*** Stress Relief: Take Up Cog-Knitting

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? ...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

• 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!