If you think your wool sweater is just the harmless result of a sheep’s haircut then be prepared for the itchy truth the wool industry goes to great lengths to cover up.

The wool industry is cruel and makes the lives of sheep anything but easy. With the number of alternatives gaining in quality and quantity, the time to ditch wool is now. These shocking truths will have you convinced wool-free is the way to go.

1. Wool is Cruel

Wool is incredibly cruel and undesirable for a number of reasons. First is the treatment of the sheep. The sheep have holes punched in their ears to be tagged, their tails cut off, and male sheep are castrated, most often without any anesthetic. Furthermore, there are countless reports of sheep being unnecessarily beaten and injured during the shearing process.

Patagonia was the subject of a scandal a few years back when an undercover PETA video revealed employees of the outdoor clothing retailer’s supplier was beating animals. Thankfully, Patagonia stopped using that supplier, but it showed what really goes on behind closed doors–even for brands with sustainability and ethics commitments like Patagonia.

The wool industry practice of mulesing is the cruelly painful removal of skin folds around the sheeps’ buttocks to prevent flies from laying eggs (they’re attracted by the feces and urine). This is a widespread industry norm often done without the use of any anesthetic and is incredible painful for the animals.

2. Sheep Need Wool

Contrary to what the wool industry would like you to think, they aren’t doing the sheep any favors by shearing them. Sheep’s bodies grow enough hair to control their temperatures and makes them most able to adapt to a variety of climates.

3. Major Greenhouse Gas Contributions

Methane is an extremely potent greenhouse gas, which animals on farms, such as sheep, produce each time they burp (or pass gas). Leading wool producing countries Australia and New Zealand have significant levels of methane contributing to their emissions output. According to The Wall Street Journal, agriculture is responsible 48 percent of New Zealand’s greenhouse gasses. These startling facts show how much of a toll wool production takes on the environment.

4. Endless Alternatives

Acrylic, bamboo, and cotton are just a few cruelty-free fabrics that can substitute wool. They are even cozier since they are itch-free and can be found in coat, sweater, or sock form. By skipping wool, you’re washing yourself clean of the cruelty that animals and the planet suffer for wool production.

Related on EcoSalon
5 Wool-Free Winter Hats to Get You Ready for the Cold
Ditch the Wool for These Cozy and Cute Cruelty-Free Sweaters
7 Cruelty-Free Snow Clothes Your Winter Wardrobe Needs

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No sheep were harmed in the making of these cozy winter hats! 

Winter is the time of year where wool, fur, and cashmere are abundant in stores. While marketing may have you believe that these are absolute essentials for chilly temperatures, that’s far from the truth. You can stay just as warm and cozy in winter hats, coats, gloves, and scarves made from synthetic materials. Plus, skipping wool benefits even more than the animals.

Wool is not only cruel to the sheep but also to the body and planet. Often, the sheep used to produce wool are submerged in a pool full of parasiticides. Basically, that’s a big bath of chemicals that linger long after the sheep are sheared. Skipping wool means skipping chemicals, cruelty, and that unbearable itchiness that always accompanies the material.

Sheep are also major methane producers–a greenhouse gas contributing to climate change. So ditch the itch and be comfy and chic in one of these wool-free winter hats!

5 Wool-Free Winter Hats

1. Pom Pom Beanie

A giant pom pom adds a fun touch to a coral knit beanie. This cute hat will add flair to your winter looks with its bright color and fluffy pom pom. Wear it with an oversized sweater, skinny jeans, and knee-high boots for a standout look.

2. Slouchy Ribbed Beanie

This slouchy ribbed beanie is truly for the cool kids. You’ll look effortlessly chic in this no-fuss winter hat. Pair it with a vegan leather jacket, v-neck tee, skinny jeans, and ankle boots for a winter night out.

