Coyote Mentoring Core Routines: Sit Spots
What It Is—and Why It Matters
Sit Spot is the foundational core routine of nature connection. It is the practice of returning again and again—ideally every day—to the same place in nature to listen, observe, and simply be. In the words of Coyote’s Guide, it is “the heart of the routines.” Over time, the Sit Spot becomes a mirror, a teacher, and a doorway to deep awareness. It’s not about doing something. It’s about relationship.
By sitting quietly in one spot, we begin to see patterns. We learn the daily rhythms of birds and breezes. We notice tracks that weren’t there yesterday. We hear the far-off alarm call of a jay and know who might be moving through. This quiet repetition deepens the senses and anchors the learner in a place-based relationship. It cultivates “quiet mind,” “inquisitive focus,” and a sense of belonging that can’t be taught—only experienced.
Sit Spot matters because it slows us down. It interrupts the modern tendency to rush and consume. Instead, it invites us into a reciprocal relationship with the land. Over time, a person with a strong Sit Spot practice begins to feel like they are known by the place—not just knowing about nature, but being part of it.
What It Might Look Like
It’s a daily return.
A child tucks into the same patch of goldenrod behind the schoolyard fence. A teen climbs the same boulder in the woods every morning before breakfast. An adult sits beneath the same cedar tree year-round. Sit Spot isn’t about variety—it’s about depth. The more often we return, the more the place reveals itself.
The body settles. The senses open.
At first, there’s restlessness. But soon, breathing slows. Eyes soften. Sounds emerge: the rattle of leaves, the wingbeat of a robin, a distant squirrel's bark. Over time, the Sit Spot becomes a sensory anchor—a place where the edges between self and world begin to blur.
Nothing “happens”—and everything does.
A mentor might ask later, “What did you notice?” The child says, “Nothing really… but I think the chickadees got used to me.” That is everything. As the birds accept your stillness, the forest starts to behave as if you belong. This is called baseline. And it’s a sign that connection is deepening.
The Sit Spot becomes a friend.
When life is overwhelming, the Sit Spot offers steadiness. In the book, Jon Young writes of people returning to their spot for years—finding not just knowledge, but healing. With time, the place itself becomes a relationship. It listens. It teaches. It welcomes us home