By Sean Fagan
P1040474

My favourite seat (Photo: Sean Fagan).

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Why Sitting Outdoors is good

For the Soul...and Bushcraft

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Above is a photo of one of the favourite places I like to hang out.

It's a fallen sycamore tree.

I’ve carved many a wooden item while sitting on this tree.

I’ve sat before many a fire, throughout the seasons, on this tree.

A lot of the time I just sit and relax – watching the restless interplay between the sky and the trembling canopy above of sessile oak, sweet chestnut and birch leaves.

My favourite time is sitting before a warming fire while surrounded by a chilly, starry night – just me, the cosmos and the sounds of the night-shrouded woods.

On very quiet days I can hear a nearby spring - gently gurgling.

A clear-running spring which provides my drinking water all year round - even during the coldest, frostiest of days.

Over the years I’ve got to know these woods well – the various birdsong and calls, the tracks, the animals that made the tracks, even individual trees.

Whenever I’m not there, this place occasionally haunts my imagination.

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When you practice bushcraft enough, when you spend enough nights outdoors – the boundaries between yourself and wild places become more and more diffuse.

You begin to identify with a wild place - with all the familiarity and warm assurance of a good friend.

And that’s a great feeling.

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No matter what travails you face in life – it’s reassuring to know there is a quiet place in the world that will offer solace each and every time you visit.

It’s my belief that humankind is made to find contentment and inspiration in nature.

And bushcraft is the perfect vehicle to unshackle ourselves, however temporarily, from the often strenuous and fraught demands of modern living - and slip into an immensely enriching world that resonates so strongly within us.

A world that is greater than us - and very much a vital part of our being.

If you haven’t already – I urge you to find your own, favourite sit spot in a quiet pocket of nature.

Tuck yourself away in that place and sit still – and allow the deep, timeless peace of nature to seep in.

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The Bushcraft Benefits of a Sit Spot

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Can the regular use of a sit spot improve your bushcraft skills & knowledge?

Yes - it most certainly can!

Often competence in bushcraft is a dynamic blend of knowledge, practice, experience and observation.

Being attuned to the surroundings is of great importance to anybody who wants to excel at bushcraft.

...and the simple act of sitting still and paying attention to your surroundings, when practiced enough, will often drastically improve your outdoor awareness skills.

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Firstly, sitting still in nature calms and slows the mind, which improves our powers of observation.

Sitting still in nature can also sharpen other senses - such as our sense of hearing and smell.

It also cultivates patience - a greatly overlooked, important attribute of bushcraft (and life).

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Here is just a sample of observation-dominant, bushcraft activities that will benefit from using a sit spot regularly.

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  1. Tracking
  2. Mushroom Identification & Foraging
  3. Plant Identification & Foraging
  4. Wildlife Observation
  5. Natural Navigation (e.g. stars, moon, sun, constellations...)
  6. Sourcing Bushcraft Resources (e.g. water, fuel, shelter materials...)

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Keen powers of observation greatly facilitate these activities - and regularly using a sit spot - will undoubtedly sharpen your overall powers of observation.

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Top Tip:    How to Use a Sit Spot to Improve your Bushcraft

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Before embarking on a bushcraft activity that requires a patient, observant attitude - find a sit spot and relax for 5-10 minutes.

Watch, smell and listen to everything around you.

The following is a suggested list of external factors to pay attention to:

  1. Position of sun.
  2. Direction & strength of wind.
  3. All tracks & sign that can be seen from your sit spot.
  4. Different sounds (e.g. birdsong & calls, trees rustling...).
  5. Smells (such as the scent of a damp woodland floor etc).

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Engage all the senses - with the ultimate goal of trying to listen, watch and smell as much as possible, at the same time - for as long as you can.

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This short, 5-10 minute exercise will slow down and re-calibrate the mind to be more observant & patient.

But here is the real challenge - try to continue the same sit-spot mindfulness while actively preforming observation-oriented bushcraft tasks.

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Now you are primed to track, stalk, find plants & mushrooms, find a great campsite...with far greater effectiveness.

Try the sit-spot for at least 2 weeks - 5-10 minutes per day (if possible).

You will experience a greatly improved richness in what you observe, smell and hear - tracks will start to 'pop' out more, colours will become more vivid, scents more acute...

In effect - you will enjoy and appreciate the outdoors more.

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Red deer & bird tracks on the shores of Lough Leine, Ireland (Photo: Sean Fagan - Killarney National Park, Southwest Ireland).

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PIONEER BUSHCRAFT DISCLAIMER

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The aim of this article is to provide advice that will enhance the quality of your time, and well-being, when outdoors.

Pioneer Bushcraft does not take any responsibility for the misapplication of advice in this article.

The advice in this article is very much an adjunct to, and not a substitute for,  high-quality bushcraft training (including outdoor medical training), relevant research and experience, trustworthy local knowledge, thorough risk assessments and all other health & safety considerations specific and pertinent to your outdoor excursions.

Please – when outdoors, take responsibility for your well being seriously.

It can make all the difference between a great or bad outdoor experience.