Medknitation Part III: A Calmer Way of Life

Medknitating even works for people who have a more traditional meditation practice, like best-selling author and yarn expert Clara Parkes. “Every morning before I get up, I breathe in for, say, four seconds, hold that breath for about seven seconds, then slowly exhale for eight seconds. Sometimes when I begin I can’t hold my breath for that long, but after a few repetitions, it’s easy,” she says. “I try to do at least ten repetitions. I also do it if I’m in a plane going through turbulence, or if I’m nervous before giving a talk.”

But Clara also agrees that medknitation is a thing, and one that works. “The rhythmic, repetitive motion of knitting absolutely brings on a meditative state for me. The minute I sit down and assume the knitting posture, hands together, eyes cast downward, fingers performing the familiar motions, I can feel my body begin to relax. My mind shifts into a place of quiet calm and focus.”

How to Medknitate

Here’s how to get in a daily dose of relaxing, wellness-promoting medknitation:

Give It a Try

In yoga teacher training, I learned that when you explain what an exercise does for someone, they’re more enthusiastic about doing it, and they may even experience greater benefits because of the mind-body connection. You may have been knitting and crocheting very happily before, but now that you know your yarn work is a form of meditation, you can feel even better about it. And if you thought you couldn’t meditate before, congratulations—you’re a medknitation master!

This is the final part in a series of three articles by Suzan Colón, a New York City-based yoga instructor, writer, and knitter. (Read part Part I for an introduction to medknitation, and read Part II for more information about the benefits.) Visit Suzan’s website at www.suzancolon.net to learn more.

Originally posted on June 28,2018; updated on April 19, 2023.