The Healing Power of Knitting and Yoga

# The Healing Power of Knitting and Yoga

Namasté, lovely knitters!

In our busy world — full of pings and endless to-do lists — I’m always looking for small moments of peace. Two of my favorite refuges keep showing up: knitting and yoga. They may seem very different on the surface, but for me they offer the same comfort, balance, and healing. And when I weave them together in my day? That’s where the real magic happens.

Knitting as Gentle Meditation

You know that feeling when you pick up your needles after a long day, and suddenly your shoulders drop? The rhythm of stitch after stitch is like a soft chant for the hands. No pressure, no hurry. Just the yarn, the needles, and you.

Recently I read about studies showing something remarkable: that knitting doesn’t only feel like meditation — in many cases it lights up the same brain-wave states, or even more pronounced ones, than traditional meditation or yoga. Some knitters show higher alpha-wave output — those gentle brain waves linked with calm, creativity and daydreaming — when their hands move in rhythm across the yarn.

I also came across a recent National Geographic piece titled How knitting may be rewiring your brain, and it resonated so deeply with what I feel when I knit. The article explains how knitting isn’t just repetitive motion — it combines fine motor coordination, creative planning, and rhythmic bilateral movement, engaging multiple brain systems at once.

For me, this helps explain why, after several rows (especially with a pause here and there to stretch), I feel as though I’ve been meditating — my breathing softer, thoughts quieter, the world dimmed down. Knitting doesn’t just remind me of meditation — in those moments, it is a meditation.

Knitting has carried me through so many restless moments. It slows down the mind, untangles stress, and makes space for quiet joy. And then there’s the thrill of creating something tangible — watching a project bloom row by row, in colors and textures you chose. It’s both soothing and exciting.

And as a sweet bonus, knitting is a little workout for the brain — following patterns, fixing mistakes, deciding what to try next. Calm + creative + clever. What’s not to love?

Yoga: Healing Through Movement

If knitting steadies the mind, yoga wakes up the body. Some days I need a good stretch, other days just a few breaths. Either way, yoga always meets me where I am.

It doesn’t have to be a big routine. Sometimes it’s simply rolling my shoulders, folding forward, or lying down with one hand on my heart. On the harder days, that’s enough. The gift of yoga is that it asks nothing more than presence.

What I love most is how yoga teaches listening — to breath, to body, to today’s limits (or surprises). It’s less about performing and more about allowing. And that spills over into daily life — patience, acceptance, noticing the small things.

Together: A Cozy Balance

Knitting and yoga complement each other beautifully. One is rhythm in the hands, the other rhythm in the breath. Both bring me back to myself.

Some days I’ll stretch in the morning, knit in the evening. Other times, I alternate — a sun salutation, a few rows, another stretch, more rows. Like weaving balance through the whole day.

I’ve also noticed this in my daily work rhythm. I spend a lot of time with my needles or at the keyboard, and instead of pushing through, I’ve learned to pause. I’ll stand up, roll my shoulders, shake out my wrists, maybe fold forward for a breath or two. It doesn’t take much, but it’s like pressing a quiet reset button. Then I can return to the stitches or the words with fresh energy. These little pauses feel like conversations between movement and stillness.

And of course, both practices can be shared — a knitting group, a yoga class, or just a friend sitting beside you, each of you in your own flow. There’s a sweetness in that quiet companionship.

Gentle Ways to Begin

If you’re curious about trying this blend, here are a few simple starts:

For knitting:

• Choose a small, easy project — think scarf, cowl, dishcloth.
• Use yarn that feels good in your hands.
• Pause often to stretch your fingers and wrists.

For yoga:

• Start simple — 5 minutes is plenty.
• Try gentle styles like Hatha or Restorative.
• Use props: cushions, blankets, whatever makes it comfortable.
• Listen to your body, not the pose chart.

Hand Yoga for Knitters
Just like yoga keeps our bodies supple, our hands deserve a little yoga too. Long hours of happy knitting can sometimes lead to stiffness or tension, so I like to pause for a few gentle stretches. Simple moves — like opening and closing the fists, circling the wrists, or stretching each finger — can help release tension and strengthen the muscles we rely on for our stitches. These tiny “hand yoga” breaks keep the joy in knitting and help avoid pain in the long run.

I love this little animated guide from We Are Knitters with easy exercises you can follow right at your desk or cozy knitting chair.

So here’s my little nudge, friend: maybe tomorrow you stretch a bit in the morning, then pick up your knitting in the evening. See how your body feels after the mat, how your mind softens after the yarn.

You don’t need to do it perfectly. You just need to show up.

And if you do try it, I’d love to hear what it feels like for you. What colors you chose, what poses helped, how the two practices wove together in your day.

With warmth,

Katy ✨

Further Reading

If you’d like to dive deeper into the science-y side of knitting and why it feels so restorative, here are a few fascinating articles and studies I’ve enjoyed:

• Knitting induced fronto-central theta rhythm — A case report showing knitting can actually bring the brain into meditative rhythms.
• Crafting activities and their effects on EEG and ECG — A 2024 study showing how crafting boosts relaxation responses in the body and brain.
• The Health Benefits of Knitting (PDF) — A summary (citing Harvard research) on knitting’s power to slow the heart rate and spark calm.
• Knitting can reduce anxiety, depression, chronic pain… — A mainstream article highlighting knitting’s many healing benefits.
• Positive Effects of Hand Knitting on the Psychology of People — A research piece on how knitting lifts mood and eases the mind.