Our nervous system is hard wired to thrive with a connection to nature, and without it we can feel depleted without even knowing why.
The concept of a sit spot was first introduced to me by a wonderful family that I was lucky enough to nanny for when I was 22. They taught me so much about raising children and set my standard for a lifestyle I wanted to have one day. Additionally, they introduced me to Jon Young, the author of one of my favorite books “What the Robin Knows: How Birds Reveal the Secrets of the Natural World”. Jon Young is well known in permaculture but one thing he inspired in me and my family is to observe with what we call a sit spot.
A sit spot is a daily practice where you sit outside in nature for 20-40 minutes. It takes that amount of time for the birds and creatures to settle down after a disturbance so it has to be a least 20 minutes. The nature spot should be somewhere close to your home in a wild place. It should ideally be the same place every time where the plants, birds and animals are your neighbors. What you will notice right away are the immediate things like the plants and birds and even though soil beneath you. Over time you will see the conversation of the birds, how the plants start to change with the shift in the seasons.
Tell the story of nature connection with your children and share this concept with them. They will likely surprise you by finding their own sit spot, their own connection to their nervous system and their stories to tell.