3. Retro Striped Beanie

This beanie is a total throwback with its classic stripe and embroidery. In addition to being stylish, it’s also eco-friendly! This Patagonia hat is made from 96 percent recycled polyester (with the other 4 percent being stretchy spandex). This hat is made for being worn at the slopes so pair it with all your ski or snowboarding gear.

4. Ear Flap Hat

Cozy ear flaps on this winter hat will keep your ears snug and warm. This eco-friendly hat is made from 100 percent recycled polyester produced from water bottles. A pair of tassels make this classic hat style on-trend. Style this snow-ready hat with your warmest coat, fleece-lined leggings, and snow boots for a walk in a winter wonderland.

5. Fair Isle Beanie

This knit fair isle beanie is not only cute and cruelty-free, it’s also charitable! Krochet Kids hats are hand-knit by women in impoverished areas of the world. The inside of each hat is hand-signed by the woman who made it so you know exactly where your clothes are coming from. Talk about transparency! Pair this mint beanie with a white coat, maroon skinny jeans, and brown boots for a cool color palette.

Related on EcoSalon

Ditch the Wool for These Cozy and Cute Cruelty-Free Sweaters
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The Ultimate Cruelty-Free Holiday Gift Guide

The post 5 Wool-Free Winter Hats to Get You Ready for the Cold appeared first on EcoSalon.

Despite the tragedy of shrinking a wool sweater, the deed is reversible. Here is the best laundry tip; an easy step by step tutorial on how to unshrink a wool sweater.

Have you committed the laundry sin of [gasp] shrinking a wool sweater? In the name of absent mindedness, daydreaming or just a simple mistake — I know I have! And every time I pull out that miniature version of what used to be, like some magician’s bunny hat trick, an unpleasant emotion — somewhere between stubbing my toe and obligatory laughter — wells up inside me.

But despite the initial sorrow, all is not lost for you or that sweater. Here is an easy and fast way to unshrink a wool sweater. Try it out right now or bookmark this How To, and next time you find yourself needing to unshrink a wool sweater, we’ve got you covered.

1. First, fill a sink or bucket with warm water and dissolve a quarter-size amount of both shampoo and conditioner in the water.

2. Soak the wool sweater in the mixture for about twenty minutes. Move around at first so your sweater really absorbs the shampoo and conditioner.

3. After about twenty minutes, remove sweater and lightly ring the moisture out.

4. Next, stretch the sweater, pulling on all angles to loosen the fibers. (For true precision, but a bit of uncomfortableness, you can wear the sweater while stretching it. This will help mold the shape back to your size and fit.)

5. After the sweater is stretched about 2/3 it’s original size, lay it flat or hang over a chair to dry.

6. Lastly, once the sweater is dry, put on and lightly stretch out one final time.

Voila! Enjoy many more cozy days to come with that sweater!

Want more How To tips? Related on EcoSalon:

Ditch The Washing Machine: How To Hand Wash Clothes

How To Make Pillows: A DIY Pep Talk For The Pillow Lover

How To Declutter Your Desk and Increase Productivity

image: jenny

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Leading outerwear manufacturer Patagonia is partaking in an initiative to restore the grasslands of Argentina.

In an effort to reverse the 100 years of overgrazing on Patagonia’s 15 million acres of grasslands, Patagonia, Inc. has placed the first order of wool from the ranchers of its namesake region. The restoration program has been launched as a collaborative effort between The Nature Conservancy, Argentine rancher network Ovis XXI and Patagonia, Inc. to encourage ranchers to raise and graze their sheep in a sustainable method that protects wildlife and restores native plant species.

Patagonia, Inc. announced this new venture in January 2013, and is the first apparel manufacturer to support the restoration scheme. As the company has learned, sourcing and selling organic wool isn’t enough, as the organic standard does not take into consideration grazing practices. Patagonia’s agreement with Ovis XXI mandates that the ranchers raise their animals in a way that supports the long-term health of the region, and allows native species of plants and wildlife to re-establish healthy populations. Alongside restoration, this collaboration aims to provide a market incentive to attract additional partners and buyers, and more importantly, to encourage adoption of sustainable grazing and raising practices on a larger scale.

