply with the things that live in this place:

Take a few moments to consciously recognize the birds, plants, trees, activities, events, sequences, relationships, forest features & signs of animals.

You might find that the first few times you visit your sit spot, these things have very little meaning to you.

You might even believe there's nothing to observe.

But as time goes on and with repetition, something gets triggered in your emotions where you begin to feel like a sense of kinship with all the things in your surroundings.

With practice, you're in for a real treat as this landscape which was once unfamiliar, confusing & seemingly lacking in life, suddenly becomes a world of opportunity for new discoveries every time you step outside.

If you really want to get good at the skill of nature observation, I created a great introductory program called the nature memory journal that walks you through all the basics. It's just 7$ and you can get the details here.

4. Move Slowly!

Finally - In everything you do at sit spot, one of the big keys to success is moving slowly.

We live in a society that is programmed by technology to move fast and constantly flip from one thing to the next.

Instead, at sit spot, you want to savour each and every moment, and with practice it becomes like a dynamic meditation.

The best way to really tap into how this works is to imagine you've been transported back in time to a place filled with sabre toothed cats, poisonous snakes & dangers around every corner.

The ability to be aware of your surroundings is rooted in an ancient survival instinct.

You'll notice that when humans are surrounded by the possibility of danger around the corner, their minds become extremely quiet, and the senses become very sharp.

It's not an imminent danger flooded with adrenaline and stress... but simply the knowledge that if you're not completely quiet and aware of what's happening around you, then one false step will get you killed.

If you've never experienced this state it might sound a bit weird. But this is an extremely effective trigger for what modern psychologists call a "flow state".

Your mind will become incredibly quiet. Sounds in your environment will become amplified, colors and movement will be brighter and jump into your awareness. You'll be able to hear at much longer distances.

Another way to help you trigger this state of primal awareness is to simply focus on doing everything at least twice or three times as slow as you normally do.

Literally slow down your body movements, step softly and quietly when you move, stop frequently, even slow down your rate of blinking!

If you really want to push yourself, you can try stalking through the forest at night (no flashlights!) and pretend you're a mouse on the lookout for owls & foxes.

Always be intelligent when you do this. Don't get lost! Don't fall into any holes! And tell someone where you're going!

If you're moving slowly and consciously enough, you'll be amazed at what the human sensory system is capable of doing in almost completely dark conditions.

Stalking through the forest to your sit spot at night, you might have moments when your humanity seems to disappear and your inner animal mind takes over.

It's an incredible feeling, and the more you practice the easier it will be to do this any time you choose.

The golden rule is to visit your sit spot as often as you can, and practice these 4 awareness exercises.

Simply do this, and you'll find yourself making incredible progress along the journey and have awe-inspiring experiences in nature!

Next we'll talk about what kinds of experiences to expect as you continue to you visit your sit spot and cultivate awareness...

Common Experiences At Sit Spot (What To Expect On The Journey)

Having a sit spot is like going on a journey because there are different stages of development (or evolutions) that happen along the way.

This means that what you experience on the first day sitting quietly in nature will be very different from what happens on day 30 or day 90 or day 365!

As you grow in your ability to perceive the natural world, it's almost like nature seems to change before your own eyes... bringing you new and more rich experiences that grow deeper with time.

This process is actually very similar to falling in love or building a relationship with a lifelong friend.

At first, you're just taking things slow and getting to know someone. You might ask them little questions and have shared experiences.

Then gradually as time goes on, you have deeper feelings and a more mature emotional connection begins to develop.

Connection is something that all human beings crave.

And it's really this long-term bonding process that makes it possible to have your most meaningful life experiences with people and with nature.

Laughing together till it hurts, crying and comforting each other when one of you is hurting or troubled, supporting each other to grow through the ups and downs.

These aren't things you typically do with someone the very first day you meet them... and it's the exact same with your connection to nature!

The most meaningful connections always develop organically over a period of months or years.

