When I feeling worn and with ruminating thoughts, I sit down and pick up my knitting.
With every stitch, I feel my body relax, my breath becomes even, and my attention is drawn to the rhythm of my needles. I call it knitting meditation.
It’s been said that practices like yoga and meditation can lower blood pressure, reduce cortisol levels, and relieve conditions like insomnia.
Knitting involves using both hands, and math, so it improves fine motor skills, keeping the mind active. And, unlike meditation, knitting result in tangible products that can enhance self-esteem.
All the meditation can warp time and, when Iโm absorbed in knitting, I enter that altered state. The repetition of stitches, one stitch after the next, after the next, is a mindless thing.
Whether for 10 minutes or two hours of sitting down with your yarn and your knitting needles, you can feel your heart rate drop, and the dance of the needles become muscle memory.
If you embrace the knitting meditation and focus only on the next stitch on the needle, you can put an end to ruminating thoughts and re-establish a feeling of calm, control, and grounded-ness. While your whole being is involved, time seems to stand still, your inner critic is silenced, and you are performing at the peak of your current ability.
For me, knitting is one of the most powerful and effective meditation practices. Sometimes my pattern is very simple and I am able to focus on the rhythm of the movement. Other times the pattern is complex, requiring all of my focused attention to counting stitches.
The truth is, no matter why you knit, the benefits of knitting meditation lead to a place of peace.