The post of yesterday on Wabi-Sabi reminded me of some articles I read in December and recently.
First this article on Matthew Crawford fell into my lap followed by this post of Nathalie Chanin which started me reading and thinking about this subject. In her post Natalie tells about research done by Kelly Lambert. Kelly suggests that the lack of tangible work with our hands in our society and the increase of mood disorders are correlated. Knitting, planting a garden, cooking or repairing are all ways to bathe your brains in feel-good-chemicals, a kind of meditation.
A lot of us are so busy that we run to our yoga, pilates or meditation classes just to relax for a few minutes. Meditation increases gray-matter density in the hippocampus, an area responsible for learning and memory, but also decreases the density in the amygdala, wich is responsible for our anxiety and stress responses. This is shown in research done by the Massachusetts General Hospital which is published in Scientific American.
So while creating a more sustainable environment we become healthier and more peaceful. Do we need any more encouragement?
Elizabeth