Humans are biologically designed to have these deeply rewarding & meaningful experiences with nature just as much as we are designed to have it with other people.

But just like all relationships, you need to invest a little bit of time upfront before you get to the really good stuff!

So here are some signs and symptoms of growth you can expect along the way...

Stage 1: Orientation and Acclimation

Early on in the sit spot journey, you'll notice the experience mostly revolves around getting oriented to your new surroundings.

Remember - you're learning to engage your awareness capabilities in a way that's probably very new, so it's perfectly normal to go through a phase of adjustment while you figure things out.

For some people this can be a frustrating time because you desperately want to feel a deep connection with nature, but you haven't yet developed the awareness skills to fully satisfy that longing.

It's very important that you don't give up at this early stage!

Most people in the modern world are so disconnected from their senses that even when they surround themselves by birds, plants, trees & animals, it's almost like their brain is filtering it out.

It's possible (and even common) to sit quietly in the most amazing natural surroundings and yet somehow convince yourself that nothing is happening.

Simply do your best to accept any feelings of boredom or doubt and keep getting out there!

Keep visiting your sit spot and practice those awareness exercises! Because if you stick with it, you're in for a real treat!

Thankfully, the early challenges of this orientation phase will also be punctuated by moments of really seeing nature with new eyes, sometimes for the very first time in your life.

There's a good chance you'll have close encounters with some very cool wildlife early on your sit spot journey.

It's also very common to have moments of sudden inspiration or peace welling up inside as you see the world with newly opened eyes.

If you've never been up close with a wild songbird, or had a porcupine walk silently past you in the woods, this can be an incredible awe-inspiring experience that gets permanently imprinted into your memory.

I remember the first time I consciously activated my senses and focused 100% of my attention on nature.

I was amazed by all the life surrounding me, and the realization of what I had been missing that whole time.

It changed my life and taught me there's no limit to how far I can stretch my consciousness just by focusing my intent and tuning in.

With repetition and practice, you'll gradually experience less of the boredom and self-doubt, and more of the joy and awesomeness whenever you immerse yourself in nature.

Stage 2: Curiosity & Aliveness

The next stage of your sit spot journey is what I call Curiosity & Aliveness.

After a bit of practice, you'll begin to notice there are moments in nature when you feel a genuine and spontaneous sense of curiosity about the plants & animals sharing your sit spot.

You might start to notice there's a particular songbird that shows up repeatedly during your sits and maybe even comes to check you out.

Or you find your gaze being repeatedly drawn to certain distinctive trees, plants or rocks while doing your observation & awareness practice.

You'll hear bird & animal noises in the distance that you'll name things like "squeaky wheel bird" or "techno-blip call".

At this stage, you might not have the least clue about what species of bird or tree you're looking at, but there's just an overall sense of familiarity beginning to form.

Along with this familiarity, it becomes easier and even joyful to sit with open awareness for longer and longer periods of time.

You begin to really look forward to your time outside and think about your songbird friends before you get there.

People in this stage often start to feel like a kid again because they're relating to the world in a much more open and free kind of way.

Your body might sometimes be filled with energy after an awesome encounter at your spot... and other times you might feel extremely calm and peaceful.

The big challenge in this stage is finding plenty of ways to constantly feed your emerging curiosity and reward your new interests with the thrill of solving natural mysteries.

You're ready to have your knowledge pushed a little bit, but if you push too hard, it's still possible to get discouraged.

This is often where you might be inspired to acquire your first field guides to birds, trees, or plants only to discover how dry and overwhelming these books can be.

You're aware of this tremendous desire to know about the birds & plants living at your spot, but you aren't always sure what questions to ask or how to approach the learning process in a way that's both fun AND effective.

If you're not challenging yourself and rewarding curiosity with really good questions, it's still possible to get discouraged or bored with your progress.

This is why it's essential at this stage to have a mentor who can guide you to reach the next level by hearing your stories & asking good questions that draw the knowledge and insight out of you.

This is exactly why I created NatureMentor!

