Make Sewing Your Meditative Hobby

What is Meditation?

There are many definitions of what meditation is and there are lots of different types of meditation. Therefore, this article is merely one viewpoint  among a sea of many others, all equally as valid. Meditation can be described as a set of techniques that, when practised, can bring a heightened sense of awareness and focused attention.The techniques can change conciousness and have a wide range of psychological benefits on well-being.

Is Meditation Religious?

Nearly every religion has it's own form of meditation. For example Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity, Judaism and Islam all have their own meditative practices. However, you do not have to be religious to practice meditation. It can be practiced independent of any religious or spiritual beliefs or practices. 

What is Mindfulness?

Mindfulness has come more into the mainstream arena over recent years as more and more people have become aware of the benefits of practicing some kind of meditative practice. Mindfulness is the state of being aware and fully involved in the present moment and making yourself more open, aware and accepting. There are different forms of mindfulness but the most commonly recognised form is one of sitting quietly in a space and concentrating on your breathing.

The benefits of Mindfulness

There are many benefits of mindfulness, both physiological and psychological. Some of the physiological benefits can be a slower breathing rate, change in brain wave patterns and reduced stress. The psychological, emotional and health benefits can include better management of anxiety and an improved sleep pattern. These changes then bring a positive effect on your emotional well-being and mental health. 

How is Sewing Meditative?

Although the common view of meditation or mindfulness is one of someone sat quietly with their eyes closed, that is not the only way that you can enjoy the benefits of a meditative practice.

Sewing is a hobby that involves concentration on the task in hand and being purposeful about what you are doing.

It allows you to be present in the moment and block out what is happening around you and think only of the task in hand. Many of the tasks in sewing are very soothing and repetitive. This is particularly the case with hand sewing which is very slow and methodical and involves careful repetition of a task. It involves complete concentration on the task at hand which in itself is a quiet form of meditation.

If you would like to read about some more of the benefits of sewing click here.

When moving from one task to another within the sewing journey, for example, from carefully cutting the fabric out, to pinning the fabric together, to stitching the seams together, it involves focus and attention to detail. It allows you to be totally present in the moment.

Time Flies

From personal experience, something strange seems to happen to time when I sew. I have always felt that when I spend time sewing, I lose a sense of time. Time just seems to pass by and I am not aware of how long I have been there for. It is probably one of the few things in life where that happens for me which is probably one of the reasons that I have always returned to sewing throughout my life.

There have been times when I've strayed away from sewing, not having enough time to fit it in around a busy job or a young family, but I always, without fail, come back to it. It has a comforting familiarity to it and I would have been experiencing it's meditative benefits before I even really knew what that meant.

If you would like to enjoy the benefits of a sewing project, click here to browse through our sewing patterns and kits.

What next?

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