“There is a spirituality indigenous to every land. When you move in harmony with that spirit of place, you are practicing native (not Native) spirituality.”
— Loren Cruden, The Spirit of Place
This one quote (above) that I found in an article written by Joanna Powell, radically changed my spiritual path. For the past several years, I've been trying to track my Scottish ancestry and looking into their beliefs. But I am here, in the Deep South, a world away from that land. And while I believe my ancestry plays a part in my beliefs, I do know that I must learn to be native in my own land.
For those who haven't read it, here's Joanna's article:
http://gaiantarot.typepad.com/artists_journal/2010/04/becoming-native-to-your-place.html
I've been employing several techniques encouraged by the Wilderness Awareness program for becoming native to my own place. One of which is the "Sit Spot:"
For a short video about it:
http://kamana.org/lessons/video/finding-a-sit-spot-video/
And here's an easy-to-understand summary:
The Sit Spot
Where should it be? Find a place REALLY CLOSE to home. The big reason why people fail to visit a sit spot is that it is too far away and we all get lazy. Make sure it's a place you can hang out for 15 or 30 minutes and feel safe.
What makes for a great spot? All spots have the potential to be great, but the more nature the better. A big tree nearby, grass or dirt underfoot, a water source, fewer people/cars around, and a visible bird feeder will all make for more action.
An Example - In downtown Boston I had a fantastic sit spot on the ugly tar-paper roof of my apartment building. The view was stupendous and I saw red tailed hawks, starlings, blue jays, and house finches up close when they landed on the television antennas. I also watched the seasons change, the wind blow storms in, and could see the Charles river. I went every morning with my tea and it was one of the best parts of the day.
What will I do there? When you first go to your sit spot, close your eyes. Yup. Close them. Then give your sense of smell and hearing a chance. Tune in to the sounds nearby and really far away. Think about the temperature sensitivity of your skin, look around and make a mental inventory, a list of everything there. Think big - trees, airplanes. Think small-grass, beetles. Are you hearing or smelling any of these things? Wait just a bit longer than is comfortable. Now think about your skin. Is it humid? Is it cold or warm? How does your skin feel different on your legs and on your face? Can you feel the ground? Okay, now you can open your eyes. Take a mental inventory, a list of what's there. Again, think both big and small. Try to sit really still. Why sit still? Well, most of the animals of the world are seriously afraid of humans. No birds, raccoons, chipmunks, moles, foxes, or any other wild animals are going to get within 15 feet of you if you are moving around making noise.
After sitting, document your experience:
Set the stage - What time did you go out? What was the weather like, What were you doing just beforehand? *
Record observations before inferences - Always say what you noticed before attempting to figure out why you noticed it. *For example, "When I came outside, I smelled a strong scent of charcoal and cooking meat. *My neighbors mentioned they may have a barbeque this weekend, so that might be where the smell is coming from."*
A picture tells a thousand words - If you can't explain something as well as you can draw it, then draw it! Don't worry about making a work of art, just do a simple sketch.
Write from all of your senses - Don't just say what you see, say what you smell, hear, feel, and even taste (you can taste salt in the air when the wind comes off the ocean!)
The Sit Spot sounds like such a simple thing to do, but I can honestly say it has taught me more things than I have ever learned in a book or class, and opened my heart in ways I didn't know was possible.