When I first started making progress with my Sit Spot, I had to travel to a completely different country on the opposite side of the continent in order to find a mentor who could really guide me into the deepest connection with nature.

The experience changed my life so much that I wanted to make mentoring opportunities globally available to everyone who wants it.

It's my desire to see you succeed on the deep nature connection journey 🙂

Rest assured that even when you hit challenges while trying to really push your knowledge & awareness, it's actually a sign of progress!

When all else fails, just keep going to your sit spot and you'll be on the right track!

Phase 3: Embracing

If you stick with your sit spot for long enough, eventually you'll reach a third phase that I call "embracing".

This is where you've become so intimately tuned and comfortable with nature, that it's almost like you leave behind the human parts of your psychology and become part of nature.

Your connection with the birds, plants, trees & animals has become so deep and intimate, that it feels like being in touch with a living consciousness behind all nature itself.

If that sounds like a weird thing to say, just think of it kind of like the feeling of getting a really good hug from someone you love.

It just feels like you're being hugged and embraced by nature.

Your mind will become very quiet and peaceful, which enables your sensory and perceptual capabilities to operate in a more balanced and harmonious way.

This is all because your normal state of awareness has shifted to the point where that you begin to move through nature in a sort of dynamic meditation.

People sometimes get glimpses of this state in earlier stages during encounters with animals or any kind of life moment that takes your breath away.

But the difference is that at this embracing stage, it becomes a permanent state of consciousness that you can access anytime, anywhere.

In my distance group mentoring program, I refer to this stage of development as the awakening of your natural instincts.

1. Indecision or dissatisfaction with finding a sit spot location

2. Finding the time to invest in your sit spot practice

And the experience will spark a host of interesting changes on many different levels... sensory, physical, emotional, mental, and even spiritual (if you're inclined to that sort of thing).

As soon as you step outside, there's an immediate sharpening of your senses, very much like waking up first thing in the morning.

Because your perception capabilities have shifted, you can now walk through the same forests and landscapes you visited in the past with new eyes.

You begin to move differently & walk differently in nature.

You'll see things in the patterns of nature that are invisible to 99% of the world's population simply because they don't know how to look.

Animals will even respond to you differently because your body language is broadcasting a much more peaceful and aware state of mind.

You're using your body and mind more like a wild animal, so you blend into the forest.

This is often where students might develop special connections with particular animals like foxes or bobcats.

My personal favorite example was a time when I was visited by a female cougar & her 3 kittens at my sit spot.

This huge cat stepped out from the bushes and I was so shocked that my body blasted out a tremendous rush of adrenaline that seemed to jumpstart my entire nervous system.

Every since that day it's like my senses have been dialled up to a higher level.

These peak experiences in nature have a harmonizing effect on your mind & body.

You begin to think from a more global perspective and your perceptions literally change how the world appears to you.

And All this is why nature truly is the cure for Tom Brown's "Land Of The Living Dead Syndrome".

This is an awesome moment because if you can reach this stage in your sit spot journey, the experience is so amazing, inspiring and feels so good that it's unlikely you will ever stop.

There are plenty more signs, symptoms and experiences you'll have along the journey, but these are really the 3 main stages to be aware of.

There's lots of surprises and excitement waiting for you, and all you have to do is start practicing!

So let's talk about how to really integrate all this with your daily life...

Integrating Sit Spot With Daily Life

As I mentioned earlier, the most important thing for achieving success is actually getting yourself to be consistent and integrate the sit spot with your daily life.

The biggest pitfalls are:

So let's tackle these now and you'll fully equipped for success!

Choosing Where To Put Your Sit Spot

Sit spot can be done literally anywhere because it's all about awareness & being present.

If you have a backyard, use it!

Look for intersections of plants, birds, trees, water, etc... but always prioritize convenience and utility over wilderness.

If your sit spot is further away, go less often, but stay for longer visits.

One of the biggest questions you need to ask yourself first is where would you like to position your sit spot?

