While knitting may not give you the same rush as a backbend, this hugely popular hobby has become known as “the new yoga.” What does yarn have to do with downward dog? “You need to stay present when you knit. Even if you are just doing garter stitch and don’t have to pay super close attention to your work, you are always grounded when you are knitting,” says Cyndi Lee, director of Om Yoga in NYC.  “The tactile experience of touching the yarn, touching the needles, gives us a sense of earthiness, of being present, and feeling connected to ourselves and even to our world. This kind of connection is what yoga is all about.”

From the well-known Kripalu Center in western Massachusetts to Whatcom Community College in Bellingham, Washington, wellness seekers of all ages are being exposed to the meditative qualities of knitting and yoga. Tara Jon Manning, author of Mindful Knitting and Compassionate Knitting, hosts weekend retreats to Vermont for “curious knitters.” Exploring the parallels between knitting and meditation is done through yoga, daily hikes, craft instruction, and other optional outdoor activities. “Yoga can offer a method for somatic integration of the Mindful Knitting experience, as well as ways to correct posture, integrate stretches, and bring energy and blood flow back to the body after a long period of sitting still. The focus on work on your needles, and the focus of your body holding an asana are of course very different, but each allows the practitioner to leave thoughts and distractions behind and focus on a specific object or action.” says Jon Manning. Whether you spend the weekend with Tara or relaxing in your own backyard, knitting can help still your mind and provide you with a unique memento of your own creation.

Resources Sidebar

Eco-friendly and sustainable knitting is gaining popularity. Organic cotton and wool yarns are just beginning of your options; fibers made from corn, bamboo, soy, and seaweed are on the market as well. Bamboo knitting needles are often the first choice for thousands planet-conscious crafty connoisseurs.

Supplies:

  • Vtorganicfiber.com – 100% organic wool in 13 rich colors and 50% organic wool/50% organic cotton in unique, marbled colors
  • Blueskyaplacas.com – 100% organic cotton in earth tones, as well as nearly 30 vibrant shades for all variety of projects
  • Soysilk.com – company that offers the widest variety of sustainable yarns: organic cotton, milk fiber, soy silk, bamboo, corn, and hemp
  • Mangomoonyarns.com – unique (and butter soft) recycled silk yarn from saris, made by otherwise impoverished women and children in Nepal and Indonesia
  • Classiceliteyarns.com – solid and patterned bamboo yarn
  • Lanaknits.com – 100% hemp and hemp-blend yarns in assorted colors
  • Paivatar.com – hemp, organic cotton, organic wool, and natural dyes for you to create custom colors
  • Organicwoollies.co.uk – organic wool, directly from Britain
  • Earthfriendlyyarns.com – online store with wide selection of organic, vegan, recycled, and fair-trade yarns

Books:                                  

  • The Knitting Sutra by Susan Gordon Lydon
  • Mindful Knitting by Tara Jon Manning
  • Compassionate Knitting by Tara Jon Manning
  • No Sheep for You by Amy R. Singer
  • The Natural Knitter: How to Choose, Use, and Knit Natural Fibers from Alpaca to Yak by Barbara Albright

[Scans can be seen here]