Meditation on a Table Saw

A few weeks ago I decided that I would take up woodworking as a hobby. This decision was not arbitrary; I wanted to convert my home office into a home yoga studio and needed to replace the large furniture that was in the room with something smaller and more portable. After looking around for a while I couldn't find any furniture that I liked or that was within my budget. There were a few other projects that needed to be done, so I decided to buy some tools and start to work.

My first project was actually a small table for my wife's office. Although it turned out okay, it was a definite learning experience. With this new knowledge, I decided that I needed a couple of "learning projects" before I started building the furniture pieces for my studio/office, so I started to work on some shelving units for the garage. After several hours of work, I ended up with a lot of scrap wood. The shelves didn't quite go together the way I had hoped. I was disappointed, but not disheartened. Taking the lessons from that attempt, I started anew.

What I have found is that I actually look forward to spending time with the wood and the tools. There is something about the conception of the project, the ritual of laying out the tools, the measuring and re-measuring, the satisfaction of cutting a piece of lumber that actually fits where it is supposed to that keeps my mind active and absorbed, and stimulates the part of my brain that enjoys figuring things out. Even when I'm having a bad day, if I spend even a little time in my garage shop I feel renewed, refreshed and alert.

I hear other people talking about similar experiences with gardening or painting or cooking or knitting. No matter what it is that is going on in their lives, there is a small corner that is theirs and theirs alone, where they can take a mental break from the stress of work or family or commitments and turn their focus onto something that not only holds their attention, but also gives them peace of mind. After even a short time involved in these pursuits, the person becomes clear-headed, even-tempered and with a renewed perspective on those things that had previously been troubling to them.

The final four limbs of Patanjali's Ashtanga Yoga talk about the process of liberating ourselves from the restraints that our minds sometimes put us in. Pratyahara (withdrawl of sensory stimulation), dharana (concentration), dhyana (connection) and samadhi (absorption) are all results of the actions that we take in the other limbs. In his book, The Heart of Yoga, T.K.V. Desikachar says that these cannot be practiced, but instead occur spontaneously when we create the proper situation for them to occur. Through preparation, we begin the process of concentration, then we form a connection with the object on which we are concentrating, then finally we become "one" with the object of our concentration. The rest of the world, distractions and stress, seem to fall away.

Developing a hobby has been shown to reduce stress and improve health, Interestingly, some of the most popular hobbies, such as gardening, needlework, knitting and woodworking, are not those which allow the mind to wander, but instead give the mind something to focus on besides the pressures of everyday life. This re-direction of the mind is exactly what we strive for in meditation. I's like giving our minds a little vacation. When the mind is allowed to re-focus on something other than the bills that need to be paid, or the deadline at work, or the spat with the brother, the mind is able to let go of it's attachment to the object of it's suffering and relax. The relaxed state of the mind contributes to a sense of well-being and harmony, and provides a boost to our energy level. No wonder many hobbies become passions - they give us little glimpses of the liberation from suffering that we strive for.