Are you feeling stressed out by life? Do you know that knitting can help? Knitting is beneficial for mental health. It can help reduce anxiety and stress. Many evenings I end my day with stitching a few rows to help unwind from a stressful day. It can boost confidence and give a sense of accomplishment. It feels great to complete a project, look at it and think, I created that! It's a way to practice mindfulness. I'm sure you've heard the phrase "knitting is the new yoga". It's true, when I knit a project that doesn't take much concentration on the pattern (think stockinette beanie in the round) I get in a zone where everything else is tuned out, it's the only time I truly experience a feeling of zen.
Let's take this a step further and think about how color influences our mood. Choose to work with a color or colors that make you feel good. Whether that feeling is joy, empowerment, relaxation, love or one of many other emotions, work with something that makes you feel good!
This year I'm trying something new. I'm really focusing on self-care for the first time in a long time. Being a Spoonie and also a caregiver to an elderly parent, I got lost in taking care of family and trying to keep up with dyeing and keeping my business running. Needless to say, I suffered from burnout and found little joy in anything including dyeing yarn and knitting.
In January I started my yoga practice again for the first time in years. It has been a wonderful experience these past few months regaining my strength and flexibility and being able to clear my mind and find joy in dyeing and knitting again! Now when I dye yarn or knit, I feel that same inner peace I feel after a yoga session. I'm so inspired by where my yoga practice has brought me that I've renamed my yarn bases to show my love and appreciation of what yoga gave back to me. My hope is that through sharing my journey, it will remind you to take time out of your busy life and practice the self care that you deserve. Whether your idea of self care is knitting or something else, just do something that brings you joy!
Happy creating and Namaste!
