How can we use spinning, knitting, etc. to practice yoga? We know that intense focus on spinning and knitting can lead to calming states, although these states may be more "zoning out" than becoming attuned. It's fairly easy to extend this knowledge into deliberate yoga/meditation practice. Find yourself a spindle, some fibre, a quiet, comfortable space to sit and begin.
Set a timer for 10 to 15 minutes. That time will be devoted to spinning and only spinning. You will not be spinning for a purpose; you will not be spinning to fill time, to busy your hands while you watch television. You will not be spinning to escape anything; rather, your full attention will be on the spindle, the movement of fibre into yarn, the winding of yarn onto the spindle shaft, without judgment. Every time your mind wanders (and it will), bring your attention back to the spindle. If it helps your concentration, focus on one aspect of spinning, such as the turn of the whorl or drafting, or the feel of the yarn as it changes from fibre to string.
At first you'll be restless, even if (perhaps especially if) you are an experienced spinner. You will wander off into thinking, judging your actions and their results. When you become aware of this, gently bring yourself back to spindle and yarn. The awareness of wandering mind is part of mindfulness. You will think, "This is silly, boring, useless, fun, whatever." None of this matters. Remember, you don't have to like the practice; you just have to do it. Stay with it, no matter how difficult or easy this practice seems, until the timer ends your session. Slowly, put spindle and fibre aside and resume your usual activities.
Doing daily spinning meditation sessions, 10 minutes a day, is akin to the time you spent learning to spin in the first place. Here, you're training mind to stay in the moment, to bring your full attention back to spinning, not allowing the muscle memory you developed when you learned to spin to lull you into mindlessness. Keep at it and you may find that your "monkey mind" becomes a bit calmer and you move into stillness more easily.
It's a simple idea, but it must be practiced, rather than explained, in order to receive any benefits which may or may not occur. Start now. Pay attention.
Simple. Not so easy.
Namaste.
That is a very interesting idea Deborah. Do you think it would be an appropriate way to help a child to still their mind? I have a very busy minded daughter (9) who could do with learning some strategies to bring her to stillness and attentiveness - or can you direct me to where I can find some more child appropriate practices?
ReplyDeleteBodhi Tree runs several yoga classes for children, starting them as toddlers. A nine year old might enjoy a yoga class, which always ends with savasana, a meditative/restorative pose intended to have calming effects. If you have yoga studios in your area, I would check with them.
ReplyDeleteIf you don't have access to a studio, perhaps you could choose something she loves to do and have her put her full attention into it. Drawing and painting are two things that almost all children love; they're wonderful activities to still the mind.
P.S. I should have said, "your daughter" could choose something she loves to do. Mindfulness isn't something to be forced on anyone.
ReplyDeleteThank you Deborah, we don't have access to a yoga studio as we live a fair old way from anywhere but I would like to help her to find something that can bring her to just being. She exhausts herself and finds it hard (in her words) to 'keep my head quiet'.
DeleteThank you for this post. I often take time to just "be" but lately I do feel that I am quite calm, like there is always an undercurrent or 'jitteryness' that I can't shake. Perhaps focus will help calm the ocean.
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DeleteI know what you mean. All this really is "simple, not so easy."
ReplyDeleteWhen I was in my yoga teacher training, we had several classes with Srivatsa Ramaswami, a student of Krishnamacharya for two decades. The classes were specifically about the Yoga Sutra (Pada 1 and 2 only). His knowledge of it is very deep and subtle - far more than any of us could really comprehend - but one student pressed him to really explain whether the Yoga Sutra said anything about yoga being something that goes beyond the individual, like for example, the bodhisattva vow to continue in this human life and save all sentient beings. He admitted or perhaps I should say "admitted" that there isn't anything that talks about that. It is purely an individual practice towards the goal of citta vrtti nirodah. Although there are the yamas and niyamas, it really isn't about bringing forth a better world. This always sticks in my craw a bit.....I am wondering about your thoughts on this. I mean, I get that being a more realized person who has studied their self closely probably means that you aren't out there messing things up as much as a less realized person, but....it isn't The Goal. It is a sticky point for me.
ReplyDeleteExcellent point, Robyn. My understanding of Patanjali at the moment is that his was one school of yoga - Classical, which was concerned with stilling the mind and meditation to go beyond the self to the Self. Some of the schools which may hint at transcendence leading to a better world are Karma, Bhakti and Integral yoga.
ReplyDeleteI'm just at the start of my theoretical training, so I'm unsure of this. I do know that people like Gandhi believed that yoga and meditation brought into action could lead to great, positive change in the world. Gandhi is very clear on this point in Chakrabarti's The Gandhian Philosophy of the Spinning Wheel.
I wonder why there is so often an undercurrent/tone that "body/world" equals "bad," while "Other," (whatever that may be)equals "good?" After all, the material world is what we have now - why are we always looking for something more?
My questions may reflect my immature understanding, of course. Or they may be the yogic equivalent of "How many angels can dance on the head of a pin?"
Neti, neti.
This is beautiful (and timely). I have just recently committed to doing meditation practice of one kind or another every day. Involving my body might help a lot when the monkey mind is making it particularly difficult.
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