I hinted that I had a little something extra for you, well here it is! In the soundscape of this month’s podcast episode ‘New Beginnings’ I talk about how Sweet Chestnut and their long-limbed friends have resuscitated me and taught me how to sit and listen to the world. But how did they do that?
You may have unintentionally already done the practice of ‘sit spots’. It’s quite simply choosing a place in nature that you go back to again and again to sit and observe the natural world around you.
The important aspect being it is done consciously and is active, rather than passive. We tune our attention in, rather than out. Slowly, little by little, nature welcomes us in to be a part of what is unfolding around us. The creatures come to accept us as part of the landscape, going on about their business, unfazed by our human presence.
How to do the practice of ‘sit spots’:
In season 2’s podcast episode ‘Robin’, we learned about Dr. Amishi Jha’s Flashlight and floodlight metaphor. The flashlight being a narrowed beam of our attention. The floodlight where we broaden it and open into presence.
We want to come to our sit spot, relax into ourselves and the moment. Letting go of having anywhere else to be, ww broaden our awareness to take in the whole world around us. That’s first tuning into our senses. What do we see and hear? Do we taste anything? What do we smell? Does any part of nature feed into our sense of touch?
Stay for 5 minutes at least, taking a little sensory mental note of what is unfolding around you. Come back to the same spot again and again and see how the landscape keeps expanding and how you have gone from being a casual observer to a part of the theatre. It is wonderful!
Let me know how you get on.