A new product line of Patagonia merino wool base layers will be made from this Patagonian wool, and will be available in stores and online in the autumn 2013 collection. The company says that from then on, every single merino baselayer, down to their merino socks, will be made from wool that is sustainably sourced from Patagonian grasslands. The wool from this region is of exceptional quality, and will likely continue to hold up to Patagonia’s reputation as one of the top providers of active and outdoor gear. The product types won’t change, just the origin of the wool, providing the company with their first opportunity to be “able to improve an environment by placing business there,” as Director of Environmental Strategy, Jill Dumain, says.

The complying ranchers use the Grassland Regeneration and Sustainability Standard (GRASS), which align conservation goals and land management protocols set forth by Ovis XXI and The Nature Conservancy. These protocols imitate wildlife grazing patterns, meaning that sheep will be moved from pasture to pasture depending on the condition of grasses. It is projected that proper management of flock sizes, lands and streams will promote higher ground coverage and encourage diversity of native grass species, allowing ranchers, sheep and native flora and fauna to flourish together.

Ranching on the grasslands is a source of livelihood for many of Patagonia’s inhabitants, but has become detrimental to the natural landscape as overgrazing has caused land erosion and desertification. The Southern Temperate Grasslands of Argentina reach over 400 million acres (nearly the size of 3 Californias), of which 20 million acres (10 Yellowstone National Parks) have already turned into deserts due to unsustainable grazing, rendering them unfit for native wildlife or ranching. The collaboration with Patagonia, Inc. is seen as a way to sustain the local economy, alongside restoring the unique ecosystem of the grasslands. The region is home to species such as the guanaco, a relative of the llama, the rhea, a flightless bird similar to an ostrich, and the last large population of the massive Andean condors, all of which are found nowhere else on the planet.

It is hoped that this partnership, which demonstrates a collaborative spirit in co-creating active change, will inspire and advance the implementation of globally sustainable grazing methods in order for sheep ranching and natural habitats to thrive side-by-side. “By working together we can ensure that the ranchers make a good living and that future generations will still know Patagonia as a wild place at the edge of the Earth,” said Chris Pague, an ecologist with the Nature Conservancy.

Images: Patagonia/Tim Davis

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Protect your table from annoying drink rings with these felt coasters.

Made from soft, strong, double-layer, chemical-free wool felt, these little mats from Desinature are a fun way to look after your tabletop while you sip your morning coffee or tea.

Environmental worthiness is further confirmed by use of eco-friendly inks to dye the felt, as well as their ability to ensure that your table’s lease on life is extended to the full by avoiding unsightly stains.

The “Shadow”coasters come in two shades of grey (smirk) – ash or charcoal (light or dark). £22 ($34) for a set of four.

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The best of the week at EcoSalon, hand-picked for your clicking pleasure.

Minimalism – “it’s about more than throwing $hit out”, and K. Emily Bond has some 25 delicious examples of the power of a sparsely but beautifully decorated room.

How woolen is modern wool, and what needs to be taken away to make it more authentically wooly? Leena Oijala investigates the modern boom in organic wool farming.

Get 30 people into a room, get them comfortable and let human nature take its course and what do you have? Our latest video update from the {r}evolution apparel’s sustainable trip shows and tells all.

At a loss for something to do but don’t have an extra cash to play with? Check out these fun things to do offline and online.

Finally, you know the phrase “it’s what’s on the inside that matters?” Here’s a radiographer turned fashion designer who has decided to take that literally, with stunning results.

The post The Friday 5: Stripped-Down Version appeared first on EcoSalon.

Understanding the organic behind the wool.

Technically wool is organic, but the processes involved in turning the fiber into soft sweaters, mittens and heavy winter coats renders it a far cry from the original plush coats of fluffy sheep. Unfortunately, a large percentage of wool fiber comes from farms where pesticides, insecticides and chemical inputs have become the norm that are depended on.