By far - the most important thing to consider when positioning your sit spot is convenience...

Ask yourself: How easy is it for me to get there?

The most common reason why people fail at sit spot is because they're too picky about where to go.

So here's a couple things to keep in mind when choosing where to put your sit spot:

#1 Do You Have A Backyard?

If you have a backyard, I would highly recommend using that as your primary sit spot location.

Everyone I've ever met who really went to the deepest level with sit spot had the common feature of staying close to home.

It's important to remember that sit spot is not about having an amazing location... It's about YOUR OWN AWARENESS.

If you can't open your senses in any average backyard, then traveling to a remote wilderness area isn't going to help you!

And likewise - if you can successfully train your awareness in a city environment, then when you eventually get out to somewhere more wild, you'll really be ready to have your mind blown!

The more travel or time requirements you place on yourself to visit your sit spot, the less likely you are to actually create a long term habit.

If you take action, then you get results. If you don't take action, then you get no results. It's that simple.

#2 What If You Don't Have A Backyard?

If you don't have a backyard, then just focus on whatever your closest opportunity is.

You can use a nearby park, or anywhere you find a few trees, grass & birds.

You can even sit up on an apartment balcony!

You'll be pleased to discover there are infinite things to be observed in nature even with the most common things like urban crows, pigeons & starlings.

As a last resort - it's also possible to have a secondary sit spot you can visit once per week that gives you a more wild environment to practice in.

You've got a spot close to home...

You're aiming for a minimum of 5-10 minutes to start out with...

In this case you might visit less often, but give yourself more time to practice the awareness exercises whenever you go.

Main points to remember:

How Long Should You Stay At Your Sit Spot?

The truthful answer to this question of how much time per day/week is very individual...

The most important thing is to be honest with yourself about how much time you can realistically invest at your sit spot... and don't feel bad if you need to start small!

There have been times in my life when I had very effective sit spot practices lasting as little as 5 minutes per day, combined with a longer sit on weekends lasting around 30 minutes.

How busy are you?

On a scale of 1-10, how busy is your mind on any average day?

How much time do you spend letting yourself unwind and reflect?

This was a time when my lifestyle was pretty busy, and some days the absolute maximum I could manage was 5 minutes of sense meditation on the front porch.

Then there were other times in my life when I had a lot more freedom, and I would often spend an hour or more at my sit spot every single day.

Where are you currently spending your time?

What time investments are serving you vs draining you?

What are the least fulfilling things you do on a daily basis?

Do you have any relationships or habits that are draining you?

It's all about looking at your own life and deciding what will enable you stick with this as a long term practice.

If you ever find yourself saying you want to do sit spot, but then repeatedly unable to do so because of time -

Here are 2 things to look at:

First - Are you trying to make sit spot too complex?

Some people just set unrealistic goals like: I'm going to sit spot for an hour every day at 6am... Then they beat themselves up when they fail!

Trust me... You don't want to burn yourself out in a week by trying to go every day for 2 hours!

You'll probably have much better results by aiming low and gradually increasing as you get more comfortable, rather than starting off at the exact level you want to be in the future.

Starting off at 60 minutes will probably be too challenging for most people! So for starters, just try 10 minutes and see how that goes...

If you feel like stopping there, head on home and feel good about your practice. Even 10 minutes can be 100% success!

Then as you begin to establish this daily rhythm of short sits, you might also notice days when you feel inspired to stay a bit longer... so go ahead and do it!

Pretty soon you'll find yourself so immersed in watching what's happening around you, 30 minutes will go by and it will feel completely effortless.

Second - Is your life too complex?

Okay, so let's say you've tried to shorten the time and make your sit spot routine super simple.

But you still just cannot get yourself to do it.

If you seriously can't find time for a 5 or 10 minute sit in the backyard, the problem is usually that your life itself has an overwhelming amount of complexity in it.

In this case, we might need to do a bit of lifestyle engineering first.

