Granny may be on to something that our comparatively inexperienced presence may not be aware of. We often run to Granny for her sage, sometimes cryptic, wisdom. And Grannies knit. Are the two related? Would we be well served by picking up a pair of knitting needles and a skein or two of yarn? Perhaps, through knitting, we are really weaving together deeper levels of consciousness and self-awareness disguised as a misshapen turtleneck sweater. In other words, do we find relief for the monkey mind Inner Critic that serves up stress, anxiety, fear and doubt through cog-knitting?
We know that knitting is a method by which thread or yarn may be turned into cloth. Knitting consists of loops called stitches pulled through each other. The active stitches are held on a needle until another loop can be passed through them.
Here are a couple of definitions of the word Cognitive found on the Web:
- The part of mental functions that deals with logic, as opposed to affective which deals with emotions.
- The mental process of knowing, including aspects such as awareness, perception, reasoning, and judgment.
- The process of perceiving, thinking, reasoning and analyzing.
- High-level functions carried out by the human brain, including comprehension and use of speech, visual perceptions and construction, calculation ability, attention (information processing), memory, and executive functions such as planning, problem-solving and self-monitoring.
- Relating mental awareness and judgment.
Cog-knitting, therefore, is the interwoven actions of cognitive thinking and knitting to weave and pull through the meanings we attach to the events of our lives that result in stress, anxiety, fear and self-doubt.
Granny doesn't just knit; she cog-knits. Calmly, serenely, peacefully as she creates something purposeful out of nothing. She creates AHA moments and baby booties; new levels of personal and cultural awareness and mittens. So, I suggest we engage in
So the next time Granny gifts you with the woolen scarf that you either want to wrap around your neck immediately or tuck away forever in the back of a drawer never to be seen again ("I can't go out in public wearing THAT!) take a moment, or ten, to discover the real gift in the creation. Spend time with Granny to avail yourself of her evolutionary journey of self-discovery. She has many valuable lessons to pass on and you might even learn how to cog-knit your own scarves and transformational discoveries.
Knit one, purl two everyone!
Copyright (c) 2009 Valery Satterwhite
When you're stressed, you can feel like a hamster on a treadmill, running faster and faster but staying in the same place. It's all very well for people to tell you that you should "look after yourself", but what does that mean? If you're working hard or are taking care of others, you may feel as if there's no time left for you, but it's vital that you take some time for yourself.
At times when the joy has gone out of your life, it's time to put it back in, and you can do that by indulging yourself with some soul treats. Your soul treats don't need to be expensive you don't need to plan a world cruise they can be completely free, as long as they nourish your soul.
Make a list of what makes you happy Soul treats are things which make you happy. They can be things you would like to do, or things which you used to do. Or, they can be things which help you to take care of yourself regular exercise, or daily meditation, for example.
Make a list of what makes you happy. Your list can include anything and everything you can think of . Aim to make the list as long as possible: try for a hundred things. Call your list "100 Things That Make Me Happy." So, what makes you happy?
If you're having trouble getting started, start by listing your hobbies or things you liked to do when you were a child. Perhaps the best time you can remember was when you went to the beach with your parents, so write "going to the beach".
Now choose one item from your list to do or have today. Once you've written a few items on your list, you will realize that you can incorporate some of them into your life very easily. If the smell of coffee makes you happy, treat yourself to a coffee machine, or just buy some ground coffee and a coffee plunger, and use it.You will feel better each time you do.
If you'd like to go on a trip to France, but it's out of the question at the moment, buy some CDs and begin to learn French, or improve your French. There are no rules to soul treats they're special to you, and only you know what they are. But there is one rule: indulge yourself in a soul treat every day, and you will find your stress melting away.
Both Valery Satterwhite & Liz Labrum are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Valery Satterwhite has sinced written about articles on various topics from self improvement and motivation, Education and self improvement and motivation. Valery is an Artist Mentor who specializes in empowering creative people to succeed in their craft and business by tapping into and trusting their intuition, acknowledge their truth. Disarm fear and doubt. Through a proven unique "Inner Wizard" methodolog. Valery Satterwhite's top article generates over 3600 views. Bookmark Valery Satterwhite to your Favourites.
Liz Labrum has sinced written about articles on various topics from Marketing, self improvement and motivation and Stress Management. Suffering from stress? Liz Labrum is a Master Practitioner in Neuro Linguistic Programming (nlp) and hypnosis, and specializes in helping her clients to relieve their stress and live their best lives. Visit Liz's Think Right Now site at. Liz Labrum's top article generates over 8100 views. Bookmark Liz Labrum to your Favourites.