Meditation Made Easy

My Little Headache, 1994

Do you ever find it hard to concentrate? Is your mind ever muddled? Are you too wound up to settle down to bed at night or to concentrate on a project requiring mental exertion during the day? Do you feel overwhelmed, anxious or even terribly angry at something your child has done? I have tried counting to ten or twenty, or going for a walk or reading the scriptures--but sometimes I need something fast and simple to put me in the "right frame of mind" to deal with an immediate concern. The following is an exercise that has helped me to "think straight," probably by bringing an extra dose of oxygen to my brain through this relaxing breathing exercise:

Sit in a comfortable position. Straighten your spine, relax your shoulders and take a few deep breaths. Gently close your eyes and allow your body to become still. Then begin counting your breaths from one to four. (Count on the out breath, or the exhalation.) Try not to manipulate the breath in any way; simply observe and count. You might find that outside concerns race into your head--an appointment you need to schedule, what you're planning to make for dinner. Don't allow distractions in. Gently bring the mind back to 'one' whenever it starts to wander. Remember, too, that you don't need to be perfect. All you have to be is in the present, something we already do at varying points throughout the day without realizing it. "Meditation is meant to show us what is already ours, " points out Clark Strand, author of The Wooden Bowl: Simple Meditation for Everyday Life (Hyperion, 1998). ("Mind Enhancers," by Angela Ebron, Jennifer Pirtle and Joanne Van Zuidam, Family Circle 5/11/99)

Active Meditation for Serious Relaxation
Spirit Soothers
Scents that Soothe
Aromatherapy Bath Potpourri "Tea" Bags

Spirit Soothers

I was rereading this the other day.  It's with a yoga pamphlet I use from "The Ultimate Makeover," Family Circle 5/11/99.  I don't know about anyone else, but at least once-a-month, I get really depressed!  I was reading this and thought it might really help the next time I suffer from the blues.  I especially liked numbers 7-9.  I think reflecting at the end of the day on what I have done to make someone else happy would help my own mood.  I also think that most of us are not good at listening to our "gut instinct" when we should.  I know I'd be happier if I did.  And I always need reassurance that it is okay to say no and mean it.  Let me know which Spirit Soothers you like and if they work for you, or if you have others to add to the list.

1. Throw your cares away.  Literally.  Write any worries down on paper, shred them into tiny pieces, then toss in the trash.
2. Start a "soul soothers" file.  Put in stories, quotes, photos that inspire you or make you smile.
3. Stop being a grown-up.  Go outside and play for an afternoon.
4. Follow your color cues.  Do you feel energized wearing red?  Relaxed in blue?  Use that knowledge to alter your moods.  Try out a new look--even if just for a few minutes.
5. "Forget" to wear your watch for a day.  see if you really miss it.
6. Break out of character.  Order a dish you normally wouldn't have.  Maybe try a new hair cut.
7. Commit to kindness.  At the end of each day, reflect on one nice thing you did for someone else.
8. Begin to trust your intuition.  Do it for one day, then one week, then listen to it for life.
9. Learn to say no.  And stay true to your word.

"Boost your spirits by playing with Silly Putty--you'll feel like a kid again.  What could be more uplifting than that?

"Take a breathing break.  Even though it's a natural reflex,  most of us don't breathe correctly, especially if we're tired or tense.  We take shallow, rather than deep, invigorating breaths, and this can deprive the brain of oxygen, causing fatigue.  Next time you feel overwhelmed, 'Whisper ah,' says Glynn Macdonald, author of The Complete Illustrated Guide to Alexander Technique (Element, 1998).  Put the tip of your tongue against the back of lower teeth.  Open mouth and say, 'Ah,' in a whisper at the end of a breath.  Close mouth and breathe in through nose.  Do three in a row."

Active Meditation for Serious Relaxation

Scents that Soothe

Aromatherapy Bath Potpourri "Tea" Bags

Meditation Made Easy

Active Meditation for Serious Relaxation

There are many ways to "Meditate upon the Word."  "Our grandmas may have been on to something.  Experts agree that knitting is a great way to relax because it's a form of "active" meditation.  As someone who finds it hard to sit idly without something to keep my hands busy very interesting and a little validating.

I've enjoyed cross-stitch for years, but now it requires too much concentration and I find it tiring.  Even though I'm only a novice, my favorite form of active meditation is knitting.  I have found that I enjoy knitting very simple projects.  I encouraged my daughters when they were growing up to knit by purchasing child-friendly knitting kits.  They were able to accomplish many useful projects.