Conventional wool farming also often involves a toxic and cruel procedure called “dipping,” in which sheep are submerged in pools of chemical parasiticides. Not only does dipping have severely negative effects on the health of the sheep, but studies have found that these parasiticides can cause changes in human nervous systems. Disposal of the dipping liquids can also contaminate ground water, looping right back into the entire process.

H Fredriksson

Wool production is classified as livestock production, and organic wool farming requires strict adherence to a set of rules and standards. This means farmers cannot use any chemical inputs on their fields or their feed crops and must steer clear of chemical based insecticides and pesticides. The fiber bearing animals can only be fed 100% organic grains, graze on organic pastures, cannot be vaccinated with anything synthetic, and should be well-managed and cared for.

Wool farmers must therefore control parasites without chemicals, keep pastures clean and provide good nutrition for their livestock in order to keep them as happy and healthy as possible. Sustainability is also practiced through organic wool farming, as stocking ratios are set so that the land can regenerate itself and sustain its environment and the animals grazing on it. Mills that process the wool must also be free of synthetic chemicals and demonstrate water consciousness, methods that are not deemed viable in the world of fast fashion.

However, thanks to the efforts of farmers, textile producers and designers that understand the importance of sustainable livestock management and production, organic wool can make its way into our closets. Wool is an extremely versatile option for apparel, since its natural cell structure allows it breathable qualities that can be applied for warming or cooling effects, especially when blended with other fibers.

Jasco is a fabric producer that has noticed this and has been providing fashion designers with eco fabrics made in the USA since 2005. One of their most popular products is their range of organic wool, which is sourced by the likes of Carrie Parry, Helena Fredriksson, Rolando Santana, Nicole Bridger and Araks. New York City based designer Eviana Hartman of Bodkin has also favored organic wool in her contemporary designs, featuring it in her fall collection for German label Hessnatur.

Bodkin

The Fibershed Project in Northern California fully integrates the concepts of organic livestock management and fiber production. Three of the farmers in Fibershed produce wool through sustainable methods and a high level of animal care. Farmers Jean Muir and Sally Fox raise Merino sheep that produce extremely beautiful, fine gauge wool in a range of natural colors, while Julie Rosenfeld keeps a very healthy flock of alpaca and Alisson Arnold obtains fluffy fleece from her angora rabbits.

Their wool can be purchased either as raw fiber, yarn or finished garments online at the Fibershed Marketplace. These farmers demonstrate the versatility in wool types that even one breed of sheep can produce, as everything from the rainfall to the grass quality and food type in a certain area will affect the type of wool that the animals offer.

Imperial Knits in northeastern Oregon produces wool by considering the impact of each part of their production process. Although not certified organic, their methods are often more sustainable and considerate of the land than what certification guidelines require. They have integrated a no plow method that has improved soil tilth and radically reduced their use of fossil fuels.

Imperial Knits transports their wool to a family-owned mill in Alberta that uses no sulfuric acid, chemicals or extreme heating in processing the wool, nonetheless producing beautiful, fine quality wool. Imperial Knits yarn can be purchased online and in yarn shops nationwide alongside creative director Anna Cohen’s gorgeous patterns. Make sure to check out her next runway show at Portland Fashion Week in October.

The post Pulling the Wool Off Our Eyes appeared first on EcoSalon.

ColumnThe connection between the clothes we buy and the clothes we are already wearing.

Julia Ramsey is intent on sharing an awareness about textiles with others. “I think it’s important to know the connection between the materials and the end product and the human and how it all comes together; a lot of times, I think it’s taken for granted.”

In a recent event at The Textile Arts Center in Brooklyn, NY, Ramsey unveiled her freshest fashion endeavor: Pelt. Textiles and their individual stories are integral to the inspiration and creation process for Ramsey. Pelt reveals an experience that weaves together raw materials, innovative construction, and an intimate relationship with your clothing and shelter.

