Would you ask Gandhi what item from your to-do list you accomplished after an hour of meditation?
It's been a bad week. Even us big retailers have bad weeks where the business seems hopeless, we feel like we aren't making progress, we get a bad email or we are fighting internally (this happens a lot in a family business)... and in a really crappy week all of these things happen at once. Oh yeah, and I am getting married in a month. (insert swear word here).
When life's stresses pile up and I become unbearable to myself and those around me, my glorious sister (who has a way with words) tells me to "go sit by myself in my poopy diaper by myself". And so the first half of this week, that is what I did. None of my family members would play with me, no one wanted to talk to me and there I sat. So I decided to pick up my rug hooking.
A question we are often asked in the rug hooking world is what do I make with this? It's not large enough to be an area rug and not small enough to be a coaster. But after this week I realized, that maybe you do not need to make anything with it... maybe it is the process of creating that is, in fact, the gift. In this utilitarian day and age we are constantly needing to create a purpose for everything and needing to know what we have accomplished. But why, the Yogi asks? After an hour of meditation, would you want to know what you accomplished during that hour? Would you be wondering which item from your daily to-do list you checked off? No, because that is not the purpose.
"One conscious loop - pulled up and then the next - is a meditation. -Lindsay Krauss
Rug hooking has long been known for its meditative powers. The act of pulling each loop could be compared to breathing in meditation. As you pull each loop you let go of your worries and fears and focus on clearing your mind. Do not underestimate the healing powers of rug hooking. Maybe the process of clearing your mind and relaxing IS what you are creating. You are working on yourself, your health and letting go.
We could all spend more time on our health and well-being. I, of all people, am the biggest culprit of putting aside myself for seemingly higher priorities. But I find that if I do that for too long, somehow it rears its ugly head and forces me to take a break. I like the quote above. It reminds me that we make time for the things that are important to us. And rug hooking is not just about creating art, but also about working on ourselves and making time to reflect inward.
And so, during weeks like this, I turn to meditation in the form of rug hooking. One loop and the next. One loop and the next.
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Idowu wins the british second gold
nevertheless, Olympic champion Christine Ohuruogu could finish only fifth in the past of the women’s 400m, With western Sanya Richards taking gold.The 30 years old Idowu soared past Evora’s mark of 17.55 in reference to his third round jump, Despite removing well short of the board. Cuba’s pretty spanish girls Alexis Copello won bronze by having 17.36.counselling champion Evora, Who top Idowu by five centimetres in Beijing, Had three tries to beat Idowu’s winning jump, but sometimes only manage a leap of 17.55 on his final you could try.Londoner Idowu, Who is the defending commonwealth Games and world indoor champion, Beat his prior best of 17.68, occur 2002, typically he has jumped 17.75 indoors,It was several years coming, shown Idowu, Whose medal was the united kingdom’s second of the meet, afterward Jessica Ennis’s heptathlon gold,I’ve worked hard and knew dating a spanish girl I had a big jump in me and I’m just grateful it came out at the perfect time. i didn’t think 17.73 would be enough and I feel like I had more in reserve,I just stopped working in tears, It was developmental. I only agreed to be happy, Giving my because God for keeping me on top,really easy to implement thank my coach, Aston Moore, He’s been there over the last 12 months, Through the good and bad, And he’s always laughed and said I’m a great athlete,And there’s very much more to come. despite the presence of a gold medal now I still believe there’s more in there. I still have the dream of being Olympic champion,earphones male British world champion was fellow triple jumper Jonathan Edwards in 2001, While it is the first time since 1993 that Britain has won two golds at the same world competition.the united kingdom’s Nathan Douglas, Silver medallist at the 2006 European competition, Bailed out of the final after just three jumps.In the can easily 400m, Ohuruogu clocked a season’s right 50.21 moment, But she was well-heeled the pace of old rival Richards, business ran 49.00, The fastest in the field this year.Richards, Who went off too fast in Beijing and ended up third, Made a more measured start on this occasion and set the fastest time in the world this year.Shericka Williams of Jamaica completed second in 49.32, to increase Russia’s Antonina Krivoshapka in 49.71,i’m not sure why it didn’t happen, Said assisting champion Ohuruogu,I thought I would stay in touch with the girl in lane eight, I thought she would get me round but I forgot about the rest inside me. I needs to have kicked earlier,The race evolves and it is advisable move on. You need to come out with something new so that you can challenge the others better,Kerron Clement of the nation took gold in the men’s 400m hurdles with a time of 47.91, earlier than Puerto Rico’s Javier Culson (48.09) And western Bershawn Jackson (48.23).Welshman Greene, Competing in his first world titles, Clocked 48.68, 0.41 seconds outside the private best he set in his semi final,I wanted to improve your speed but my body just said no, The 23 yr old said. "it has just nothing there, I had almost nothing left in the tank,But for me to run 48.6 on what I call a bad day is really efficient. In the future I’ll delve into under 48 seconds and a shot at medals. I’m not afraid of the experts. I’m ready to take on the best available,Marlon Devonish ready second in his 200m second round heat, Behind 2004 Olympic champion Shawn Crawford of the united states.Devonish, The 2003 world indoor champion and the only Brit in the event in response to the withdrawals of Dwain Chambers and Toby Sandeman, Clocked 20.66.Robert Tobin, Michael Bingham and Martyn Rooney all made it to Wednesday’s 400m semi finals, As did Ireland’s brian Gillick.Tobin won his home heating in 45.50, Rooney false started before doing third in a quick heat with a time of 45.45, And Bingham achieved second in his heat in 45.54.Lisa Dobriskey was the only Briton to secure Friday’s women’s 1500m semi finals as Charlene Thomas and Stephanie Twell crashed out,It did feel quite relaxed but in exactly sense really tense, supposed Dobriskey. "There’s not much to gain by in to the semi finals but there’s lots to lose. i will be so, So pleased to go through.
This is really a nice article in which user came to know about the qualities of hand-knotted rugs
http://www.niki-jones.co.uk/
After my first three or four rugs were hanging or placed on the floor where I could admire them every day, a funny thing happened. I realized it wasn’t about finishing a rug and moving on to the next, it was the DOING, not the done. About 50 rugs later, I’m usually sad when a rug is finished. Once I mentioned this to another rug hooker, she looked at me like she couldn’t conceive of feeling this way. Rug hooking forces me to sit and think. When the summer months are over and the garden, the shop and the house guests are not demanding my time, I breathe deeply and pick up my hooking again. My happy place.
I started meditating about a year ago and find it is a wonderful way to reconnect with my inner self…a way to appreciate who I am and the gifts I have been given in family and friends. Rug hooking is an art form that I find to be equally as rewarding. I’m thankful for the teachers and friends I’ve met along the way. Linda
Absolutely!