Zen Knitting as a Source of Relaxation and Meditation

Raise your hand if you're a knitter! Knitting, though not necessary to make clothes anymore, has been gaining popularity in recent years due to many factors. For a lot of people, it's satisfying to create something, literally, from your own two hands. You can see progress quickly. For an anxious person, it gives them something to do. Many people enjoy shopping for yarn and enjoy the tactile feel. Yarn and craft shops are a source of camaraderie and friendship, and there are many clubs to join. Yarn comes in way cool textures and colors, and, it has been my experience, cats love it!

Even if you're not a cat person, there are many reasons why you might enjoy knitting. It's a relatively inexpensive hobby that you can do anywhere. It gets a lot of attention. Everywhere you go, people ask about what you're making. Many women shrug their shoulders and say, "I've been wanting to learn how to knit." You can think about others and make gifts for them, which, unfortunately, are well-meant but sometimes under appreciated! So it puts you in a good mindset where you are not thinking about worries and cares, but about a simple task at hand and others. This is where the mediation part comes in.

Webster's Dictionary defines Meditation as, " A devotional exercises of / or leading up to contemplation."(Webster's, 1993) Contemplation can be achieved in many ways, one most often used is the repetition of a ritualized or spiritual gestures. Many yogis chant or contemplate on one sight or sound to achieve this inner focus. Many Catholics pray the Rosary, and Buddhists and Muslims use Prayer Beads. This simple act of repeating a physical sequence over and over calms the mind to stillness. The same principle could be applied to knitting.

I recommend reading a wonderful book called "Zen and the Art of Knitting", for any knitter who wants to deepen their skills and move their craft to a higher focus. Bernadette Murphy, the author, gives humorous anecdotes and stories that show the reader how knitting has enriched her life, while also offering up actual knitting projects! It is a fun, insightful read.

In this hectic, fast-paced society, it is refreshing for many people to knit. It is such an ancient, organic, quiet art form that can put a bit of peace in one's everyday life. It is easy to learn, and can offer many rewards, if one is patient.