Grounded in ideas of estrangement, Pelt sought to deconstruct society’s tendency to disconnect from the clothing on your back. “Normally, when you’re wearing a sweater, it’s completely devoid of an origin; since I’m inspired by materials that I work with, I think it’s really interesting to make the materials the center of attention.” Each piece of the creamy, cloudy, milky, and comfort-driven collection harbors the potential to perform as a second skin. “They kind of take on a life of their own, and when you’re wearing them, you feel like you have this second skin; it makes you take on another persona and they almost speak for themselves.” For Ramsey, your “pelt” can serve to shelter you or to give you additional strength. Evolved from observations of animal skins, animal hides, and furs, the cozy pieces make you want to curl up in them and hibernate for a long winter ahead.

While Ramsey seems clearly comfortable in her own skin, being a “fashion designer” wasn’t something she could always easily identify with. Growing up, she loved to sew and make dresses, but fashion wasn’t really part of her life. “When I went to school, I couldn’t look anyone in the face and say ‘I’m going to be a fashion designer’.” In turn, early in her journey as a designer, she contemplated and analyzed the question of what truly makes a garment special. For her, the fabric is key; even if the design is simply cut, an amazing fabric can elevate a piece to another level. Through studying textile design with a specialization in knitting, Ramsey’s curiosity in the fabric behind her fashion has taken her even deeper into an investigation of the naked elements beneath: the raw material.

Pelt was constructed from a collection of unprocessed sheep’s fleece from around the globe. Ramsey’s design exploration led her to discover wool sourced from a little girl who raises sheep on her parents’ organic farm in Connecticut as well as an organic line of super fine merino wool imported from South America by a U.S. trader company. Wherever the sheep were raised, Ramsey’s wool comes practically direct from the animal’s back to yours. The wool is carded and the fibers aligned, but it’s raw and in a sense, that still maintains its connection to the animal. “It’s animalistic, and wild in a way, because it is so close to the sheep.”

By feeling and touching each pelt, it’s possible to realize that it came from a sheep. “You don’t think about that all the time and I think it’s important to be conscious of it.”

Organics go far beyond the materials for Ramsey. Designing is an evolution that unfolds before her in a very free-flowing and intuitive way. “I like to keep it really hands-on and I like to be making with my hands. I think that’s important: to be close to it.” In Pelt, she began working with a Barbara Walker knitting swatch book and let the shapes develop naturally. “Just putting rectangles [of the knitting patterns] onto the form, they kind of take on a life of their own and I can visualize how to build them out.” Guided by the body and a mixture of the material and the body, Ramsey’s work pairs an interesting balance between emotions of strength and femininity.

Drawing upon the embedded concept of skins, animal hides, and fur, Ramsey’s romanticized photo shoot for the collection took an even further look at the significance of coverings and the meanings behind their expressions. The true model in the images exists behind a styled facade, as in reality, she has long red hair. In addition, her freckling from head -to-toe covers her skin and creates a pattern upon her own body. Layers of coverings – animal and human – overlap and almost become entangled in a merging of raw and wild, comfort and spectacle.

Ramsey’s Pelt undoubtedly connects human with animal; the shearing from a sheep’s coat is woven into a covering to shield a human from the cold. We may not generally think so directly about the origins of the fabrics draped upon our shoulders, but Ramsey’s exploration reminds us that our garments contain stories that have already been written before they reach us. Questioning those stories and pondering their intricacies could aid in reestablishing true and authentic connections with our body coverings.

“I think it’s important to have things that people would love to wear, and are actually wearable, even though they stand out and make an impact.” Ramsey says this collection was potentially her Fall 2012 preview. We hope to soon see her creations available at a nearby boutique; whether it be to shield, shelter, or take on a distinct persona, these coverings are utterly covetable.

