Even if weaving isn’t your thing you’re going to love these ideas for living life more abundantly.
I lived each step of this powerful pattern compacted in a 3 hour weaving class. The life-lessons I learned were as tangible as the fibers I weaved with (you can get them below).
Hey Friend, Welcome!
Experience a Saori weaving class with me and take away a powerful pattern for living life more abundantly you can apply today. You’ve got this!
Also check out the BONUS video and FREE resources below to help you live life more abundantly.
A pattern for abundant life.
The other day I did one of the most fun things I’ve done in a long time. Not only was it fun, it changed how I see the world. I took a Saori weaving class found on Airbnb Experiences. I didn’t have any real interest in weaving but I did want to connect with my daughter who wanted to take the class. I thought it would be fun, but for me it was all about being with my girl.
It was so much more than fun! I wasn’t prepared for the thrill I felt at the loom. The joy completely blew me away. And in the end I wondered, why was this such a blast? What about this experience was so fulfilling? Why did I now want to go out and buy a loom or come back as soon as possible bringing everyone with me I thought would love it too? What was so special about it?
I now realize it was the powerful philosophy behind the class and the skillful way our host delivered each simple step of this pattern that made it so awesome.
This pattern not only applies to creating a weaving project, but in building an abundant life.
By applying the four-step pattern found in Saori weaving to how we live our lives we can enjoy greater abundance personally and we can teach our children to live life more abundantly too. You can apply these ideas whether you’re weaving yarn or the tapestry of your life.
I’ll tell you all about it, how each step of Saori weaving brought us through to weaving euphoria, and why applying these steps in your life will help you live life more abundantly. I’ll also tell you how you can connect with a Saori weaving class if you’re interested in trying it out for yourself.
Our experience.
Karen, our host, greeted us and invited us into her home in the avenues neighborhood in the foothills of Salt Lake City. Immediately upon walking in I felt the creative energy of her studio. This is what I saw:
Spools of yarn and fibers of every color displayed in stacks and rows along the perimeter of the room.
Woven Saori tapestries with unexpected patterns and color hung like art on the walls, as ephemeral curtains over the window, and served as covering for the seat cushions at the table.
Looms waited in the center of the room, threaded and ready for us.
Karen first invited us to a table where gobs of colorful yarn waited in balls and bundles: blue, green, orange, soft pinks and bunching pale wools. Every color and texture known to man.
I trembled as I considered the possibilities. Then I began to panic a little. What if I chose poorly? Which yarns were right to put together in a pleasing way? I felt uncertain as I picked through the beautiful piles gathering my favorites into the basket Karen provided.
Master the basics.
At the loom Karen showed us the specific skills we needed to know to weave:
I learned it was a rhythmical dance between my hands, the yarn, and my feet pressing the pedals. I sung a little song in my head to move through the steps: “shuttle, foot, press, shuttle, foot, press” as I put my first lines down on the loom.
Toss perfection out the door.
I sat at my loom with the basket of favorites at my elbow. They made me happy. My fears of getting it wrong were eased as Karen explained there are no mistakes with Saori weaving.
Although traditional weaving follows strict rules, patterns, and ideals for perfection, Saori weaving is different. No color, no combination, no pattern is wrong.
In this moment we were free to let all those expectations go. THIS experience wasn’t about perfection so any preconception of “getting it right” could be released.
At first it was hard to let go of the pressure of getting it right. Seriously hard. I wanted a beautiful tapestry at the end. I felt anxious every once in a while as I contemplated the next step. I found it fascinating to recognize the expectation of perfection inside me and to intentionally let it go.
As I let go the joy rushed in.
Freedom to run with our ideas.
The creative freedom felt intoxicating! Combining colors and textures, and trying new patterns was so fun! I honestly found myself shaking and flushing with excitement as I tried out the next combination my mind thought of. I couldn’t move the shuttle and my feet on the petals fast enough for the ideas pouring in. I couldn’t wait to see what amazing thing I’d create next. That wonder was so delicious.
In the midst of our creating, Karen explained, “It’s a meditation. You’re thinking of what you’re going to do next on your loom. You’re not even thinking about what’s going on in the world.”
I found it was true for me. My mind zipped ahead to the next beautiful thing I could create while my hands and feet danced to the rhythm of the song in my head: shuttle, foot, press, shuttle, foot, press.
Our mentor gave us tools and inspiration.
As we became more proficient at one thing Karen skillfully gave suggestions of other things we COULD do. She never insisted on anything. Just gave us options of other techniques we could try and the tools to accomplish them. Then, she stepped back quietly and let us run with it.
And we ran. I created loops, patterns, gathers, added bits of this fiber and snippets of that ribbon, and rejoiced at the patterns I built on the loom. I loved creating thick textures in my favorite colors: cobalt blue, teal, and red.
It’s not as easy as you’d think.
Saori weaving is a free-style weaving method with no rules and restrictions concerning pattern or design. It’s an art form where weavers express themselves freely weaving fibers, yarns, and ribbons. The medium is as diverse as the possibilities: Karen showed us a piece she made out of plastic bags! There are no samples to follow, only ideas to try. And most importantly, there are no mistakes in the weaving. Weavers weave what they want to with complete freedom and creativity.
