Knitting - As Good As Yoga

When I can't knit, I get cranky. While at work, I get sneaky, looking for opportunities to knit; during breaks, in my car when I arrive at meetings early. Sometimes even at trainings if they are teleconferences when no one will be offended by what appears to be less than perfect focus. The truth is, I listen better when I am knitting. I get less fidgety. I can concentrate longer if I knit. If presenters knew that, perhaps they wouldn't be offended by people knitting during meetings. I am wandering away from the topic now, but I will wander on back.

I always knew that something really wonderful was happening when I knit. It felt good. Not just the sense of accomplishment. In fact, quite the contrary. Once I mastered patience in knitting (as I did in many other pursuits; sewing, crossstitch, crocheting), I learned that there was more benefit and pleasure in the doing than pleasure in the finished piece. There is a magical mind-body connection that one enters when knitting. Years ago I did some long distance walking for my health. The beginning of walking for me was always focused on aches and pains and hard breathing. To sum it up, it was pretty uncomfortable. But after I had been doing it for a while, my mind would travel somewhere else, and the pain would disappear. After I reached this point, it felt as though I could walk forever. Where my mind goes when I am knitting reminds me of that experience. Now there are articles about the wonderful benefits of knitting. Lowering blood pressure, helping kids with ADHD to calm themselves, relaxation are just a few of the benefits. Check out this article: http://www.detnews.com/2005/metro/0503/25/D01-128659.htm