Sharpening as meditation

S

sircantaloupe

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Jan 29, 2009
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I suspect most of you have had the same experience as I - sharpening a knife, mindfully keeping the angle consistent and the strokes even on each side - and finding yourself in a very relaxed and yet completely focused state.

I have pursued traditional meditation techniques, and never found one that really clicked for me. I know meditation is good for you, mentally and physically, so it'd be nice to practice it on a daily basis. Considering I usually sharpen or touch up a knife daily, it seem turning it in a meditation would be a useful coexistence.

So if any of you practice meditation or have interest in it, I'd like to hear your thoughts on the matter or personal experience to share.
 
I do it all the time, its called Zen.
 
I find it frustrating, but only because I'm currently sitting only on one black hard arkansas stone, and well my SnG needs a bit more aggressive of a stone to get the V touched up. If I had a coarser stone I'd be set. I do find it relaxing in the right environment, with some music, and a comfortable pose.
 
Life is a cycle. Whittle-sharpen-whittle-sharpen. Excellant meditation.
 
I have always found sharpening my knives to be calming and stress diminishing. Even when working with a difficult edge. Looking for that perfect edge is a lifetime journey.
 
Ram Das (formerly Richard Alpert who did LSD studies with Timothy Leary at Harvard)once told a story about how he was recounting psychedelic experiences at a lecture and an old woman in the front row kept nodding her head in agreement or understanding. After the lecture he sought her out and asked how a woman of her generation had had such experiences. Her reply, "why young man, I'll have you know that I knit."
 
I read a book a while ago that covered this exact topic....not just sharpening but doing any activity which allows your mind to wander.....it's almost like hypnosis. The book is called 'Flow' and here is the wiki link about the author:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mihaly_Csikszentmihalyi


Very, very interesting and a different way to look at life in general and the meaning of 'happiness'.
 
I find it to be very relaxing in the right setting. I add some music and take my time. It calms me down and gives me something to be proud of. I am glad I am not the only one.
 
your meditation is called shamatha meditation. completely focussing your attention on one object, beeing it chanting a mantra, focussing on your breath, sharpening a knife, or making a dorodango.
http://here-and-now.org/VSI/Articles/TheoryMed/theoryHow.htm
It's the first step in a "traditional" meditative excercise where you first free your mind from wandering thoughts by focussing on a single action untill you are calm. Then you use this calm and focused state to gain insight in your actions, etc.
But what you do is seen as "meditation" and if this causes you to get into a calm and stress free state you are lucky man.
 
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3REDUCK,
I too have read that book. It really helped me understand more about myself.
FLOW: "The Psychology of Optimal Experience"

Excellent book.

I too find sharpening relaxing.
 
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