Bev's Journeyings Blog has been a wonderful source of information about knitting, etc., especially as service projects.  I highly recommend it!  One of the two projects I'm sharing here are knitted hangers.  I love this simple project that I learned to do in Merrie Miss.  Actually, my mom taught us MM girls to knit.  

This pattern includes an adorable sachet.  I've already knitted a couple of these for my closet.  It might be difficult to find the wooden hangers pictured, so mine are slightly different.  "With this project, old hangers will find new life.  Fill the sachet with dried flowers, aromatic herbs, potpourri, or cedar shavings."

Info:

Binding off--BO

Casting on--CO

Knit 2 together--k2tog

Yarn over--yo

Hanger cover:  Approximately 16 inches

Sachet: 2-3/4 x 2-3/4 inches

Gauge: 21 stitches, 11 rows = 4 inches in garter stitch

Materials:

Yarn: 60 yards worsted weight yarn for hanger cover (yarn A); 20 yards coordinating yarn for sachet (yarn B)  

Yarn shown: Paton Grace (100% cotton) #60903 lavender (yarn A), 1 ball and #60005 snow (yarn B), 1 ball

Needles: US size 5

Notions: Size F/5 crochet hook; tapestry needle; sewing needle and white sewing thread; 1/2 inch decorative button

Miscellaneous: Straight wooden hanger with metal hook

Making the Sachet: 
Holding 2 strands of yarn B together as 1, cast on 15 stitches.  Work in garter stitch (knit every row) for about 5 inches.

Next row (eyelet buttonhole): Knit 6, knit 2 together, yarn over, knit 7.  Knit 5 more rows; bind off.  Fold piece in half, and weave sides together using mattress stitch.  Placing seam in middle of back, sew bottom together using mattress stitch.

Crochet Chain: Insert crochet hook into 1 side seam, just under top edge.  Using 2 strands of yarn B, work a crochet chain for 7 inches.  Cut yarn, leaving about 6 inch tail.  With threaded tapestry needle, attach chain to opposite side seam under the top edge and to the inside.  Weave yarn ends through several stitches on wrong side of work, and secure.  With sewing needle and thread, attach button in position on inside of sachet, opposite eyelet buttonhole.

Two Birds with One Swatch

For this project, you can use almost any medium-weight yarn.  Make the sachet first, and use this piece as your gauge swatch.  Measure how many stitches fit in 1 inch, and multiply that number by the  length of your hanger in inches.  That number is the total number of stitches to cast on for the hanger cover.

Making the Hanger Cover

Holding 2 strands of yarn A together as 1, cast on 80 stitches and work in garter stitch (knit every row) for 2-3/4 inches.  Bind off all stitches.  Cut yarn, leaving about 30 inch tail.

Find center of knit piece, and slip it over the metal hanger hook, taking care not to snag knitting.  Fold knit piece in half lengthwise over hanger.  Thread tapestry needle with yarn tail, and weave loose ends to wrong side to secure.  Pull yarn snugly to gather and tighten side edge and enclose it over hanger end.  Close other side in the same way.  Weave loose ends to wrong side and through a few stitches to secure.  Sew cast-on and bind-off edges together neatly.  Weave last remaining yarn tail to inside and secure.

Even though the following is found on Bev's blog, I felt that at some point they might not be and included them here as well.  The bandages are so easy once you get the hang of knitting with really small needles.  I have put several in my 72 hour emergency kit and first aid kit.  Keep this knitting nearby when you basically need something mindless to do with your hands (i.e. long car rides, waiting rooms, etc.)

Size:  approximately 3 inches by 4 inches wide and 4 feet long

Materials:  number 10 knit Cro-sheen, 100% mercerized cotton in white, cream or ecru.  (1 small ball 225 yards should make 1 knitted bandage)

Knitting needles:  US 2 = 2.75mm=UK size 12 or US 3 = 3.25mm=UK size 10

Do not use dyes/colors

When completed, roll bandages and secure with a large (2") safety pin.

Put in plastic bag, remove air, and seal.

Hand Knitted Bandage:  Use US size 2 knitting needles if you knit average or loosely or size 3 needles if you knit tightly.  Cast on 24 to 27 stitches so the bandage measures 3" - 4" across.  Knit every row until bandage is desired length of about 4 feet long, then bind off, leaving a 2-3 inch tail to weave in.  The edge looks neater if you slip the first stitch of each row instead of knitting it.  Secure tail by slipping thread through last stitch, tying a small knot, and weaving end back through stitches.

See Bev's Journeyings for more (crochet instructions).

Spirit Soothers
Scents that Soothe
Aromatherapy Bath Potpourri "Tea" Bags
Meditation Made Easy