Category:
- Mental Wellness 🧠
- Spiritual Wellness 🙏
- Social Wellness 🧑🤝🧑
Age Groups
- Grade 4-6
- Grade 7-9
Introduction
The Sit Spot is a spot in nature that you visit regularly to connect with nature through engaging all the senses. In our Indigenous cultures the relationship with the land is a sacred trust and a way of refreshing our body, mind, heart, and spirit.
Objective
Cultivate inner and outer awareness through developing a sit spot practice.
Materials
- Introduction to Sit Spots
- Quiet spot to observe nature
- Journal
Steps
- Find a safe spot outside that you can sit in for 20 minutes or more. Try to find a spot that you feel drawn to.
- Dedicate 20 minutes to simply sitting in the spot that you chose.
- As you immerse yourself in your surroundings, try to observe both your inner and outer world. The purpose of a sit spot is to ‘tune in’, rather than ‘zone out’.
- Try to quiet your mind by engaging your senses. What do you see? What plants and animals are in this environment? What sounds do you hear? What do you smell? Are there plants that are safe to touch or taste?
- When thoughts arise, come back to your senses; to the sounds, sights, smells, tastes and feel of your surroundings.
- Notice what you feel inside both physically and emotionally.
- Allow yourself to find pleasure and feel a deep appreciation for what you discover.
- After you have finished with the sit spot, try to capture some element of your experience in a sketch or journal reflection. You can use symbols, doodles, key words, etc.
Reflection
- What did you find enjoyable about this activity? What did you find challenging?
- What strategies did you use to quiet your mind?
- What are some of the different feelings that you had in your sit spot?
- Did you become aware of the land? Did you feel a connection to the land? What’s one word that describes your relationship with the land around you?
Extension
If you want to establish a sit spot practice, it is suggested that you return to the same spot each time. The more you visit this spot, the more familiar you will become with it.