Although this sounds easy with no rules, remember how anxious I felt when presented with the mountain of yarn possibilities and I worried I wouldn’t get it right? Friend, this perfection-anxiety is a real thing! Fear often paralyzes us while creating because we think we need to get it perfect.
This is also true in life.
We’re afraid of failure. Of getting it wrong. And fear keeps us from living life as abundantly as we could.
“To weave freely is not easy sometimes. We live in a world with many kinds of rules and restrictions, and it often can be very difficult for us to get rid of our fixed notions and to express our hidden creativity …” Saori.
How Saori weaving came about.
A Japanese woman named Misao Jo created Saori weaving method after weaving an imperfect belt for a kimono some shopkeepers deemed unsalable because of the flaw. She liked the mark of humanity the flaw gave the weaving and continued to develop this style which caught on. People loved her work and asked her to teach them how to do it themselves. She felt convinced of the power of creativity in every single one of her students.
Misao Jo’s story inspires me; she didn’t give up even when others didn’t like the irregularities in her work. She loved it and went ahead despite the negative voices. In the end, the very imperfections in her work drew people to it.
The Saori philosophy has 4 simple but powerful steps:
Misao Jo taught her students the basic techniques of using a loom then helped them remove their stereotypical preconceptions of what made weaving good, such as the need for perfection. Then she let them weave what they liked. As they progressed, she gave them suggestions and saw how they reacted, but never made further intervention. This gave the weavers an opportunity to discover what they truly loved and to create with joyful abandon. This made the weaving satisfying for them and herself as their mentor. Saori.
This is the very pattern our mentor, Karen, followed as she taught us in our class with her. Together they form a powerful pattern we can apply to our lives:
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Master basic skills and techniques.
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Remove preconceptions and false ideas.
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Uniquely apply what you’ve learned in an atmosphere of freedom and grace.
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A mentor gives support, suggestions, and new ideas without dictating the outcome.
Give it a try!
Here’s some great reasons why YOU should try applying these Saori weaving principles in your life:
Life lessons I learned from Saori weaving.
I also learned some mind-blowing life lessons while weaving fibers, bits of ribbon, and chunky yarn on the Saori loom. So often for me understanding comes when it’s tied to physical action and experiences. The life lessons came so tangibly and clear as I worked the shuttle through the threads to the rhythm of my feet pressing the pedals. These very weaving actions grew to be symbols of lessons for abundance that applied to all of life. I’d LOVE to share these lessons with you. I created a printable sheet you can post on your fridge or mirror to remind yourself of these lessons to encourage you to apply them in your life. You can grab it below!
Yes! I want it!
Please send me access to the printable 10 Life Lessons.
These 10 Life Lessons are my gift to you when you sign up to receive inspirational notes from me in your inbox (don’t worry! I’ll only send great stuff and never send spam!). When you sign up you’ll have access to my private Gifts for You Collection here at my website where I keep these 10 Life- Lessons printable list and a whole lot of other awesome resources to help you live life more abundantly. It would be so great to have you join our community of people who want to live life more abundantly.
The Take-Aways
I originally took the Saori weaving class as a fun way to connect with my daughter. It ended up being that and so much more. My experience helped me see the importance of learning basic skills and techniques to be successful at the thing you want to do. I saw how vital it is to remove false preconceptions (like it has to be perfect to be good). I experienced the joy available when creating, learning, and living with freedom and grace. I experienced first hand how inspiring it is to be guided by a mentor who knew the value of giving tools and ideas, but never forcing the outcome.
Hey Friend, I can see lots of ways to apply this pattern in my life and in teaching my children to live more abundantly. How about you? What ways can you apply these principles for yourself and in your family? How could that help you love life even more? I’d love to hear your thoughts! Please leave a comment and tell what you think. Your words may be just the thing someone needs today.
Want to give Saori weaving a try? I highly recommend it! If you’re near Utah or plan to visit the Beehive state, take a class from Karen at the Canyon Wren Saori Studio. You’ll love it! If not, this directory will help you find a class near you. I’d LOVE to hear all about it if you give it a try!
Do you want to live life more abundantly?
You’re not alone. I’ve got great news for you, my Friend. Watch the video for a virtual hug and words of encouragement from me. You’ve got this!
Yes! Please send the Abundance Toolkit to me.
Hey Friend, do you want more ABUNDANCE in your life? Start with the Abundance Toolkit.
The ABUNDANCE TOOLKIT can help you make the changes you want to live life more abundantly.
It’s my FREE gift to you. Just grab it here.
Yes! Please send the Abundance Toolkit to me.
The Abundant Toolkit is my gift to you when you sign up to receive inspirational notes from me in your inbox (don’t worry! I’ll only send great stuff and never send spam!). When you sign up you’ll have access to my private Gifts for You Collection here at my website where I keep the Abundance Toolkit and a whole lot of other awesome resources to help you live life more abundantly.
What’s in the Abundance Toolkit?
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13 page printable workbook.
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3 tools to help you identify and apply principles of abundance in your life right now.
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Questions to help you determine where you’re out of balance with abundance.
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Specific and personal actions you can take to live life more abundantly starting today.
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