The post THREADED: Julia Ramsey Sheds Her Skin About ‘Pelt’ appeared first on EcoSalon.

My mother is a knitter and my closet is full of her chain link necklaces, soft cloche hats and chunky cowls. I love wool, but since reading an article recently sent to me, I’m reminded again of the environmental and ethical complexities of this natural fiber we so adore.

When we think of wool, it’s hard for many to think it could be anything but sustainable, growing off the back of a sweet little sheep. According to the Organic Trade Association, “In order for wool to be certified as ‘organic,’ it must be produced in accordance with federal standards for organic livestock production.”

That means no cruelty, no genetic engineering and as you might imagine, no being dipped in parasiticides (insecticides) to control external parasites. In Australia, super-soft Merino wool rules and mulesling, a painful wool shearing technique, is used on the majority of the sheep to hide-trim strips of “excess” flesh thereby maximizing wool output. This process eliminates the risk of Blowflies launching a full “flystrike,” a process by which flies nest in the folds of an animal’s skin. Feel free to feel ill. PETA narrated by singer Pink which, in traditional PETA fashion, is enough to make anyone think twice about eating lunch, much less buying a sweater.

You may have to do a little investigating to find out if the wool you are buying is mulesed or not as it’s atypical to have it appear on labels, but it will be well worth your time.

Jocelyn Tunney, of O-Wool and Tunney Wool Company, says investing in certified organic wool is comparable to how one should approach organic food.

“One would want to purchase organic wool for the same reasons as one would want to purchase organic food,” she says. “It’s a more sustainable farming solution, is kinder to the animals and is healthier for the consumer. Conventional wool is grown like conventional food – the land and sheep are sprayed and dipped in pesticides as a cheap means to increase salable product. The land organic wool comes from has to go through the same transition and certification process as the land organic food comes from.”

She’s quick to add that she’s talking about “certified” organic.

“A lot of people will label things organic (particularly wool) but organic holds very little meaning unless it is listed as certified organic, which has gone through a governmental certification process,” she says. “Here in the U.S. this is through the NOP (National Organic Program), which is how food receives the green USDA certified organic label. Wool itself can be USDA certified organic, but currently there is no certification process for textiles (yarn, fabric, etc.) in the USA, so a textile product cannot be certified. If you are purchasing something that does not say ‘made from certified organic wool,’ you are getting conventional wool.”

Donna Oakes, owner of vegan boutique Cow Jones Industrials says that because of the lack of accountability when it comes to verifying sustainable standards with animal-based products like wool and leather, she’s been a vegan consumer for 22 years.

“I am not comfortable selling items made from animals for a number of reasons – the most obvious products I wouldn’t sell would be those made from fur, next comes leather items – I don’t eat animals, so why would I wear them and if I don’t wear them, I wouldn’t sell items made from them,” Oakes says. “Wool is the area that doesn’t seem clear for a number of people who come into my shop. I could go on in detail but it really comes down to a very simple issue for most vegans: do we feel comfortable using animals for our own purposes? For me, this is not only an animal ethics question but one that I respond to as a feminist, and that answer is no.”

The Organic Trade Association advises that if you want to buy wool, consider this when you balk at higher prices:

1) Organic wool producers receive a higher price at the farm gate as their costs of production are higher, primarily associated with higher labor, management, and certification costs;
2) The organic wool industry is very small relative to the overall wool industry and does not have the economies of scale and resulting efficiencies of its conventional counterpart, and
3) Federal organic standards for livestock production prohibit overgrazing.  If the price of wool is low, the difference cannot be made up by simply increasing production per unit of land, as is commonly practiced by many livestock producers.

Image: Law_Keven

The post Walking Away From Wool appeared first on EcoSalon.

Women have innately basked their brains in feel good juices since time immemorial to get through tight economic and emotional times. Though dovetailed as woman’s work and not really discussed, for centuries women have enjoyed the calming properties of knitting, sewing, embroidering or even just rhythmically folding or ironing clothes.

