Friends, I was thrilled to be included in a Wall Street Journal article about knitting as a form of meditation and mindfulness. This is the first official announcement about my new project, MedKNITation™.
As you know, I’m always looking for different ways to meditate. So many people have trouble meditating, or just think they can’t get the hang of meditation. I have that same problem sometimes, so I like to look for ways to have a meditative experience—ways that have the same benefits of meditation, without the frustration.
Knitting is one of those meditative experiences. I started knitting again in 2016, when the country was having a meltdown. Knitting really soothed my nerves. Soon I noticed that knitting had many of the same properties as the traditional meditations: the repetitive motion of the stitches is like using mala beads. I could repeat mantras along with the stitches. Making row after neat row of stitches let my parasympathetic nervous system, or peace response, reduce the stress in my mind and body.
Knitting also had its own calming properties. The neat rows of stitches give a sense of order, even when life feels very disorganized. There’s a soothing tactile element of handling soft, fuzzy yarn. Knitting is satisfying; it has tangible results you can feel right in your hands. And there’s something so soul-enriching about making something by hand, especially in this one-click age of ours.
Last year, I was asked to do a reading of Yoga Mind at Knitty City, my favorite yarn shop. Instead of a reading, I put some of the tools in Yoga Mind to use and led a knitting meditation, or MedKNITation™. The longtime knitters who filled the shop that night said it was the most relaxing thing they’d experienced in a long time.
I’ll be leading more MedKNITation™ sessions at Knitty City, starting with a kickoff event during World Wide Knit in Public Day in Bryant Park. (Follow me on Instagram and Facebook for details.) Then, there will be regular MedKNITation™ sessions at Knitty City in New York City (check their calendar for details). There will also be MedKNITation™ items coming soon, and, of course, a MedKNITation™ book! I’ll keep you posted on details.
If you’re already a knitter, I know you’ll enjoy MedKNITation™. And if you’re not a knitter, maybe you’ll find what I did back in 2016: knitting is a form of meditation, and it’s fun. I hope we’ll get to knit together soon!
For more on MedKNITation™, click here. To read the full Wall Street Journal article, click here.