Day 30

I’ve reached day 30 of this 30 day sit spot challenge 2024 and to no one’s surprise I am so glad I made myself take the journey again. Also probably to no one’s surprise I find myself eager to keep it going.

Takeaways:

1. making time to sit in nature is valuable to the quality of my life - it makes all aspects of my life better.

2. Five minutes is usually not long enough, but it is also often just the right amount. I don’t need to pressure myself if I just really feel like I don’t have the time.

3. I am human and sometimes I want to do other things. It’s okay. Practicing doing things when I don’t want to or are hard makes the experience richer when it’s fairytale easy.

4. sometimes I just don’t want to do the things I “should” do. That is also okay until I start avoiding it and then I need to spend some time examining what’s going on inside?

5. My awareness of the world around me - and not just the natural world is greatly improved.

6. My connection to the natural world is richer and deeper when I am paying attention to it - duh

7. I don’t have to have the most magical spot the world has ever seen to enjoy the sights and sounds of the living nonhuman beings.

8. Sitting in the dark in the rain is almost always worth it. It is so fun to chase down a natural mystery - thinking that sound I thought was a frog was probably more likely to be the neighbor’s cat killing something slowly. Can’t take the cat out of a cat.

9. For the first time ever I’m excited to watch hummingbirds. I know you all love them. They’re great, but have been less interesting to me than learning the song birds and their patterns and songs.

10. I have really missed having a home that is mine and a place to settle into. Who knew? 🏠🩵🌱

22 days

22 days into this Sitspot challenge. I haven’t missed a day, but they haven’t all been pristine or perfect. Most have been a struggle to accomplish. All have been worth it.

When I did this thing so many years ago I had all these preconceived notions about meditation and mind emptying.

I constantly felt like I was never going to get it. I was fortunate to have two mentors in particular who helped me create the foundation the practice would be built upon. Both taught me childlike wonder - really they opened my eyes back up to the childlike wonder I came equipped with - that we all come equipped with.. and only I can do something about the noise in my brain.. and that, I had to learn to sit with. After a few years with less intentionality to this simple practice I again feel the compulsion of just paying attention. Of being awake. I’m naturally an overachiever so I’m sure I’m going to keep going.. until I don’t. If you started and didn’t find it enjoyable don’t sweat it. It could be that it’s not your jam. If you did start it and wish you could have kept it going but can’t figure out how let me know. We can talk more about it. There is a reason only a small number of people ever “master” meditation and many of those retreated somewhere outside their ‘normal’ lives to learn and practice. This works for me - even if I’m writing while I do it.. I know that more often than not I’m just sitting here observing my mind and my surroundings.

Shoutout to mentors Mike and Rick