One of the least desirable byproducts of this fast paced, technology driven world we live in is that most humans have taken on an overwhelming amount of complexity in their daily life.

This means that even the simplest of good habits (like sitting quietly outside in nature) can become so overwhelming that you might avoid it.

So take a moment to reflect on your life...
You'll find that when you start from this place of simplicity with your finances, it enables you to have a lot more choice about where you invest your energies... and that includes energy to visit your sit spot!
If your answers to these questions center around being very fast-paced and/or busy, then I would encourage you to take inventory of your life and start eliminating everything that isn't serving you to be at your best.

Start by looking at how you're currently using your time.

Quite frankly, most people just try to pack way too much stuff into their days.

How is your relationship with money?

Where are you currently spending more than you can afford?

Do you have monthly payments on things you don't want or use?

Where is it possible to downgrade your expenses and still be just as happy?

Are you spending money on things that just make you busier?

If you are someone who always seems to be on the go with not enough time for things that are truly important to you, consider this...

People vastly overestimate the number of things they can do in a day... and they vastly underestimate the value of doing even just one thing really well.

If your life always feels very busy, it's almost guaranteed that you're doing a bunch of things that simply are not serving you to be your best.

It takes a bit of honest reflection, but eliminating these things is one of the best things you could possibly do to really stay on track with your commitment to sit spot!

Finding Security (Money And Sit Spot)

One of the great things about having a sit spot in nature is that it's a totally free way to learn, grow and have fun outside.

But I've also noticed that sometimes when people have very messy financial habits, this can put tremendous stress on their ability to settle into a sit spot routine.

It's important to note that "messy financial habits" can happen at any level of income, so this has nothing to do with how much money you make.

It's really more about whether you're currently living beyond your means.

I see a lot of people these days getting locked into big financial commitments they can't actually afford.

Then they have to work extra hard in order to keep up with their expensive lifestyle, and it stresses them out so they can't focus.

At extreme levels, sometimes people end up losing everything because they can't keep up.

Or else it just becomes this background level of stress and feeling like you never have enough.

Many people get conditioned from a young age into thinking we need all kinds of gadgets & things in order to live a complete and happy life.

It can be a huge relief to realize that you can be perfectly happy and satisfy all your needs with a lot less.

Rather than building an extravagant lifestyle and then striving to bring your income up to that level...

Instead, try setting your lifestyle well below your current income and generate your wellbeing from inside by growing personally.

It might sound crazy, but if you always aim to live below your means then you'll never have to stress about money.

This doesn't mean you can't gradually build up to a more lavish lifestyle. It simply means you're doing it on your own terms.

You'll probably even find it easier to get into your ideal career and financial situation when you aren't constantly scrounging just to survive.

It's much easier to balance your personal wellbeing & growth with work and creative output when you're not being crushed under a mountain of stress.

I know these might be tough questions for some people.

It does take a bit of careful reflection, but if you're serious about going on the sit spot journey, you definitely owe it to yourself to have some stability in your life.

Conclusions:

Always remember that sitting quietly in nature with open senses isn't just something that can be done on vacation or for fun.

If you can integrate a simply daily sit spot routine into your life, it will dramatically change your relationship with nature, and with yourself!

You will definitely notice results every time you go outside, but the greatest benefits come from compounding over time.

Whether you're a budding naturalist or wildlife tracker, or passionate about personal & spiritual growth, or if you just want to cultivate a relationship with nature...

Sit spot is one of the absolutely best way to really open yourself up and connect with life on so many different levels.

Thank you so much for reading this guide!

I hope you enjoyed being on this adventure with me and if you'd like help on the journey, check out my distance mentoring program or any of the programs offered through NatureMentor!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Complete Guide To Using A Sit Spot In Nature

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A sit spot (or secret spot) is simply a favorite place in nature that you visit regularly to cultivate awareness as you expand your senses and study patterns of local plants, birds, trees, animals, etc.

# data[].attributes.body
Newsela, video clips, etc.