When I came across this blog entry from sustainable designer and writer Natalie Chanin, it not only piqued my perception of the positive effects of “women’s work,” but it brought to light a real aspect of how using our hands to do meaningful tasks can benefit our overall health and well being.

Chanin cites neuroscientist Kelly Lambert, author of Lifting Depression:

“Lambert shows how when you knit a sweater or plant a garden, when you prepare a meal or simply repair a lamp, you are bathing your brain in feel-good chemicals and creating a kind of mental vitamin. Our grandparents and great grandparents, who had to work hard for basic resources, developed more resilience against depression; even those who suffered great hardships had much lower rates of this mood disorder. But with today’s overly-mechanized lifestyle we have forgotten that our brains crave the well-being that comes from meaningful effort.”

I asked Chanin myself, with all the women working for her, has she ever heard a remark about how working with their hands helped get them through hardships or that their disposition changed the moment they picked up needle and thread?

“We have had several stitchers remark that they just don’t ‘feel good’ when they don’t have a project to work on. I remarked in Alabama Stitch Book that I sometimes use sewing when I have a difficult decision to make or when I need to brainstorm and find ideas,” says Chanin.

So does the physical act of using your hands to “make,” increase some sort of chemical reaction that basks your brain in feel good, all-natural cocktails that can enhance your sense of well being?

I caught up with a few reliable sources to see what they thought about it.

Abigail Doan, Ecco Eco Founder and Textile Artist

I have always linked crafting with one’s hands to agricultural activities. Having grown up on a small family farm, I was fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with the soil, build fences, spin wool, and learn a variety of fiber-crafting skills. My mother was a self-taught hand spinner, and there is no doubt that the activities that we performed as a hands-on household curbed depression and day-to-day boredom.

I believe that people are currently drawn to these activities as they allow one to feel environmentally grounded and connected to a place, despite all of the uncertainty that presently surrounds us. Understanding the start-to-finish process of any craft-based activity mirrors life cycles and the rhythms of nature. For urban dwellers specifically, this is a great way to stave off the depression that comes from prolonged anxiety and a lack of centeredness. Keeping one’s hands moving also mimics activities like plowing, raking, weeding, or milking. We can lose ourselves in the patterns and textures created, and this for me is extremely therapeutic and restorative. It creates a one-to-one relationship that makes everything else simply fade away. It’s a healthy sort of addiction that replaces other forms of disease.

Jill Danyelle, Occupational Therapist and Founder of FiftyRX3

We are typically more motivated to engage in an activity that has some meaning, enjoyment, or purpose.

As a therapist, I work with children and tend to accomplish a lot under the guise of play, but I am also responsible for handwriting, which is often a dreaded task for my clients. I find the kids are most motivated to write if they can also draw and color pictures and tell a story. This year, I have had two boys collaborate on writing a story, which has motivated them to practice writing for the last two months, as they were excited to add a new phase to the story every session. We just ended it – although they keep trying to add more and more details – and now they are finishing all of the illustrations. They have a real sense of pride about the work, which I am going to publish in book form so they can share it with friends and family.

On the other end of the age spectrum, years ago I worked in a geriatric rehab facility every other Saturday. The clients were not motivated to do rote exercise, so I had to disguise it in activities. I would take all the neatly folded towels that were delivered from laundry and dump them in a pile on the table. Then I’d get two or three clients around the table and ask them to stand up and help me fold the towels. In the process they would start making small talk, so they were socializing, working on standing balance, bilateral coordination, upper extremity strengthening, etc.

In one of my internships with an Adult Mental Health Day Treatment program, I ran several groups including a kind of “talk therapy” group and a crafts group. Interestingly, nobody said too much in the “talk” group, but when they were busy crafting I think they felt less pressured and all sorts of things would come out.

Image: Mr T in DC

The post Using Your Hands to Soothe the Brain: Part 1 appeared first on EcoSalon.