Knitting: Meditative AND Productive
Knitting, the perfect pastime for peace
When I'm knitting in public (a process now known as 'kipping,' by the way - and which I do as often as possible!), inevitably someone comments on how 'relaxed' I look. Well, of course I look relaxed when I'm knitting… it's because I'm not just knitting, I'm almost meditating.
There's so many things truly soul-satisfying about knitting - it really is the perfect pastime for peace.
The repetitive motion of the knitting needles (put the point in, wrap the yarn around, a gentle twist, and gently pull the point out… put the point in, wrap the yarn around…) is very soothing and relaxing - it's a motion that's almost meditative all by itself.
And knitting after (or during!) an otherwise stressful day is doubly therapeutic - who needs a psychiatrist when you can resort to knitting?
Knitting keeps your hands busy, so if there's any truth to that old adage that idle hands do the devil's work, then I'll be going to heaven for sure! It also keeps my mind from being bored - or even wandering. (This is especially useful during committee meetings - try it, you'll see!) :-)
Another cool thing about knitting that's peaceful is that I can take it wherever I go. My peace of mind isn't confined to one geographical area or room in my house -- it's portable peace!
Another 'meditative' aspect of knitting is that I can have more than one project on the go at the same time. That way, I can decide to either challenge myself with difficult knitting, or work on 'mindless' projects when I just need something easy to do. I also practice something akin to color therapy - the color of whatever I'm working on may often reflect my mood!
Finally, one of the most wonderful aspects of knitting is that I feel 'connected' when I'm doing it - to my hard-working women ancestors who had to work hard to produce whatever 'textiles' were required in their homes, and to women friends who are fiber artists like myself who enjoy knitting so much.
And last of all, I feel connected to planet earth when I'm knitting - I'm often using 'natural' fibers, AND I'm often focused on providing security or warmth to a fellow human being.
Knitting - it's both meditative AND productive.